Paul Tracy to NASCAR? Barry Green, who owns the team for which Tracy drives, is rumoured to be following the lead of Roger Penske and jumping to the IRL full-time next season. If he does, Tracy said there's a good chance he won't follow, and will try his luck in NASCAR. He's been approached by Richard Childress, and is lining up a test for later in the summer. "If CART doesn't survive, I'd have to seriously look at NASCAR," he said. "I'm a road racer, but if I'm going to be forced to run on ovals, I'm going to do go where I can prosper. There's more opportunity in NASCAR."(Globe and Mail, thanks to the Stock Car Fans Newlsetter for the heads up)(5-26-2002)
#26 sponsor? UPDATE 4 announcement Sunday: hearing that Discover Card may come aboard to sponsor the #26 Haas-Carter Motorpsorts team, not sure when or who will driver. Frank Kimmel currently is driving the car in select events.(5-14-2002) UPDATE: hearing it could be a six race deal for 2002, no idea of a driver.(5-16-2002) UPDATE 2: Car owner Travis Carter, who lost his sponsor at the start of the season when Kmart filed for bankruptcy protection, appears to be set to race on through the summer. Frank Kimmel, who has driven Carter's #26 Ford in several Winston
Cup races this season, said he'll run the Coca-Cola Racing Family 600 next Sunday, then step aside so another driver, most likely Todd
Bodine, can drive the car for five or six races. A press conference has been scheduled for next week to announce the sponsor.(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(5-17-2002) UPDATE 3: An announcement will be made on Sunday at 3:00pm/et at Lowes Motor Speedway by Haas Carter Motorsports regarding Todd Bodine and the #26 Ford for six races. Haas Carter Motorsports have obtained a sponsor for six races starting at Dover and ending at Chicagoland. The sponsor was gotten for former #26 driver Joe Nemechek who took the #25 ride because it was for the rest of the year - so Travis Carter let him out of his contract. Bodine has a contractual obligation to both Haas-Carter and Herzog Motorsports [#92 BGN] with Herzog being the primary. So now Todd will run the six Cup races from Dover to Chicago along with the BGN races. There are two conflicts after Dover, Nashville vs. Pocono and Kentucky vs. Michigan. Todd's brother Geoffrey will qualify the Cup car at both Pocono and Michigan and Todd will fly back and forth for Happy Hour. Also mentioned is that there is the potential for this to become a full sponsorship [DiscoverCard?](from the Todd Bodine site and forum)(5-21-2002) UPDATE 4: NASCAR Winston Cup Scene reports in this week's issue that Discover Card will sponsor Haas/Carter's No. 26 Ford for six Winston Cup events. Details of the arrangement are expected to be disclosed in a press conference on Sunday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The report says Todd Bodine has been picked to drive the car, beginning with the June 2 race at Dover and running through the July 14 event at Chicagoland Speedway. Discover Card's corporate headquarters is located in Chicago. The team started the year with sponsorship from Kmart, but lost it when the discount retail chain filed for bankruptcy protection.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter), Bodine was scheduled to test with the team at Dover May 21-22.(5-23-2002) UPDATE 5: Rich Lalley, vice president of advertising for Discover Card, announced on Sunday his company's alignment with Haas-Carter Motorsports. During the six-race partnership, which begins next weekend at Dover International Speedway, a black and orange #26 Ford will carry the Discover Card logo. Todd Bodine will drive the car in all six events, and will be crew chiefed by Donnie Wingo. After Dover, the team will compete at Pocono, Michigan, Sears Point and Daytona before concluding at Chicagoland on July 14th.(NASCAR.com) AND Haas Carter Motorsports announced today that it has partnered with Discover³ Card, one of the nation¹s leading credit card companies, for a six-race NASCAR Winston Cup Series sponsorship. Todd Bodine rejoins Haas Carter Motorsports as driver for its #26 race team. This announcement marks the Chicago-based credit card company's first involvement in NASCAR. To further drive home the point that its commitment goes beyond its name on a car, Discover Card has purchased in-car cameras for each of the six races in which the #26 Ford Taurus will attempt to qualify. In addition, commercials will begin airing during races on the FOX and NBC networks beginning June 2. Discover Card has also signed an agreement with NBC that, starting July 14, will make them the title sponsor of the network¹s pre-race shows.(Cox Marketing PR)(5-26-2002)
ThatsRacin.com wins Coca-Cola Family Pit Crew Challenge media division, the #20 Home Depot takes prize: The good folks at Coke dangle several thousand dollars in front of a bunch of honest-to-Bobby Allison Winston Cup pit crews to get them to compete. And they do so on the main stage right slap in the middle of Speed Street, a thoroughfare in Charlotte, N.C., better known as Tryon Street the rest of the year. The media thing is just a warm-up act, an under-card kind of thing that pits media folks against the Charlotte mayor, currently Pat McCrory, and a top Food Lion executive. Food Lion, like the Coca-Cola organization, does a ton for racing and helps bring Speed Street to town. ThatsRacin's team won last year by ripping off a less-than-exemplary 52-second stop, changing only two tires and barely beating Hizzoner and his Food Lion pal. This years team at ThatsRacin, Chad Sitler, ThatsRacin.com's content manager, and ThatsRacin's Bob Henry were first out on Friday, with a couple of Charlotte Observer sports department guys and two television personalities from WBTV to follow. The mayor and the grocery chain exec would finish things off. Their ordeal was finally over after an excruciating 45 seconds. And we had to stand by and watch to see if any of the other teams would beat it. Every one of them came really close, and without benefit of the professional help we'd had. But no one did it under 45 seconds - until the real pits crews took the stage. They had two more tires to change and other duties to perform as well. And they did it in a third of the time. No, less than a third of the time. So next time you go to a race and they're introducing the drivers, applaud as politely as you always do. Or boo, as the case may be. But next time you go to The Winston and they introduce the whole crew, clap until your hands are raw and cheer until you're hoarse. I'm not saying that the drivers aren't way good and worthy of your praise. Or your jeers, as the case may be.(see full story at ThatsRacin.com)
Pit Crew Challenge winners Bob Henry and Chad Sitler. (Fay Theos Photo)
AND The #20 Home Depot team took home a $7,000 paycheck at the Coca-Cola Racing Family 600 Festival Friday afternoon. During the Fifth Annual Coca-Cola Racing Family Pit Crew Challenge, NASCAR pit crews received their chance to shine in front of the fans, and the competing teams. The Pit Crew Challenge invited the crews from each of the Coca-Cola Racing Family teams to compete for $7,000 for the fastest pit stop on Speed Street. Each participating pit crew completed one stationary, four-tire stop on a Coca-Cola car, then raced across the finish line to stop the clock. The No. 20 Home Depot crew earned the first-place cash prize with a time of 16.51 seconds. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s #8 Budweiser crew finished second with a time of 16.70 seconds, earning a $3,000 cash prize as runners-up. The defending champion, Steve Park's #1 Pennzoil crew, finished in third place.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-25-2002)
Robby Gordon at the Indy 500 and at Lowes UPDATE: Robby Gordon ended up 8th as Roger Penske won his 12th Indy 500 as an owner with Helio Castroneves winning his 2nd Indy 500, the only driver ever to do so in two starts and the first back to back winner since Al Unser in 1970-71. There was a fire in Gordon's pits around lap 80 when the fuel hose didn't get disconnected and the top blew off the fuel cart/tank in the pits when it cuaght fire but was put out immediately, they had to restart Gordon's car as it stalled , but Gordon left the pits and is back on the track and no one got injured. The team will be moved to Greg Ray's pits and use that fuel tank, Ray is out of the race. Weather at Indianapolis was perfect and will not cause Gordon to be late or miss the Coca Cola 600. See results at ThatsRacin.com.(5-26-2002) UPDATE Gordon arrived at Charlotte and started the race, but had to start from the rear of the field, cramped up a bit but stayed in the car for the whole race and finished 16th one lap down.(5-26-2002)
LaJoie to run some Cup races UPDATE: BGN driver Randy LaJoie and his BGN team owner [#7 Chevy], Ed Evans, are talking to a potential sponsor about moving up to run four or five Cup races later this season. "I'm not going to go just to ride around," he says. "I want to go and be competitive. Like when those Cup guys come over here and kick our butt? I want to go over there and kick theirs." LaJoie, 40, won back-to-back BGN titles in 1996 and 1997. In the past few years, he has turned down several offers to move up to Winston Cup; one would have paid him four times more than he's making now. LaJoie says the extra money isn't worth the additional sponsorship, media and testing hassles that would come along with it. He has several friends in Winston Cup and can't believe how much family time they miss. "I can't put a price tag on that," he says. "It kind of cracks me up when you listen to all these (drivers) that are mid-40s now. I think they finally realized that they had kids. By then their kids are teenagers, you know? To me, I've had so much fun watching my 6-year-old get his first basket in basketball, my 8-year-old getting a hit in baseball. I can't replace that." LaJoie turned down one particularly enticing offer a few years ago after one of his sons asked him why he'd want a job that would take him away from home more often; didn't he already make enough money? "He'd better not get mad at me when he goes to a state college instead of Duke," LaJoie jokes.(more at USA Today)(3-21-2002) UPDATE - LaJoie to Cup? Randy LaJoie’s BGN [#7] team could be moving up next season, team owner Ed Evans said Saturday. LaJoie, the 1996 and 1997 Busch Series champion, stands fourth in the points heading into Saturday’s race. “We believe we’ve got a premier Busch team,” Evans said. “Our standing in the points would indicate that we’re doing things the way we expect to do them right now. We would like to get up to Cup at some point in time. “While saying that, we’re still very committed to Busch and to Kimberly-Clark, and we’re not going to do anything to jeopardize this program or our run for the championship this year. We’ve got a pretty good shot at it. We’re having ongoing discussions. There hasn’t really been any news to report at this point. As we get closer to the fall, we’ll have a little bit more to talk about.”(RacingOne)(5-26-2002)
Ned Jarrett OK: NASCAR Legend and father of Dale Jarrett, Ned, had a mild health scare when he experienced shortness of breath earlier this week. Jarrett, a two-time Winston Cup champion, was admitted to a hospital in Newton Thursday for a catherterization and angioplasty on an artery that was 95 percent blocked. He was released from the hospital on Friday and Dale Jarrett spent time with him at his home. "I went and saw him last night at home and he's doing well," Dale Jarrett said. "As a matter of fact, if they weren't having a member-guest golf tournament, he was going to play golf today, so he's doing well."(Daytona Beach News Journal/AP)(5-26-2002)
Childress in Indy: Winston Cup car owner Richard Childress will be attending his first Indianapolis 500 today. And despite his lack of experience in open-wheel racing, he'll be calling the shots in the pits for driver Robby Gordon in the Indy 500.(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(5-26-2002)
(5-25-2002)
Two BACE cars at Dover: BACE Motorsports has posted two entries for the race next weekend at Dover International Speedway. Tony Raines will pull double-duty on the high-banked cement, as he and teammate Chad Little attempt to put a pair of BACE entries in the MBNA Platinum 400. “This is exciting and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to run a Winston Cup event at a place where we’ve had a fair degree of success in the Busch Series,” Raines said. “Bill and Brian (Baumgardner) have really pulled out the stops in their effort to make a transition to the Winston Cup Series. Running the second car in Dover gives Chad and I the opportunity to compare notes and flatten the learning curve as our program moves forward.” Also of note for the team: Bayer Consumer Care has informed team owner Brian Baumgardner that the company will not be returning to BACE Motorsports as primary sponsor of Tony Raines’ BGN program in 2003.(Tony Raines site)(5-25-2002)
Stewart may buy a track: Tony Stewart, Ted Johnson (World of Outlaws) and attorney Cary Agajanian visited the famed dirt track Eldora Speedway in Ohio recently to initiate discussions possibly purchasing the legendary dirt track from owner Earl Baltes.(DirtAmerica)(5-25-2002)
More on Sadler-Wood Bros, Sadler to the #1?: Expect hard feelings until Elliott Sadler and the [#21 Motorcraft Ford] Wood brothers settle their dispute over his efforts to quit ASAP. They won't come to an agreement before Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600, but Sadler would love to get it done next week. He wants to pursue a ride with Dale Earnhardt Inc. That may come early next month, when Steve Park likely will be released. When it happens, look for Sadler to go even though the Wood brothers don't want a mid-season change.(Daily Press)(5-25-2002)
Stewart does nice for Berggren: during FX's coverage of Cup Happy Hour, Matt Yocum was interviewing Tony Stewart and Stewart announced that he would fly Dr Dick Berggren (Fox pit reporter, publisher of Speedway Illustrated and former sprint car racer) in his private jet to the Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Iowa on June 1st when Berggren will be inducted into the The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, joining the class of 2002. Berggren joins other inductees: Lloyd Beckman; Maynard "Hungry" Clark; Jack Hewitt; Jim McElreath; Everett Saylor; Larry "Smokey" Snellbaker; John Bagley; Galen Fox; Ralph "Speedy" Helm; Sam Traylor; J. Gordon Betz; and Joe Scalzo. Berggren teared up and said it was a spectacular birthday present he could hope for, his birthday is on Monday.(5-25-2002)
Park to Lose the #1 Ride? UPDATE 2:The Sporting News has learned that Steve Park will be released from the Dale Earnhardt Inc. No. 1 Pennzoil Chevrolet following the Coca-Cola 600 later this month. Kenny Wallace is expected to take the seat at Dover. While Park has continued his recovery following his crash in last September's Busch race at Darlington, his results in the car are not what the team had hoped for since his return. Park's best finish this season was 20th at Texas, but his average showing is 27th. Park may not be the only driver facing dismissal at DEI. Sources say that teammate Michael Waltrip's job isn't necessarily secure either. Although Waltrip's contract is up for renegotiation, it has been inferred that Elliott Sadler, who asked for his release last Sunday night from the Wood Brothers team, will be in the car in 2003. Ty Norris, executive VP of motorsports for DEI, denied that Park will be replaced or that Waltrip's status is in jeopardy. But Norris did say that he has talked to several drivers and "there are 43 available in either (the Winston Cup or Busch) garage." He expects to have a decision by June.(Sporting News), heard from sources that DEI is adamant Park will not be released.(5-4-2002) UPDATE: Reports that Winston Cup driver Steve Park will be released by Dale Earnhardt, Inc. following the Coca-Cola 600 in three weeks are false, DEI executive vice president Ty Norris told NASCAR.com. "It was irresponsible reporting … to make a ridiculous comment like that, when they asked me point blank and I said 'Absolutely no way,'" Norris said. "That rumor is very, very false." Norris also said that conversations between DEI and any future talent are focused solely on the future.(NASCAR.com)(5-4-2002) UPDATE 2: still hearing that Park will be out after the Coca Cola 600.(5-25-2002)
AJ on a Wheaties Box: A.J. Foyt, a four-time Indianapolis 500 race winner and owner of the #14 Conseco-backed Pontiac driven by Stacy Compton in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, will be featured on special-edition boxes of Wheaties cereal. The 18-ounce package will be available throughout Indiana, Michigan and the Southeastern United States beginning next month.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-25-2002)
New Coke/NASCAR commercials: Coca-Cola's newest NASCAR-themed TV commercial, entitled, "Race You," offers a humorous glimpse into how competitive the drivers are off the track - even when it comes to doing yard work or taking out the trash. "Race You," one of two new spots featuring Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers that will debut nationally on FOX during the Coca-Cola Racing Family 600 on May 26, opens with Bobby Labonte and Jeff Burton in a fictional scene, depicting them as next-door neighbors. Standing on their driveways with full garbage cans in their hands, all it takes is a challenge by Labonte and the two are off and running, racing to drop their trash at the end of their driveways. The two continue to race in other routine, everyday situations, like mowing their lawns and grabbing the newspaper. The spot concludes when Dale Jarrett shows up and offers each an ice-cold Coke, igniting a final challenge. To reinforce Coca-Cola's ongoing commitment to NASCAR families, the spot also features cameo appearances by some of the drivers' family members.
The second new Coca-Cola spot to debut during the Coca-Cola Racing Family 600, entitled "Sal Fooskoe," makes a hero out of a real Coca-Cola delivery truck driver. In the lighthearted spot "Sal Fooskoe," some of NASCAR's top drivers - all members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family - are being interviewed about their favorite driver, and all choose Fooskoe, who apparently has earned legendary status behind the wheel. One-by-one the drivers, including Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott, Kyle Petty and Kevin Harvick, pay their respects to Fooskoe, who in the closing scene is humorously revealed to be a Coca-Cola delivery truck driver and not a Winston Cup racer. Adding to the uniqueness of the spot is the fact that the role of Fooskoe is played by Mike Cox, a real-life delivery truck driver for Coca-Cola Consolidated in Charlotte. Cox doesn't have any lines in the spot, but he does appear in the closing scene, surrounded by the drivers and rewarded with pats on the back and an ice-cold Coca-Cola.(LMS PR)(5-25-2002)
Cars Supplied: America's Most Wanted, Body Dynamics and Carolina Motorsports Team Concept joined forces to fight crime and find missing and exploited children. The show taped at Concord Motorsport Park will air this Saturday night May 25th at 9:00pm/et on Fox. Jon Kerley worked with America's Most Wanted production crew as the pit crew coordinator while the team preformed mocked pit stops for action sequences for John Walsh and America's Most Wanted. To see pictures of the filming go to www.carolinateamconcept.com. And see my BGN Site for and announcement concerning the America's Most Wanted BGN team.(5-25-2002)
(5-24-2002)
Gibbs to Chevy (again)? UPDATEs: [Joe] Gibbs [Racing] has decided to switch from Pontiacs back to Chevrolets for the 2003 season, according to Chevrolet sources. The move comes after 18 months of intransigence by NASCAR officials for rules relief requested by Pontiac teams. That would put Stewart and teammate Bobby Labonte back in Monte Carlos, which would be a serious blow to General Motors' Pontiac division, perhaps serious enough for the division to leave this branch of the sport and take it's $35 million racing budget somewhere else.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-4-2002) UPDATE: hearing an announcement could come as soon as Charlotte/Lowes during The Winson/Coca Cola 600 weeks.(5-5-2002) ANOTHER UPDATE: a story in the Winston Salem Journal pretty much states: "Stewart, despite a few early season bobbles, is still only 251 points behind points leader Sterling Marlin, and he already has two wins. Stewart, who with teammate Bobby Labonte will be switching from Pontiacs to Chevrolets for the 2003 season, will be one of five men going for an R. J. Reynolds $1 million bonus in the 600." Have not seen any official announcement yet, so it is still a rumor at this point.(5-24-2002)
Lawsuit Update: .....a federal lawsuit is gaining momentum in New York, Washington, D.C., and Texas, threatening NASCAR's financial fiefdom and accusing the stock-car racing body of operating as an illegal monopoly. Bill France Jr., the son of late NASCAR founder "Big" Bill France, is up against some of America's most feared lawyers in a suit that could force unprecedented disclosure of NASCAR's closely guarded balance sheets. Johnnie Cochran is the high-profile front man. Another name, well known only in American's legal and corporate circles, signifies that Cochran is hoping for a long, fierce fight. See Newsday for the full story: Lawsuit Against NASCAR Picks Up Speed.(5-24-2002)
Save The Winston: Leaders from three counties will unveil an ambitious plan today to position the Charlotte region as the heart of auto racing and keep The Winston all-star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway next year. Billing The Winston as a homecoming for drivers and their teams, most of whom live in the Charlotte area, leaders will lobby NASCAR and lavish more than $1 million to promote next year's race -- if the sport decides to keep it here.(see more at The Charlotte Observer)(5-24-2002)
Barrett up for Stunt Award CORRECTION: Stanton Barrett, who plans to make his season debut in the BGN series Saturday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, has been nominated for a World Stunts Award, a worldwide program that honors the best in movie and television stunt work. The awards show will be televised live by ABC Saturday night. Because of his work in the movie, Jurassic Park III, Barrett was nominated in the "Best Water Work" category. Other movies nominated are Apocalypse Now Redux, American Outlaws, The Animal and Rush Hour 2. Promotion of ABC’s telecast of the World Stunt Awards will be on the rear deck lid of Barrett’s car this weekend. Barrett, a stuntman who has competed in BGN and Cup races previously, formed Red Racing with businessman Jody Looney this year. Red Racing is led by team manager Jeff Hammond, a former Winston Cup crew chief and now Fox Network television commentator, as well as veteran crew chief Richard Lasater. "We have a lot of great things planned this year, and even greater things in 2003. I think we’re off to a great start," Barrett said. Barrett is scheduled to compete in up to 12 BGN races and four Cup events this season with his new team.(ThatsRacin.com), actually the World Stunt Awards aren't on TV Saturday night but will be televised on ABC, Friday, May 31, at 8:00pm/et.(World Stunt Awards Site)(5-24-2002)
Mast Ailing - Hermie Sadler In the #90 for the Coke 600 UPDATE: Hermie Sadler will replace ailing driver Rick Mast this weekend in the #90 Donlavey Racing Ford Taurus, according to car owner Junie Donlavey. Mast said he has not felt good physically for several weeks and is undergoing tests to determine the cause. The doctors have recommended he step out of driving at least for this weekend's Coca-Cola Racing Family 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Mast competed in The Winston qualifying races last Saturday night at the Charlotte track. Donlavey said Sadler was a natural choice to drive the car this weekend at Charlotte. The team is billed as an all-Virginia team. Donlavey's Winston Cup team has called Richmond, Va., home for six decades, and C.F.Sauer's Company is also located in Richmond. Sadler is a native of Emporia, Va., and races occasionally on the Winston Cup Series with a team he owns.(Keystone Marketing PR)(5-22-2002) UPDATE: Car owner Junie Donlavey said he doesn’t know what ails Rick Mast and isn’t sure when or if Mast would be back in the #90 Fords. Hermie Sadler has taken over driving duties for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway while Mast undergoes tests to determine what his medical condition is. Mast isn’t at the track this weekend. “Rick called me (Tuesday) night, and he said he had to take some time off because he had a bunch of tests he had to go through,” Donlavey said. “We’ve noticed that he’s lost a lot of weight recently, and we’re just hoping that everything is all right. But until he goes through all of his tests, we won’t know. We’re just going to take things one day at a time because we don’t know really know anything.” Sadler said he was happy to get the call from Donlavey, who is a Virginia native like Sadler. “Emporia (Sadler’s hometown) is only about 60 miles away from Junie, so I was able to buzz over there pretty quick and get my seat in there and talk to all the guys,” Sadler said. “I know many of those guys because a lot of them worked for me when I had my Busch team, so in a lot of ways, it’s like old times. It’s a great honor and a great opportunity, so we’ll see what happens.” Sadler said he’s “just filling in until (Rick’s) ready to come back.”(RacingOne), also of note, it was reported during FX's qualifying coverage that crew chief Ernie Cope had left the #90 team (after a week or so), he is supposedly helping out the #37 and #38 Derrike Cope teams, former #90 crew chief Bobby King is back working with the team.(5-24-2002)
TV in the 2nd half of the season: Speed Channel will broadcast up to 11 Winston Cup qualifying sessions and 12 final practice [Happy Hour] sessions in the second half of this season, taking the place of the CNN/SI cable network that carried that programming last season. The CNN/SI cable network went off the air earlier this month, so Speed Channel will take on the coverage during the NBC-Turner Sports portion of the Winston Cup season that does not air on Turner's networks. Speed Channel is primarily owned by Fox, which does racing in the first half of the season.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-24-2002)
Bodine's sponsor shifts: Brett Bodine Racing says Timberland Pro will shift its backing from associate sponsorship of the #11 Ford in the Winston Cup Series to primary sponsorship of the team's #11 car in the BGN for some races. The team's Web site says the shift, which will be for an unspecified number of races starting in August, will be part of a marketing strategy to give Timberland Pro "better visibility... within the race community." The #11 BGN car is owned by Brett Bodine and driven by his nephew Josh Richeson.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-24-2002)
(5-23-2002)
Looney Toons and Taz to return? UPDATE's and IMAGES and a new page: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr will run a #3 Taz scheme at Richmond in the BGN race and that there is a chance the Looney Toons schemes may return at the Richmond Cup race.(5-10-2002) UPDATE:The Sports Business Journal reports that Chevy is set to reprise the promotion that put Looney Tunes characters on seven NASCAR Winston Cup cars last season.(5-14-2002) UPDATE - the announcement: On Thursday, May 23rd (TODAY), some of NASCAR's biggest stars, including Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Green, among others, will be seen LIVE on NASCAR.com as their cars are unveiled with Looney Tunes character art. NASCAR.com, the official site of NASCAR, will provide fans the opportunity to see the new paint scheme unveiled live via Web cast from Food Lion Speed Street in Charlotte, NC, at 12:00noon/et. In addition, fans will be able post questions for the Winston Cup drivers to answer after the unveiling. Users will also have the chance to purchase limited edition die casts of these unique cars.
The drivers listed below will race their Looney Tunes paint schemed cars at the Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 at the Richmond International Raceway on September 7.
Drivers participating in the Looney Tune promotion include (to date):
*Jeff Gordon - Bugs Bunny
*Jeff Green - Daffy Duck
*Bobby Hamilton - Marvin the Martian
*Kevin Harvick - Tasmanian Devil
*Joe Nemecheck - Speedy Gonzales
*Mike Skinner - Yosemite Sam
Robby Gordon - Pepe Le Pew
(What? No Gossamer? The big orange Monster)
(* Drivers who are attending the unveiling on Thursday)
(NASCAR PR), also, see my Paint Scheme Gallery - Looney Tunes PR, News and Schemes page for the images and PR's.(5-23-2002)
Wallace to stand by for Gordon if needed: Richard Childress Racing will have Mike Wallace standing by for the team's #31 Cingular Chevy team Sunday at Lowe's Motor Speedway in case Robby Gordon doesn't return from the Indianapolis 500 in time for the start of the Coca-Cola Racing Family 600. The Indy 500 is scheduled to start at 12:00noon/et on Sunday, while the 600 is scheduled to begin at 5:30pm/et, about three hours after the end of the Indy race. Gordon's itinerary shows him arriving at Lowe's Motor Speedway at about 5:15pm/et.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-23-2002)
NASCAR looking at Gordon-Busch incident UPDATE Busch fined: An incident in the final segment of The Winsotn involving drivers #97-Kurt Busch and #31-Robby Gordon has Gordon still steaming and has raised the ire of NASCAR officials. With #12-Ryan Newman seemingly driving away from the rest of the field in the final 20-lap segment, Busch had closed in behind Gordon, who was trying to move #20-Tony Stewart from second place. Busch then tagged Gordon's car from behind, spinning him out and causing a caution. In addition to the accident itself, Gordon was even more upset with Busch's comments after the race. "It was just a good learning deal for us and we had a shot at the win and hated to use Robby Gordon as a yellow, but I think we needed a yellow there at the end," Busch said. "Cars were checking up. Stewart got a little loose in the middle of one, Robby Gordon got underneath him. When two cars race side-by-side that third car picks up the draft. He got loose right before I hit him. I bumped him, that's part of it. I think we needed a yellow so we could put on a good show there at the end." NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said Wednesday the sanctioning body was reviewing both the incident on the track and Busch's comments following the race. "It is safe to say we're looking into it," Hunter said. In the past, NASCAR has come down hard on drivers who intentionally attempt to bring out a caution flag. Although some leeway is a given for an all-star event like The Winston, Busch's willingness to admit to his intent has several in the sport. Even before the Busch-Gordon incident, NASCAR was already unhappy with several drivers' actions on the track. Elliott Sadler, Kevin Harvick and Newman were all admonished for incidents during the race. Newman pushed Sadler up into the wall causing a wreck. Sadler responded by waiting for Newman's car to come back around the track and Sadler threw his helmet at the car. Harvick and Newman got into their own bumping match while under a caution. Lowe's Motor Speedway President Humpy Wheeler said he was surprised Busch admitted to his actions.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-21-2002) UPDATE: NASCAR penalized Kurt Busch $10,000 Thursday for intentionally driving into Robby Gordon’s Chevrolet with five laps remaining in The Winston last Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Busch was fined under section 12-4-A in the 2002 Winston Cup Series rulebook, which cites “actions detremental to stock car racing…” "It was a bit harsh for what happened in a non-points event, but that was Saturday and this is Thursday," Busch said. "It was for the remarks after Saturday's event."(NASCAR.com). See many driver comments at ThatsRacin.com: Busch fined $10,000; reaction is harsh(5-23-2002)
Ward to Hendrick? UPDATE nope: Dodge executives say they are worried that Chevy's Rick Hendrick may be ready to make another run at Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-19-2002) UPDATE: Ward Burton denied rumors he's leaving.the Caterpillar Dodge team.at the end of the season for Hendrick Motorsports and UAW-Delphi Monte Carlo team. Burton said "The fact is I'm still with Bill Davis Racing and plan to stay there, so it's a done deal I'm gonna be here for quite a few more years".(PRN's Garagepass Radio Show)(5-23-2002)
Gordon Back to clean shaven: Jeff Gordon is clean shaven this week after sporting a mustache and goatee last weekend at The Winston. Gordon said, "I liked it, it was fun, but it was just really for that weekend. My sister was getting married the next day so I didn't want to be too scruffy for her pictures."(PRN's Garagepass Radio Show)(5-23-2002)
Sadler's Release Update: Elliott Sadler was on PRN's The Pitreporters Wednesday afternoon and had this to say: In an effort to speed-up the release from his contract with the Wood Brothers, Elliott Sadler has offered to forfeit his half of the earnings for the rest of the year if they can come to an agreement by Friday. "That's how eager I am to get my release so I can get it behind me so we can race" said Sadler. He says it's hard being at the track wondering if it's going to happen and when it's going to happen, and wants to get it done so when they show up at the racetrack they're ready to race 100-percent. Sadler says he's real, real close to getting it done, however.added that it's been a touchy subject for the Wood Brothers and Motorcraft because the sponsor (Motorcraft) needs to approve his replacement." If he obtains his release by this weekend, Sadler thinks an announcement could be made in the next few weeks as to his future driving plans. The 27-year old Virginia native said "I'm talking with 2 or 3 different teams and I'm really pretty close with all of them.. I've kind of narrowed it down...and we'll see what happens.AND Kevin Harvick thought Elliott Sadler was mad at him during The Winston when Sadler threw his helmet and hit Ryan Newman's car after Sadler was wrecked during NASCAR's All-Star race. In the trailer after the race, Harvick asked Sadler if he was throwing at him. Sadler said..."No sir, I hit my target! We kinda laughed about that." Sadler said because Newman was on the outside of Harvick it.made it.a hard throw.(PRN's Garagepass Radio Show/Pit Reporters)(5-23-2002) UPDATE: In response to Elliott Sadler's offer that he would forfeit his half of the earnings for the rest of the year if.the team.came to an agreement by Friday on his release, Eddie Wood said "It's a nice gesture, but I've got to think about what's best for our race team...and that's.what I'll do. To us it's not about.the money. He's in quite a hurry to get his stuff done, but he's one person and I've got 50 employees. I want to make sure we get the right guy to replace him and it's so early.I don't want to do something just for the sake of having it done and the next day a situation that would work better comes up".(PRN's Garagepass Radio Show)(5-23-2002)
Buckshot deciding, has a sponsor: The next month could determine if Buckshot Jones ever races again. The Georgia native, released in April by Petty Enterprises, says he has a sponsor and has talked with seven or eight teams about driving. But if those teams aren’t willing to take the money his unspecified backer will pay, he’ll go into land development and put his racing career on hold, possibly permanently. “If there’s no ride out there, I’ve gotta do something,” Jones said. “I do not want to quit racing by no means. ... (But) I’m not gonna jump back into racing if I think that the team doesn’t have everything they need. There’s a lot of teams out there that are good teams, but they don’t have that little bit extra that they need. If I think it’s somewhere where the team’s got the potential to get there, man, I’m willing to do that. But if I think they’re not gonna be able to get to that potential, then I probably wouldn’t do it. I just want to have a little more say-so on things than what I’ve been able to do.” Time is also a big a factor in determining Jones’ racing fate. His pending land development deal has a deadline as well, so whatever happens has to happen quickly. “The sponsor definitely wants to do something within a month,” Jones said. “Let’s just say if every person we’ve talked to wants more than what the sponsor’s willing to pay, then I’d go into land development. I’ve gotta start earning a paycheck. I don’t receive a paycheck any more, so I’ve got a lot of bills to be paid. That would probably be one of the hardest things for me to do, to get out of racing. If I don’t have a choice, I don’t have a choice. If you get out of racing, and you’ve been out of it, most of the top people are not gonna try and hire you. They’re gonna pick somebody else. It’s bad sitting out of a race car ... but there’s something else (land development) that I can get involved in within the next two to three months, or it’s gonna pass by.” (Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(5-23-2002)
Wally Wins, well sort of: NASCAR driver and broadcaster Wally Dallenbach won an $11.3 million court judgment Wednesday against his former race team owner in a breach-of-contract lawsuit. Dallenbach sued Darwin Oordt, head of Galaxy Motorsports, in Mecklenburg Superior Court last year, accusing the Tennessee-based team owner of reneging on a multimillion-dollar racing contract. Superior Court Judge Susan Taylor issued the $11.3million judgment against Oordt on Wednesday after he failed to show up Monday for a one-day bench trial. "I'm glad it's over," Dallenbach said. "I think the judgment speaks for itself." Oordt didn't immediately return a message left at the Murfreesboro, Tenn., number listed in his name. His lawyer, Wilbur Linton Jr. of High Point, issued a statement. "Mr. Oordt chose not to defend the case based upon financial reasons," the statement said. "It would not matter if it was $1million or $11million. Not a penny will be paid." It wasn't clear how Oordt intended to avoid payment. "We intend to vigorously pursue collection efforts," said Dallenbach's attorney, John Buric of Charlotte. "Literally at the 11th hour the defendant decided not to come to court. It's indicative of the way this man has conducted his personal life." Dallenbach said he signed a three-year guaranteed contract in 1999 with Galaxy Motorsports worth at least $3.6million. Oordt stopped paying him his monthly installments in January 2001, the suit said. Oordt, who bought the team in 1999, suspended his Winston Cup operation last year after failing to find a sponsor. Dallenbach did race commentary for NBC and TNT for the second half of last season. Buric argued that the driver could have signed on with other teams, but that Oordt led him to believe new sponsors were lined up. "You can't give somebody a three-year dream and after a year shut the doors and say everybody go home," Dallenbach said. "They didn't do their homework, and the rest of the team and I paid for it." Dallenbach said he is still hoping to return to racing, but NASCAR's youth movement makes it difficult for a 38-year-old driver to get a ride.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(5-23-2002)
Shawna out? UPDATE 2: hearing Shawna Robinson may not return to the #49 BAM Racing Cup ride. Ron Hornaday is in the car for the Lowes Motor Speedway Coca Cola 600 and was in the car at The Winston Open.(5-22-2002) UPDATE: hearing that BAM Racing could field a BGN team for Robinson and keep Hornaday in the #49 Cup car. Hornaday also supposedly may have a sponsor for a team in 2003....NAPA, if they do not re-sign with the #15 DEI team. AND from the Winston Cup Scene: Shawna Robinson will likely return to the BAM Racing Dodge at Michigan June 16, after yielding to Ron Hornaday for the last two events. Robinson’s focus, though, may shift to the Busch Series in an effort to help her adjust to an ill-handling race car. “The owners support me 100 percent, they’re very much saying that this is still my ride,” Robinson said May 17. “We’ll see what happens after these two events and what direction we’re going to go. Right now, I’m just holding my head high and walking forward.”(5-23-2002) UPDATE 2: sources at BAM racing tell me "Everythig is exactly the same here as it has always been Shawna will be back in the car for the Michigan race it was never our intention to remove her from the car.. Ron Hornaday came on board for two races to help Shawna. and the team and we would like to thank him for all that he has helped us accomplish in the last two weeks."(5-23-2002)
Harvick and Yates? UPDATE: There are persistent reports that Yates would like to hire Kevin Harvick away from Chevy's Richard Childress, although Childress and General Motors executives say that won't happen.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-18-2002) UPDATE: [Robert] Yates said he hasn’t talked with Harvick. And Richard Childress, who owns Harvick’s Chevrolets, said his driver isn’t going anywhere. This despite numerous sources indicating the relationship between Harvick and his crew is anything but rosy. Childress, meanwhile, insists otherwise. “I’ve heard the same rumors, read the same things,” Childress said in regard to overtures to Harvick. “All I can say is you need to go ask (Yates). All I know is Kevin’s under a contract for another year. We plan on keeping him. He’s happy. We’re happy. Everything’s happy.”(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(5-23-2002)
DEI for sale? Speculation is increasing that a possible sale of Dale Earnhardt Inc. or parts of DEI may be under consideration, with word that owner Teresa Earnhardt may be considering a move to Florida. Finding anyone willing to finance such a sale might be difficult, particularly with the uncertainty surround two of DEI's three teams. But there are indications that Anheuser-Busch might be involved in however the situation might play out, possibly as part-owner, to protect its investment in star Dale Earnhardt Jr. It is unclear how much of a financial stake Earnhardt Jr. has in the company his father built.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-18-2002) UPDATE: Rumors have also cropped up that Teresa Earnhardt is looking to sell all or part of the DEI operation. Norris said those statements are false and Park concurs. “I’ve talked to Teresa quite a bit and there’s no indication that the team’s going to be sold,” Park said. “I think that’s part of the rumor mill we’re all kind of suffering through right now. We’ve got Dale Earnhardt Jr. (and) Teresa Earnhardt and they plan on being around the sport for quite a long time.”(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read) AND Dale Earnhardt Inc. may be sold. TV and several news sources are reporting that Teresa Earnhardt, widow of Dale Earnhardt, is interested in selling all or part of the three-team operation in order for her to take up a permanent residence in Florida. Two of the team's three drivers - Steve Park and Michael Waltrip - have contracts that expire at the end of the season. Only Dale Earnhardt Jr. remains a fixture. Anheuser-Busch, reportedly, is very much interested in what happens at DEI, to a point where they might buy in to protect their investment in Earnhardt Jr. and his future with the company.(Danville Register Bee)(5-23-2002)
More on Rudd's possible retirement: #28-Ricky Rudd says he'll make a decision about his racing future by July. With his record-setting 656th consecutive start on the Winston Cup circuit set for Sunday, Ricky Rudd, at 45, said he's finally taking a look at retiring. He said he'll make a decision on his future by July. Today, the only decisions he and car owner Robert Yates will be making concern tonight's qualifying runs for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the season. "As far as making a decision about what I'm going to do next year, well I'm at the end of a three-year contract with Robert Yates and Havoline, and when you start coming to the end of a contract, clearly you want to start weighing your options," Rudd said. At the moment, Yates is also considering his options.
Complicating the entire situation is the fact that Havoline, although a Texaco product, has been marketed by rival Shell to get around some merger issues. And now that Shell has bought Pennzoil-Quaker State, it plans to begin marketing those oil products instead of Havoline. While Yates ponders the sponsorship issues, Rudd is pondering his own options. "The options are staying with Robert; right now that is an option," Rudd said. "The other options, if Robert can't afford to wait for me to make a July decision, then obviously there are some other teams out there that would like to have me. But my No. 1 priority would be to stay where I am." But with Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Rick Hendrick looking at picking up Rudd if he does become a free agent, Rudd would seem to be in the driver's seat.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-23-2002)
Pepsi Can...oops: A misprint on the back of a Pepsi can has prompted hundreds of pop-drinking, auto-racing fans to call Roger Zabel's house at all hours, day or night, in search of answers to their most pressing questions. Zabel filed a lawsuit in Will County Circuit Court last week against Pepsico, Inc., and the owners of Joliet's Chicagoland Speedway over the misprint on the backs of what he believes are millions of Pepsi cans. The promotional cans encourage fans to call the NASCAR track for information about the July 14 race featuring driver Jeff Gordon. The number is Zabel's unlisted telephone number.(more at the Herald News)(5-23-2002)
Totally NASCAR news: There will be an announcement that Krista Voda has been hired as a reporter/anchor for Totally NASCAR. Krista has been the weekend sports anchor at WLEX-TV in Lexington, Kentucky since 1999. She is expected to start no later than mid-June. Her motorsports background includes covering Daytona Speedweeks, the Indy 500 for WLEX, as well as everything that has ever been on the track at the Kentucky Speedway. After a half dozen Kentucky Derbys, she also knows a little about the other kind of horsepower. A native of Clinton, Iowa, Krista got her start in radio, working for the hometown AM station before heading off to college. She attended the University of Northern Iowa (Alma Mater of Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner) and majored in Electronic Media and Communications. While a student, Krista worked for the public access television station in Cedar Falls. In late 1996, Krista moved to Lexington for a job with radio station WKQQ. She then worked for WVLK radio and the Kentucky Thoroughblades before finding her way back into television at WLEX.(MotorsportsTV) Voda replaces Kirsten Gum who left the show for other duties a few weeks ago.(5-23-2002)
Wallace, Innovative and Stacker2 to Cup UPDATE 2: Jeff Hammond reported on FSN's Totally NASCAR that Kenny Wallace and the BGN team he drivers for, Innovative Motorsports, will run four Winston Cup races this year. The tentative schedule is: Daytona in July, Chicagoland, Indianapolis and Watkins Glen. DEI will supply techincial support to the team which is currently running the full BGN season. No number mentioned but it won't be #48 (#81 maybe?).(4-15-2002) UPDATE: IMI Announces that it will race 4 Winston Cup Races with Stacker 2 and Kenny. Those races will be Daytona, Chicago, Indy and Watkins Glen. IMI will purchase some cars from DEI and possibly other organizations to speed along the process. The Cars number used will be #98.(Kenny Wallaces Racing site)(4-16-2002) UPDATE 2: If all goes according to plan, Innovative Motorsports owner George de Bidart will move Kenny Wallace to Winston Cup full time in 2003, while at the same time continuing to field two full-time BGN (#'s 47 and 48) teams. The #48 team will attempt to make its Winston Cup debut at Daytona July 6, where it will have a car and engine from Dale Earnhardt Inc. Also on tap are the Cup races at Watkins Glen, Chicagoland and Indianapolis. As for next year, de Bidart expects to have everything nailed down by the end of August. There’s been speculation in recent weeks about the futures of Michael Waltrip and/or Steve Park at DEI, and most assume that Wallace, who subbed for Park at DEI late last year and early this season, could replace either driver. Whatever happens at DEI, however, is out of de Bidart’s hands. Should Wallace make the move to DEI, de Bidart could still attempt to make the move himself to Winston Cup with the blessings of his potential sponsor.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read), see more on the #98 Team News and Links page.(5-23-2002)
Latest NASCAR/Toyota news, CTS in 2004? UPDATE: Toyota's invasion of NASCAR continues to evolve. And Wade Lopez is on the front lines. The Abingdon businessman fields Toyota Celica's for drivers Tim Nichols (Abingdon) and Reece Milton (Blountville) in the Goody's Dash Series. While industry insiders speculate when Toyota will make its next move up the NASCAR ladder, Lopez is building and learning with his Bristol-based Highlands Motorsports team. "My goal is to have serious advancement in this sport every year and I feel we can do that through our relationship with Toyota," Lopez said. "Toyota is hoping to debut in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004. That's where I want to be." Toyota has sent a factory representative to each Dash race, including Saturday night's event at LPR.(Bristol Herald Courier)(5-14-2002) UPDATE: Toyota, which has tested the waters in NASCAR with several entries in the Goody's Dash Series, is looking at the possibility of competing in the Truck [CTS] series. Lee White, vice president of Toyota Racing Development, said Wednesday, "Toyota is participating in a cooperative study with the NASCAR organization expanding our NASCAR involvement to include the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with our made-in-America full-size Tundra pickup trucks." NASCAR has traditionally limited participation in its premier series to American-made vehicles. White, participating in a panel discussion during the Open-Wheel Racing Summit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was asked if TRD would build a new engine for the truck series. "What we end up doing motorwise, I don't think anyone expects NASCAR to change their rules for us, so you can draw your own conclusions." Currently Dodge, Ford and Chevrolet compete in the truck series. Several teams are running Toyota Celicas in the six-cylinder Dash Series. "Frankly," White said, "it's given us good exposure for the Celica throughout the Southeast in addition to being a venue and a vehicle for developing relationships with the NASCAR organization."(ThatsRacin.comAP), see my NASCAR Past News page for more on this.(5-23-2002)
#26 sponsor? UPDATE 3 announcement Sunday: hearing that Discover Card may come aboard to sponsor the #26 Haas-Carter Motorpsorts team, not sure when or who will driver. Frank Kimmel currently is driving the car in select events.(5-14-2002) UPDATE: hearing it could be a six race deal for 2002, no idea of a driver.(5-16-2002) UPDATE 2: Car owner Travis Carter, who lost his sponsor at the start of the season when Kmart filed for bankruptcy protection, appears to be set to race on through the summer. Frank Kimmel, who has driven Carter's #26 Ford in several Winston
Cup races this season, said he'll run the Coca-Cola Racing Family 600 next Sunday, then step aside so another driver, most likely Todd
Bodine, can drive the car for five or six races. A press conference has been scheduled for next week to announce the sponsor.(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(5-17-2002) UPDATE 3: An announcement will be made on Sunday at 3:00pm/et at Lowes Motor Speedway by Haas Carter Motorsports regarding Todd Bodine and the #26 Ford for six races. Haas Carter Motorsports have obtained a sponsor for six races starting at Dover and ending at Chicagoland. The sponsor was gotten for former #26 driver Joe Nemechek who took the #25 ride because it was for the rest of the year - so Travis Carter let him out of his contract. Bodine has a contractual obligation to both Haas-Carter and Herzog Motorsports [#92 BGN] with Herzog being the primary. So now Todd will run the six Cup races from Dover to Chicago along with the BGN races. There are two conflicts after Dover, Nashville vs. Pocono and Kentucky vs. Michigan. Todd's brother Geoffrey will qualify the Cup car at both Pocono and Michigan and Todd will fly back and forth for Happy Hour. Also mentioned is that there is the potential for this to become a full sponsorship [DiscoverCard?](from the Todd Bodine site and forum)(5-21-2002) UPDATE 4: NASCAR Winston Cup Scene reports in this week's issue that Discover Card will sponsor Haas/Carter's No. 26 Ford for six Winston Cup events. Details of the arrangement are expected to be disclosed in a press conference on Sunday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The report says Todd Bodine has been picked to drive the car, beginning with the June 2 race at Dover and running through the July 14 event at Chicagoland Speedway. Discover Card's corporate headquarters is located in Chicago. The team started the year with sponsorship from Kmart, but lost it when the discount retail chain filed for bankruptcy protection.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter), Bodine was scheduled to test with the team at Dover May 21-22.(5-23-2002)
(5-22-2002)
Autopsy Photos News: Whether records that were once open to public scrutiny can be sealed retroactively was the key issue between attorneys arguing both sides of the Dale Earnhardt autopsy photo debate before an appeals court today. "The right exists when the record is created," insisted Tom Julin, a Miami attorney representing The Independent Florida Alligator, a student-run newspaper in Gainesville. The Alligator wants the 5th District Court of Appeal to reverse a ruling last year by Circuit Judge Joseph Will that sealed the Earnhardt photos. The Florida Legislature then adopted a new law restricting access to such photos. Theresa Earnhardt attended the hour-long hearing, along with an entourage of attorneys and media relations specialists. She declined to talk before or after the hearing, during which only attorneys were allowed to argue their respective points before the three-judge panel. The appeals judges could rule anytime from a week to six months or could pass the issue on to the Florida Supreme Court.(more at Daytona Beach News Journal)(5-22-2002)
Winston Rules to be 'tweaked'? R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. officials are already looking at how they might adjust the new rules used in The Winston this year to make them better in 2003. While no such decisions can be made without NASCAR’s approval, RJR will considering proposing that the number of cars to will be inverted before the final segment be selected randomly next year, instead of by a fan vote. Although officials like giving fans a voice in the race, it’s clear that fans are always going to vote to invert the maximum number they’re allowed to choose. Randomly choosing the number of cars to invert could discourage drivers from laying back in the second segment to get a better starting spot for the third. RJR will also look at making the Winston Open slightly longer and requiring teams to make a pit stop during that preliminary race to stir competition. Jeremy Mayfield led all 30 laps in the Open last weekend.(ThatsRacin.com), no mention changing the way a pit stop is made in the first segment of the Winston.(5-22-2002)
DEI Employee Charged: Joseph George Katula III, of Concord, NC, has been charged with seven counts of felony larceny by employee in the theft of $500 worth of auto parts from the racing enterprise, Iredell Sheriff Phil Redmond said this morning. He was taken to Iredell County Jail on a $10,000 bond and has a June court date. Katula started working at Dale Earnhardt Inc. nine months ago, Redmond said. Katula worked in the shop area rebuilding rear axle gears, the sheriff said. The owner of a local used parts store called DEI when a man sold auto parts to the owner for $1,000. The owner wanted to make sure the man had permission to sell the DEI items, Redmond said. Rex Garrett, a DEI supervisor, found that the parts had been stolen, the sheriff said. Sheriff's Detective Sgts. Allen Sipes and Neil Hayes arrested and charged Katula this week.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-22-2002)
Burton tests at road course: #99- Jeff Burton was at Virginia International Raceway Tuesday testing his road course #99 CITGO Ford in preparation for the upcoming race at Sears Point on June 23 in Sonoma, CA.(Danville Register Bee)(5-22-2002)
RCR Crew Swap? hearing rumors that the #29 and #31 Richard Childress Racing teams could swap crews in order to try to turn around their season.(5-22-2002)
Rusty Injured but ok: Broken Toes and all #2-Rusty Walace participated in NASCAR's special test at Richmond Wedneday and will be behind the wheel of his new car (PC-43) at Lowe's on Thursday. Wallace sustained three broken toes on his left foot in the grinding crash on lap 14 in the first segment of last Saturday night's "The Winston" all-star race at Lowe's. "It's about as hard as I've ever hit and that includes that head-on deal at Pocono a couple of years back," Rusty said. "What made it worse was the fact that I saw the whole thing unfold right in front of me and couldn't do anything about it. I saw the wall and knew it was going to be a hard hit.and it definitely was that."(Tom Roberts PR)(5-22-2002)
More NASCAR Rock: on the heels of NBC's Rock CD NASCAR: Full Throttle released late in 2001 (yes Jayski has it), Fox has one of their own, NASCAR on FOX brings your favorite race feature, NASCAR: Crank It Up. Fueled with new songs and rare tracks from some of rock's most potent stars, in partnership with MCA Records, the NASCAR on FOX Crank It Up CD goes green. For more info, see the Fox Sports site or order one or both from my Racing Bookstore.(5-22-2002)
(5-21-2002)
NASCAR Softball: There are 16 NASCAR race teams preparing for competition this summer on the softball diamond, as follows: Joe Gibbs Racing; Innovative Motorsports; Ganassi Racing; DEI Intimidators; Roush Racing (Winston Cup); Jasper Motorsports;
Hendrick Motorsports 1; Hendrick Motorsports 2; BACE Motorsports; Ultra Motorsports; Robert Yates Racing #28; Welliver-Jesel Motorsports; Roush Racing (Busch); DEI... Michael Waltrip Racing; Robert Yates Racing #88; Racing Champions. The 2002 Race City Resumes, Inc. Totally Racin Softball League is into its 5th Season. DEI... Dale Earnhardt Inc. Intimidators are looking to defend their 2000 & 2001 Championships. All are welcome to come out and support their favorite team.(Race City Resumes)(5-21-2002)
Sad News - Campers Die UPDATE: After receiving a call from a woman Sunday who said her husband had not returned home from a campground at Lowe's Motor Speedway, more than a dozen Concord police officers started a search. They discovered two men dead inside a tent around 2:00am/et at a campground outside Lowe's Motor Speedway in a lot where hundreds of fans of The Winston have parked their campers for race activities. Officers found a small charcoal grill burned out inside the tent near the victim's bodies. It was likely being used as some type of heat source when temperatures began to dip Saturday night, investigators say. Investigators say the death of the two men is accidental. The victims are from North Carolina and nearby campers say they believe they are from the Marion area. The camper and truck were towed from scene Monday morning and taken to the Concord Police Station as evidence. Investigators say they are contacting family at this hour. They plan to release more details later this afternoon.(NBC6.com) and an update on the story posted a little while ago at NBC6.com: Bodies found at Lowe's Motor Speedway campground.(5-20-2002) UPDATE: Early Monday morning, security officers found the bodies of two N.C. men in their tent at Lowe's Motor Speedway, apparently victims of carbon monoxide poisoning from a charcoal grill they were using to stay warm. The cause of death has not been officially determined for Todd Stewart Loftis, 37, of Marion and Joseph Dylan Rumfelt, 24, of Old Fort. But police say the brothers-in-law probably died from inhaling carbon monoxide from the grill as the temperature dropped into the 40s. It's not the first time the deadly gas has killed camping race fans. In campgrounds at speedways across the country, thousands of racing fans pitch tents and park recreational vehicles, enjoying cheap lodging and campground camaraderie. But in the past eight years, the combination of burning fuel and small, enclosed sleeping spaces has killed at least 10 campers in at least six incidents at major speedways. "It just tore me to pieces," said Shane Burton of Kings Mountain, who had set up camp a few rows away in the Peninsula campground on speedway property. "The way people are in the campgrounds, if they would have just said they were cold, (somebody) would have brought them in." Speedway officials estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 people camped on their property for The Winston -- equal to about one-fourth Concord's population. But something tragic happened just two weeks ago, when, after the NASCAR Pontiac 400 at Richmond International Speedway in Virginia, a 20-year-old woman died from inhaling exhaust that leaked into her camper from its gas-powered generator. Carbon monoxide -- a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning fuel -- replaces the body's oxygen when inhaled, slowly suffocating the victim. Lowe's Motor Speedway officials said that until now, nobody had died there from carbon monoxide poisoning. But they do get several rescue calls each year from people experiencing symptoms of it: dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea and irregular breathing. The Concord Fire Department began Monday posting fliers warning campers how to prevent carbon monoxide inhalation.(more at ThatsRacin.com)(5-21-2002)
Sadler out of the #21? UPDATEs $11 million sponsor?: ESPN2's RPM 2 Night reports that Elliott Sadler has asked for his release from the #21 Wood Brothers team. Sadler supposedly is looking at an opportunity with Dale Earnhardt Inc (#15? - no idea). The Wood Brothers have not granted his release yet.(4-30-2002) UPDATE: Word around some shops [and from ESPN] is that Elliott Sadler has asked for a release from his contract from the #21 Motorcraft Wood Brothers Ford. Sadler has supposedly been approached by several teams and wants out of the contract he has had with the team since 1999 to explore those options. One of the teams rumored to be interested in Sadler is Dale Earnhardt Inc., the home of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Steve Park and Michael Waltrip. Kenny Wallace, who filled in for the Park after his Darlington injuries last September, is still under contract to DEI as well.(NASCAR.com Buzz)(5-1-2002) UPDATE: Thursday's ESPN2's RPM 2 Night reported that Sadler has sponsor's worth $11 million to bring to a team and has talked to DEI about taking the sponsor there.(5-3-2002) UPDATE 5: Elliott Sadler, according to several sources, has come up with an $11 million sponsorship with the World Wrestling Federation (actually the WWE not WWF) and is shopping that deal around. Two weeks ago DEI's Ty Norris, who is in renegotiation talks with sponsor NAPA and Pennzoil (now owned by Shell), confirmed talking with Sadler. Now word from Ford Motor Company sources is that Ford officials are trying to keep Sadler in their camp by trying to put together a new Ford ride for him. One of the Ford options being raised is a ride with Robert Yates, even though neither of Yates' two current drivers, Dale Jarrett and Ricky Rudd, has expressed any interest in moving on. According to one source, Sadler has not been satisfied with the horsepower he's been getting from Roush Racing.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-18-2002) AND nore: just speculation but here it is - Several WWE superstars are friends with Elliott Sadler and his brother Hermie (who races cars also) and in his bio Hermie says he will sometimes travel with the WWE and a couple of the wrestlers participated in a golf tournament the Sadlers had. This just adds to the fact that the WWE will likely sponsor his car. According the the Honolulu Advertiser, which looks at the Rock returning to Hawaii (he went to high school there) on June 15th for the WWF event there, where Rock will take on Chris Jericho in a no DQ match.(prowrestling.com) BUT on Speed Channel's Inside Winston Cup (a jayski must see) Elliot Sadler denied have any sponsorship in hand with any company, then Michael Waltrip asked Sadler if he ever read Jayski, which Sadler replied "everyday", pretty cool, but anyhow....the point is, Sadler said he has no sponsor in place.(5-21-2002)
NASCAR Technical Institute grand opening UPDATE: The NASCAR Technical Institute has its grand opening at 6:00pm/et on Monday, May 20th at Talbert Pointe Business Park in Mooresville, NC. The Institute is the first-ever technical training school that combines a complete automotive technology program and a NASCAR-specific motorsports program. The Institute can train 1,900 students daily in core entry-level automotive technology and NASCAR expertise. The Institute, which will be housed in a $12 million, 146,000 square-foot facility, will have around 150 employees and will be aimed at addressing the shortage of qualified auto service technicians in the automotive industry.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-18-2002) UPDATE: NASCAR continued its rapid expansion Monday at the grand opening of a school designed to specifically train mechanics and help them break into auto racing. The NASCAR Technical Institute is a sparkling 146,000-square foot training facility located on 19 acres in the heart of NASCAR country. The school is capable of training 1,900 students a day and ready them for jobs in auto racing. The school offers two programs - one lasts 57 weeks, the other lasts 69 - and consists of traditional technology training, as well as NASCAR specific training. Tuition starts at $24,350 and the first session begins July 1. NASCAR teamed with Universal Technical Institute to build the school, which requires only a high school degree or a General Equivalency Diploma and has an age requirement of at least 18 years old. Coursework includes engine construction, electrical, fuel and lubrication systems, drive trains, body and chassis fabrication and racing theory principles. Students will also learn the history and rules and regulations of NASCAR. Graduates are expected to easily find work, whether its with a race team, a car dealership or a garage.(Augusta Chronicle/AP).(5-21-2002) AND With the grand opening of the NASCAR Technical Institute this summer in Mooresville, N.C., UPS extends its NASCAR partnership with UPS Racing Technical Edge Scholarships offered for financial assistance to minority students seeking careers in racing and automotive technology. The scholarship program unites two important UPS goals: to encourage diversity and advance educational opportunity. UPS supports the sport's growing and diverse fan base with active participation on the NASCAR Diversity Council and a paid 10-week summer assignment for a student from one of the nation's historically black colleges as part of NASCAR's Minority Internship Program. UPS will provide scholarships to students based on financial need with attention to automotive work experience and automotive-related career goals. Applicants must be high school graduates or be completing their senior year and be registered or planning to enroll in the 57-week North Carolina-based program by November 1, 2002. Scholarship Management Services of St. Peter, Minn., will administer the program with applications posted on the UPS Racing web site in June.(Business Wire)(5-21-2002)
Penalties at The Winston? UPDATE:ThatsRacin.com is reporting: #21-Elliott Sadler, #29-Kevin Harvick and race winner #12-Ryan Newman were all told to report to the NASCAR hauler following the race for incidents each was involved in during Saturday night's Winston. On Lap 43, Newman edged Sadler up the track and Sadler hit the Turn 2 wall, sending him to the garage. Before Sadler left the scene of the wreck, he took off his helmet and threw it at Newman's car as he passed by. Newman was called to the hauler for hitting Sadler, while Sadler was called in for throwing the helmet. Harvick and Newman traded bumps while under caution and Harvick was called in for that incident. NASCAR spokesperson Danielle Frye said Sadler will likely receive a penalty for his actions, which would be announced Monday.(5-19-2002) UPDATE: FSN's Totally NASCAR reports that Elliott Sadler was fined $5,000 by NASCAR for throwing his helmet at Ryan Newman's car during The Winston.(5-20-2002) AND NASCAR officials announced that driver Elliott Sadler has been fined $5,000 for his actions this past weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Sadler, driver of the #21 Ford, threw his helmet at another competitor's car [#12 Ryan Newman] and was penalized under Section 12-4-A of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rule Book: œActions detrimental to stock car racing.(NASCAR PR)(5-21-2002)
New Sam Bass site: Although motorsports artist Sam Bass relocated his gallery and design studio to a new facility across from Lowe's Motor Speedway in 2000, Bass announced recently that his business is expanding again. To the 10,000-square-foot building Bass is adding100...megabytes? While one-tenth of a gigabyte may not seem like much - hardly a blip on the hard drive of a new desktop computer - it's the Web site residing within that Bass expects to spark the interest of race fans and art
collectors alike. Sambass.com has been newly built for ease of navigation and downloading speed. It is well-stocked with news about the latest releases, information about the artist, and, of course, hundreds of paintings and car designs created by Bass. "A lot of people who buy our art don't live close enough to conveniently visit us," said Sam Bass. "This new site will give those folks a chance to 'look around' the gallery and even purchase a fine-art print or poster without leaving their house." Brad Bowling and Brad Spry - two Concord-based Web developers who build sites as "The Brads" - created sambass.com with supervision from Bass' in-house graphics specialist Phillip McCollam. "We realize that not all race fans are comfortable getting around the Internet," said Brad. "Our whole approach to designing a site for Sam Bass was to make it as simple as possible, but still have an elegance that constantly reminds the viewer that he is looking at an art gallery and graphic design firm." For more information about Sam Bass' motorsports art and latest race car designs, visit the new Web site at Sambass.com.(5-21-2002)
Sad News:Delaware Speedway Truck division competitor Stan Harborne of Chatham died last night (May 18, 2002) at London Health Sciences Centre. After a single vehicle incident at Delaware Speedway during the Truck division feature race, track emergency personnel attended to Harborne until he was transported to hospital by Provincial ambulance. The incident is being investigated by Ontario Provincial Police. An autopsy is being performed to determine the cause of death. Harborne, age 61, was in his second year of competition at Delaware Speedway. Another news release will be forthcoming as further information becomes available.(5-21-2002)
Earnhardt's Mother Honored: Martha Earnhardt, wife of the late Ralph Earnhardt, the mother of seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, and the grandmother of Kerry, Dale Jr., Kelley and Taylor Earnhardt, is the grand marshal for the May 21 UAW-GM Teamwork Parade in Charlotte. This year’s theme is Racing Legends and is a tribute to those who paved the way for today’s Winston Cup circuit. Among those scheduled to appear in the parade are current and former drivers Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, Morgan Shepherd, Rex White, Brett Bodine, Jim Vandiver, Neil “Soapy” Castles, Ken Ragan, Kirk Shelmerdine, Ashton Lewis, Shawna Robinson, and Elliott Sadler; the Earnhardt family; the first Miss Winston Marilyn Chilton Green; Leonard Wood; Neil Bonnett’s daughter Kristen; Fireball Roberts’ daughter Pam; Frances Flock, wife of the late Tim Flock; and Wanda Lund, wife of the late Tiny Lund. The parade is scheduled to begin at 8:00pm/et.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(5-16-2002) AND Charlotte's annual celebration of NASCAR gets under way tonight with the UAW-GM Teamwork Parade through the streets of the business district. The parade, which is scheduled to start at 8:00pm/et and end with a fireworks display, is expected to feature NASCAR drivers, show cars, marching bands, clowns, floats and local celebrities. The celebration continues on Thursday when the Food Lion Speed Street is scheduled to open its three-day run, featuring entertainment on three stages, driver appearances, NASCAR show cars and simulators and a variety of vendors.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter). More info on this and other driver appearances/links/chats see my Driver Appearance/Chats Page.(5-21-2002)
(5-20-2002)
Cars, Drivers wanted: America’s Most Wanted is looking for drivers and cars, because they will be taping a complete show at the Concord Motorsports Park on Wednesday May 22, which is scheduled to air on Saturday May 25th, 2002 which is National Missing Children’s Day (the set will be closed to the public). They are looking for anyone within the area with a Winston Cup, BGN, or Hooters Cup series showcar or racecar and driver that is capable to do limited choreographed driving simulations and pit stops for segments on the show. They will be featuring and unveiling their America’s Most Wanted/www.BigFanRacing.com missing children’s BGN car on the show and showing segments on Missing Children cases, and they are offering visual exposure opportunities to the teams that would like to participate for their sponsors and drivers. Spaces are limited, for further information contact Scott Davis at sdavis@bodydynamicsracing.com and send a color photo of your car. Drivers can get their sponsor added National exposure and sponsor representatives are encouraged to inquire as well. For additional contact information go to www.bodydynamicsracing.com.(5-20-2002)
A 5th Hendrick team with Sprague? UPDATE 3 will NOT run at Lowes next week: been told that Hendrick Motorsports BGN driver, Jack Sprague, will drive the #60 Haas Chevy in the Coca Cola 600 at Lowes Motor Speedway in May and possibly up to six more Cup events. See an image of the car on my Paint Schemes Gallery.(3-19-2002) UPDATE: Dr Jerry Punch interviewed Jack Sprague on ESPN2's RPM 2 Night and it was mentioned that the team just got the new #60 car in the shop and plans to test at Charlotte/Lowes Motor Speedway in a few weeks. Other races include New Hampshire, both Lowes races and Homestead. Rick Hendrick will be part owner of the team.(4-9-2002) UPDATE 2: Three-time CTS champ Jack Sprague will run five Cup races this season with a new team owned by Haas Automation. The team will use engines and cars built by Hendrick Motorsports, who Sprague currently drives in the BGN. The team will move full-time to Winston Cup in 2003. The team will debut at the Coca-Cola 600 next month in Charlotte. Other races scheduled are: New Hampshire in September; Charlotte in October; Atlanta in October; and Homestead, Fla., in November. Additional races may be added. "I have been waiting a long time to get the right opportunity to go Winston Cup racing," Sprague said. "I’ve had opportunities in the past, but they just weren’t structured in a way that would give me and the team all the ingredients needed for success." "This new association with Haas Automation has everything needed to make the deal go, both on and off the track. This deal is worth the wait." Sprague’s current and long-time crew chief, Dennis Conner, will also serve in that capacity with his Cup team. Joe Custer will serve as the team’s general manager.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-19-2002) UPDATE 3: The new Haas CNC Racing Chevy Cup team, owned by Gene Haas, that was announced a month ago at Talladega Superspeedway, entered a #60 Haas Automation Chevrolet for BGN driver Jack Sprague in the May 26 Coca-Cola Racing Family 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, was withdrawn May 13, after the team tested at the 1.5-mile Lowe's oval. "We just didn't feel like we were prepared enough and quick enough to go there and do it," Sprague said. "So we're going to hold off and get our stuff better prepared and go test again." Dennis Connor, crew chief for both of Sprague's programs, said there was no quick fix for the Cup team's planned first outing. HCR initially announced a five-race program for this season, after which it will run a full Winston Cup schedule in 2003. But Connor stressed that both operations agreed that the Winston Cup team, which employs Hendrick Motorsports cars, engines and technical support -- as well as most of Sprague's Busch Series crew -- should not impact this year's Busch championship run while preparing for next season. Connor said team manager Joe Custer and Haas put no pressure on he and Sprague to run at Charlotte, even though the team's announcement was geared toward the high profile 600 race week. Connor said both of thier Cup cars would ultimately be taken to a wind tunnel, the team would build another new car and then take an existing car from Hendrick's #24 (Jeff Gordon) or #48 (Johnson) stable and test at Kentucky Speedway July 29 and 30. He said the team also had tests scheduled at Darlington Raceway and Kansas Speedway and would make a decision after that on which race to run to replace the Lowe's event -- with the possibility it would do both. If it is to run five races this season, it has to also replace the September New Hampshire 300. The additional races the team originally planned to run are in conjunction with Busch Series events at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Atlanta and Homestead.(NASCAR.com)(5-20-2002) AND The team won't race at Lowes after a disappointing test session two weeks ago at the speedway. The team will also skip their next scheduled Cup race which would have been New Hampshire in July, aiming to debut at Chicagoland.(PRN's Garage Pass)(5-20-2002)
Less Young Men watch NASCAR: Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal says NASCAR appears to be losing some appeal "in the key demographic of males 18 to 34 years old," with the races on Fox down 22 percent in that category this year. The decline comes at the same time that "amost every major sports property has seen ratings among young men -- the audience many advertisers covet most -- fall disproportionately with general household ratings." Writer Andy Bernstein says that even for NASCAR's April 21 Aaron's Rent 499 at Talladega, which drew 9 percent more viewers than last year, the ratings fell 29 percent among men 18 to 34. Other sports have suffered similar drops, with the NHL down 38 percent among the group, the PGA Tour off 21 percent and Major League Baseball on ESPN off 30 percent. The story says that overall ratings for races on Fox are down 2 percent this season.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-20-2002)
