PAST NEWS FEB 10-16, 2003
THE PAST NEWS! YESTERDAY and BEYOND..
OTHER PAST NEWS PAGES
(2-16-2003)
- The Daytona 500 is OVER: after 109 of 200 laps, the race has been called due to rain and #15-Michael Waltrip has been declared the winner. Waltrip is the 8th driver who has won the Daytona 500 two or more times. #97-Kurt Busch was 2nd. Pole sitter #30-Jeff Green was involved in an accident and failed to finish the race. #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr had electrical problems and ended up 36th, a lap down. For my race rundown, note and cautions, see my Daytona 500 Race Info Page.
Race Re-air: The race will be re-aired on Speed Channel, Wed, Feb 19th, 8:00pm/et (enhanced) and Thurs, Feb 20th, 1:00am/et and at 3:00pm/et.
Results: see my Daytona 500 Results page or my 2003 Results Page for links.(2-16-2003)
- NASCAR close to toxic-gas solution: Today's 45th Daytona 500 likely will be the last one ever run with a silent, invisible enemy of NASCAR drivers: carbon-monoxide poisoning. A solution is near for a problem as old as stock-car racing itself, in which toxic fumes from front-mounted engines can turn enclosed driver compartments into gas chambers, especially if exhaust systems are damaged in crashes. Now, NASCAR chief technical officer Gary Nelson thinks technology is about to eradicate carbon-monoxide exposure. Nelson is hoping to have a device approved and ready to recommend to drivers for use in the spring. He said the system acts like a catalytic converter, which reduces emissions from passenger cars, but operates at a lower temperature so as not to increase heat in the driver compartments. Application of the technology is the result of studies begun last fall both at racetracks and at NASCAR's new research and development facility near Charlotte. At least five drivers will be tested before and after today's Daytona 500, according to Nelson, though he wouldn't name them.(Orlando Seninel)(2-16-2003)
- More on the Twin 125's Dyno Tests: The total number of cars NASCAR tested on the chassis dyno came to an even dozen according to the NASCAR dyno sheet. The numbers, which are highly suspect due to the wide variance, cover a range that spans 384 - 360 horsepower. Topping the charts was Jack Sprague’s #60 Pontiac, which carried a Hendrick motor. At the bottom of the list was Ray Evernham’s #9, which measured 24 horses short of the best. Falling between the two were engines from the following cars: Tony Stewart, Dave Blaney, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jarrett, Sterling Marlin, Todd Bodine, Rusty Wallace, Kirk Shelmerdine (in Junie Donlavey’s Ford) Jeff Green and Ricky Rudd. Calling the numbers into questioning by many was the Rudd’s Motorcraft Ford performance, which performed well beyond what the dyno sheets indicated woud occur. However, the chassis dyno is not really the ultimate tool for measuring a car’s horsepower levels. So many external influences can affect the readings. Parasitic drag in the drivel line can vary by a great deal with temperature as well real wheel traction to the dyno drums with ambient air and relative humidity changes. While the chassis dyno does give NASCAR a hint of what’s going on, in the most general of terms, true comparisons could only take place in a fixed dyno cell where all environmental and operating conditions can be tracked.(Ford Racing)(2-16-2003)
- Mike Wallace the first UPDATE: When #09-Mike Wallace starts the Daytona 500, he will become the only driver in the speedway's history to race in Friday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, Saturday's Busch Series race and Sunday's main event for the Winston Cup Series. He finished sixth in the truck race and fourth in the Busch Series race. He starts 18th today.(Augusta Chronicle)
UPDATE: not only was Wallace the first to do this, but he finished in the top 10 in all three races.(2-16-2003)
- Nemechek OK: Joe Nemechek, who stepped out of his pole-sitting BGN car Saturday while battling a 24-hour flu bug, said Sunday morning he felt "like a million-and-a-half bucks." Nemechek is scheduled to start 15th in the "Great American Race" at Daytona, but gave up the seat in his own Cellular One Pontiac for Saturday's Koolerz 300. "I feel good," Nemechek said after exiting Sunday's pre-race drivers' meeting. "Yesterday I got my butt kicked by some sort of bug or virus or something -- but I feel really good today."(NASCAR.com)(2-16-2003)
- 'Yellow-line' rule clarified, stiffened by NASCAR: During Sunday's pre-race drivers meeting, NASCAR President Mike Helton announced a revision to the sanctioning body's "yellow line" rule, which is enforced at Daytona and Talladega. Under the rule, drivers are black-flagged if they drive below the yellow line to advance their position on the track. The line marks the end of the racing groove. Beginning with Sunday's Daytona 500, a driver who forces others to go below the yellow line in an effort to prevent a pass will also be subject to a black flag. "Now what we are beginning to see happen, and we saw it yesterday (in the Busch race), is some of you have figured out to protect your spot, you can move down against the yellow line to prevent someone from going on your inside," Helton said. "That is OK. But if you do it while that guy is trying to get around you and you move him down there while he has a quarter-panel or fender alongside of you, if you make him go down there, then you are subject to a black flag, too." The announcement received a round of applause from the drivers, crew chiefs and car owners in attendance. Helton also announced a policy adapted for Saturday's Busch race regarding the use of the red flag to ensure a green flag finish, would be used in Sunday's Daytona 50 as well. If a caution comes out with less than five laps remaining in the race, the race will not be restarted under green.(ThatsRacin.com)(2-16-2003)
(2-15-2003)
- Teresa Earnhardt Interview: In an interview aired Friday night on "Dateline NBC," Teresa Earnhardt recounted how she came to find out about the death of her husband, racing legend Dale Earnhardt, and spoke of her efforts to prevent the publication of his autopsy photos and preserve his legacy. Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time Winston Cup champion, was killed in a last-lap wreck in the Daytona 500 two years ago. In the interview, NBC's Katie Couric asked Teresa Earnhardt what she was thinking when her late husband's accident unfolded. Earnhardt said she did not think anything serious at first. "I know the cars are safe," she said. "And in racing, things happen so quick that there's no time to like dwell on anything." Asked why she became so deeply involved in the efforts by the Florida legislature to prevent the publication of her husband's autopsy photos, Earnhardt replied: "I just think it's a privacy issue, and a dignity issue. And it should never have even been an issue. But it was." Earnhardt went on to explain her efforts to preserve her husband's legacy through the creation of a foundation that will work to further causes her husband held dear. "I hate it so bad, feeling bad, that I just turn it off. I mean, I miss him, and I always will," Teresa Earnhardt said. "Just terribly. But I'm not going to feel bad about it. I'm going to feel glad about what I had."(Thatsracin.com) and see a article on MSNBC: Days of thunder with video links. No idea if this will be re-aired.(2-15-2003)
- Red Flag 'rule': NASCAR has implemented a new procedure to help guide its use of the red flag to ensure green-flag finishes in its BGN and Cup series. In Saturday's BGN race at Daytona, if a caution had been with less than five laps remaining in the 120-lap event, the race would not be restarted under green. NASCAR spokesman Mike Zizzo said the procedure would also be used in Sunday's Daytona 500, and likely with the same five-lap rule in effect. "As with any new procedure, NASCAR will evaluate its use and effectiveness and decide how best to implement it in the future," Zizzo said. The new procedure was adapted to attempt to remove the complaints about the random nature of how the red flag is used to try to ensure green-flag finishes, Zizzo said. NASCAR's Truck series requires a green-flag finish. If there is a late-race caution races in that series are extended in two-lap segments until a green-flag finish is achieved.(ThatsRacin.com)(2-15-2003)
- To The Back: Two drivers have had to go to back up cars for the Daytona 500. #6-Mark Martin after a cut right front tire caused him to hit the frontstretch wall after taking the checkered flag in the second Gatorade 125-mile qualifying race (was 28th) and #10-Johnny Benson hit the wall during Friday's practice, pancaking the right side and damaging the rearend, Benson was to start 40th. The three drivers who used backups in the Twin 125's do NOT have to fall to the rear of field, #4-Skinner, #38-Sadler and #99-Burton as it was before qualifying was over (the Twin's are treated as qualifying).
AND add #41-Casey Mears [Happy Hour practice wreck] and #29-Kevin Harvick [unapproved emgine change](2-15-2003)
- Some Fun Facts: No Daytona 500, except the inaugural event, has been won by a driver making his first 500 start. Junior Johnson, Mario Andretti and Pete Hamilton won the Daytona 500 in their second start. Tony Stewart finished last in the 2002 Daytona 500 and went on to win the NASCAR Winston Cup championship, repeating a feat accomplished by Cale Yarborough in 1976. Yarborough then came back in 1977 and won the 1977 Daytona 500, the only time that a Daytona 500 was won by a driver who finished last the previous year. Yarborough also won the championship in 1977 (and 1978). Two of the last four 500s have been won by the reigning champion, Jeff Gordon (1999) and Dale Jarrett.(Nashville City Paper-Jack Flowers)(2-15-2003)
- Mears wrecks in Happy Hour, to a backup: #41-Casey Mears, scheduled to start 29th in the Daytona 500 and 4th fastest in Happy Hour, wrecked in Happy hour, damaging the right front end quite a bit. Mears will have to go to a backup car for the Daytona 500 and will start at the rear of the field.(2-15-2003)
- #29 Team to change engines: the #29 team of Kevin Harvick will change engines after Happy Hour and have to fall to the rear of the field before the green flag of the Daytona 500. Teams were allowed one engine change after the Twin 125s, so i guess they had changed engines as have most teams.(2-15-2003)
- Toyota in NC: Toyota officials said yesterday that they plan to build a major Southeastern racing center in the Triad of North Carolina. Toyota announced plans to step up to NASCAR's Craftsman Truck series next year, and there is intense speculation that it will step up to the Winston Cup tour by 2006.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-15-2003)
- More on the Brooke Subpoenas: Ray Evernham, Felix Sabates and Chip Ganassi did not have to give depositions Friday in the Gordon divorce case. The three Winston Cup team owners had received subpoenas -- Evernham got his at Daytona International Speedway (Sabates and Ganassi on a Yacht in a local harbor) -- from lawyers for Brooke Gordon. They filed motions to quash the subpoenas in Palm Beach County on Friday. Brooke Gordon lawyer Terry Young said only the owners of the car driven by Johnny Benson were not served. The owners have objected to the subpoenas because they do not want to give information about how much they pay their drivers and the value of their teams in general.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(2-15-2003)
- Sad News UPDATE: MRN's Barney Hall was missing from the Twin 125's coverage on Thursday as Hall's mother passed away. Alan Bestwick filled in for Hall. Condolences to family and friends....(2-13-2003)
UPDATE: Mrs. Cindy Mazie Shumate, mother of veteran Motor Racing Network (MRN) announcer Barney Hall, passed away Thursday morning at Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital in Elkin, NC. Mrs. Shumate was 87. Mrs. Shumate was born in Wilkes County in 1915. She is survived by her son Hall of Elkin and special friend Karen Carrier of Jonesville, two brothers Ed (Alice) Hall of Elkin, Arcus (Geneva) Hall of Ronda, one sister Ella Garris of East Bend and a host of loving nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held Saturday, 11:00aam, Feb. 15 at Johnson Funeral Home Chapel in Elkin. Flowers may be sent to the Johnson Funeral Home Chapel at 615 West Main Street, Elkin, NC. Barney Hall is the co-anchor of MRN Radio's NASCAR Winston Cup Series broadcasts and is one of the network's original announcers. He has been in attendance and worked, in some capacity, at every Daytona 500, including the 1959 inaugural race.(DIS PR)(2-15-2003)
- Ford Commercials: A sneak preview of pair of Ford television commercials was granted to www.teamfordracing.com at Daytona Beach, today. If you are a Ford NASCAR fan that you are in for a treat! The commercials feature all of Ford Racing’s top drivers with a bit of an attitude in commercials that are hip beyond the norm for Ford Motor Company. The commercials, which will first air during Sunday’s Daytona 500, have a little bit of an edge, a little attitude as they show off the product in an energized setting. The aggressive pieces represent a major shift in advertising approach for the Blue Oval brand. The commercials depict the Oval’s 15 NASCAR championships and 500-plus wins with cut away shots between drivers offering the facts with a “you’re messing with the best when you tangle with the Oval” tone. The rapid fire cuts between the drivers with each saying “Ford” should bring goose bumps, unless you’re a Bowtie Kool-Aid drinker. The ending of one of these two gems shows a close up of Mark Martin’s face. With the camera set close to the target and wearing a true race face Martin says, “Fear is looking in the rearview mirror and seeing one of us.”(Ford Racing)(2-15-2003)
- Kodak making a larger push: Eastman Kodak Company announced plans to broaden the marketing push behind its NASCAR sponsorship, including joint promotional activity with key customers and a wider representation of new products on Kodak car #4. Beyond the consumer film products on which the Kodak brand has been built, the car will promote such products as the EasyShare consumer digital camera system and Vision2, the company's premier line of motion-picture film. Logo space on the car's trunk will be devoted to such key customers as Kroger, one of the nation's largest grocery retailers. The Kroger logo will adorn the trunk for the Daytona 500, known as the "Great American Race." Kodak will launch a section on its own website devoted to the racing team. The site, www.kodak.com/go/racing, will include information about the owner of the car, Morgan-McClure Motorsports, the driver of the Pontiac Grand Prix - Mike Skinner, and Kodak #4 car racing performance. With the website, fans will have a single place to keep up with the Kodak Racing program and to access Kodak Racing merchandise, promotions and sweepstakes. As part of this effort, Kodak will build an additional "Show Car" that will travel the country with the Kodak Picture Planet, a mobile, 53-foot educational and entertainment vehicle that allows consumers to experience a variety of Kodak products and services.(Business Wire)(2-14-2003)
- Dodge Ads: Dodge NASCAR drivers Bill Elliott, Sterling Marlin and Rusty Wallace, as well as racing legend Richard Petty, take a break from their day jobs to star in a new TV ad for Dodge and its line of SRT performance vehicles. The spot, titled “Race Inspired,” features Elliott, Marlin and Wallace continuing their competition off the track as they jostle to be the first to leave the garage following a race. The pushing and shoving ends with each jumping into one of Dodge’s new SRT vehicles; Wallace into the SRT-4, Marlin into the Ram SRT-10 and Elliott into the Viper SRT-10. Speeding out of the track, they pass Petty, standing next to his 1971 Dodge Charger race car, who says, “Sweet,” expressing his opinion of these new performance machines. The voiceover concludes, “Introducing the new SRT series. Race inspired. Street legal.” The 30-second spot, created by BBDO Detroit, will debut during Fox’s live broadcast of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16. A 60-second version of the spot, including the single “Velocity Shift” by the group Overseer, will air exclusively on Yahoo.com after the race until February 20 on the site’s sports page. On February 17, the spot and the song will be available to viewers on Yahoo’s home page and the sports page.(Dodge Motorsports PR)(2-15-2003)
- Cars to be Dyno'd UPDATE 2: NASCAR is expected to put today's top finishers of the 125's on its chassis dyno to compare effective horsepower at the rear wheels of cars fresh off the track. NASCAR is also expected to chassis dyno Sunday's top finishers. Drivers will be using their qualifying motors in the 125s, changing to new motors for the 500.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-13-2003)
UPDATE: Following the Twin 125 qualifying races for the Daytona 500, NASCAR impounded eight cars for testing on the chassis dyno. The cars were called out on pit road and taken to the BGN garage, where NASCAR inspectors measured horsepower readings at the rear wheels. The Ford cars of #88-Dale Jarrett and #21-Ricky Rudd were selected from the first race while #54-Todd Bodine’s Taurus was tabbed from the second event. GM’s SB2 piece was represented on the dyno by the cars of #30-Jeff Green and #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. along with #20-Tony Stewart. One Dodge from each race was tested with #40-Sterling Marlin’s culled from race one and #2-Rusty Wallace’s from race two. Breaking down the engine builders, Robert Yates was tested in his #88 and with a lease customer (#54). Jack Roush was represented with a lease in the Wood Brothers car. GM’s engines were built by Richard Childress Racing (#30), Dale Earnhardt Inc. (#8) and Joe Gibbs Racing (#20). Dodge’s offering came from Ernie Elliott (#40) and Roger Penske (#2). There are times the NASCAR dyno numbers will float out into the garage, but with this being a new year and new NASCAR Winston Cup competition department things could well have changed.(Ford Racing), no idea why no Pontiac were chosen.(2-14-2003)
UPDATE 2: NASCAR, in addition to the cars they pulled from the line for mandatory dyno testing, ran a number of volunteer cars on the dyno. And while www.teamfordracing.com doesn’t have the results, yet, the high and low end numbers were aquired with the high end of the cars tested measuring at 380 hp while the bottom end was at 366 hp. It’s believed that it was a Joe Gibbs Racing motor on the top and that it was very likely that it was Ray Evernham’s at the bottom.(Ford Racing)(2-15-2003)
- McDonald's, Powerade Join Forces To Reward, Recognize NASCAR Pit Crews: McDonald's, the official Drive Thru of NASCAR, and POWERade, the official sports drink of NASCAR, have teamed to sponsor an award program that celebrates the unsung heroes in NASCAR's three major racing series - Cup, BGN and CTS. The McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade will offer prize money in excess of $1.2 million during the 2003 season, making it the largest monetary contingency program in NASCAR history and the first season points championship for pit crew teams. The program will award $20,000 per week to the top-performing NASCAR Winston Cup Series pit crew. In addition, results will be tabulated throughout the season to determine the program's championship crew, which will take home $200,000. During each 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup points event, the participating crew whose car spends the least amount of aggregate time off the race track will be named the weekly winner provided their driver took the green flag at the beginning of the event and checkered flag at the conclusion of the event. The winning crew each week will receive $20,000 and a traveling trophy to proudly display during the next event. Following every race, participating crews will be ranked in order of pit performance, with 43 points going to the top finisher, descending to one point for the last-place team. The crew with the highest cumulative score at season's end will win the annual championship and take home a $200,000 prize. NASCAR will measure times using the official scoring transponders that monitor the cars on the track. A timing line at the entrance and exit to pit road will trigger the transponders and record the total time each car spends off the race track. Fans can keep track of their favorite crew's performance during Winston Cup television broadcasts, which will feature a pre-race recap of the previous week's competition and review of official standings, a mid-race update and a post-race announcement. The McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade also will be adapted to benefit crews in the BGN and CTS. Weekly winners will earn $5,000 per race in the BGN and $3,000 in the CTS. Annual champions will take home $25,000 and $15,000 respectively. The criteria for scoring the NASCAR Busch and NASCAR Craftsman Truck programs will differ from the NASCAR Winston Cup level because the transponder-based timing system is not available for those series. Points determining weekly and year-end awards will be based on a combination of qualifying position, pit stops and finishing order.(PR)(2-15-2003)
(2-14-2003)
- Rusty to the back? Bad Carb? UPDATE 3 - Rusty's Twin 125 finish disqualified and crew chief fined: hearing from sources that #2-Rusty Wallace will be sent to the rear of the field for Sunday's Daytona 500 after NASCAR found an illegal carburetor in inspection after today's qualifying race. Inspection will continue through the evening. It will not affect who will make the Daytona 500 lineup.(2-13-2003)
UPDATE: NASCAR inspectors said late Thursday afternoon there was a "potential problem" with the carburetor on the #2 Miller Lite Dodge that Rusty Wallace drove to a fourth-place finish in Thursday's second Gatorade 125. NASCAR said inspections would continue through the evening and into Friday before any potential sanction against Wallace's team would be announced. It also said the outcome would not change which 43 cars will be in the starting lineup for Sunday's Daytona 500.(ThatsRacin.com)
UPDATE 2: the news is that there was a template infraction on the carb and a decision is supposedly to be announced 11:30am to 12:00noon/et timeframe today.
as of 4:00pm/et, Speed Channel reports that NASCAR will announce a decision on the #2 team around 5:00pm/et.
UPDATE 3 - announcement: per a NASCAR press conference heard on XM Radio - Channel 144: the #2 Miller Lite Dodge was disqualified from the Twin 125 it ran and crew chief Bill Wilburn has been fined $10,000. The fine is appealable, the disqualification is not. Will have a revised lineup soon, Wallace will have to use a provisional. Once I see how NASCAR handles this, I will post what I find.
OK here is my understanding how this MAY work.
#2-Wallace is disqualified from the 2nd Twin 125;
#45-Kyle Petty who made the Daytona 500 field per speed and was to start 32nd moves up to 15th (from 16th) in the 2nd Twin and this goes into the 30th starting spot in the 500;
then #97-Kurt Busch who was to start 37th using the first provisional, moves to 36th as he would had been the next fastest driver to get a spot with speed;
#12-Ryan Newman, who was to start in the 2nd provisional spot (38th) moves to 37th;
and #2-Rusty Wallace gets the 2nd provisional spot. This is still unofficial, but it makes sense. Actually this is the way NASCAR has done it many times in the Busch series and how it has worked for years.
See my Daytona 500 Starting Grid page for an unofficial lineup.
Rusty Wallace Commnets on NASCAR Penalty: "I'm OK with the penalty. I just hate it happened. NASCAR knows there was no intent on our part. We were 12 horsepower off the best car because of the carburetor. We just had one of the wrong carburetors on the truck. We didn't check it and we're paying for it now. Our engine guys feel real bad about it. We're going to start at the back of the field now, but I think we'll run even better with the right carburetor on the car. A rule's a rule. We're just embarrassed about the whole thing. Roger Penske is embarrassed. It's our first race with Dodge and Miller is doing a big promotion. We're embarrassed for our sponsors. I'm proud how we ran in the race based on what we found under the hood. It apparently was a test carburetor we'd been using on our unrestricted stuff. It was just a dumb mistake. We weren't trying to pull anything off on anyone and that's why NASCAR penalized us the way they did. Mentally, I'm a little down right now. I think we had an outstanding race in the Gatorade 125. The pit crew did an outstanding job. We were really hauling the mail. I think we could have passed the 54 car and challenged the 15 and 8 for the win, but I didn't want to do anything crazy. It is a little
upsetting. I started in the back last year and was running fourth after 30 laps. I started last in the Pepsi 400 last year and finished second." Wallace and Penske are still trying to get to the bottom of it. "We're still in disbelief that it happened. That carburetor cost us 12 horsepower, so that's probably the only good thing that came out of it. We weren't going to practice today anyway. We didn't want to sacrifice the car and take a chance on something stupid happening. We'll be there at 9:30 in the morning and our Daytona 500 engine will be in the car. I think we've found a couple more horsepower, so now we're going to work like crazy on fuel mileage. I think it's going to come down to a fuel mileage race. I'm real confident about the Daytona 500. We were a little tight in the 125, so we want to make sure we've got the setup right. We've got a couple of front shocks we want to try and make sure we're loaded for bear on Sunday."(2-14-2003)
- No Free Beer? UPDATE: Miller Lite's plans to celebrate a Rusty Wallace victory in the Daytona 500 by handing out coupons for free six-packs of Miller beer have been foiled at every point so far by Daytona officials. First, they were told it wouldn't be allowed to hand out anything inside the track. Then it was told it couldn't hand out anything on any speedway grounds. And then Miller officials got a letter from the Daytona Beach police warning them not to do anything to impede pedestrian traffic.(Winston Salem Journal), see the initial story and info on the #2 Team News and Links page.
UPDATE: When the green flag waves to start Sunday's 500-mile stock car season-opener in Daytona Beach, Fla., Rusty Wallace will be looking for his first win in the world¹s most prestigious stock car race and looking to make race fans in attendance winners too. In order to make it 'Miller Time' for everyone in attendance at the track, Wallace will have to guide his #2 Miller Lite Dodge stock car through the field and take the checkered flag after 200 laps around the 2.5-mile track. If Wallace is able to do that and capture his first win in Daytona Beach, all legal drinking age race fans in attendance will receive a coupon for a free six-pack of Miller Lite. If Wallace is the first driver to cross the finish line Sunday, Miller Lite will distribute coupons following the race by company representatives. Easily identified Miller Lite representatives will distribute the coupons in areas outside the track and off of track property.
If Rusty Wallace wins the stock car season-opener at Daytona Beach -- Miller Lite will give all adult fans in attendance at the race a coupon for a free six-pack of Miller Lite.
The coupons will be distributed following the race by Miller Lite representatives, who will be easily identified stationed outside the track and off of track property.
Coupon is valid in Florida, through February 28, 2003.
Coupon is good for $4.99 off of a Miller Lite six-Pack, or larger Miller Lite package.(Tom Roberts PR)(2-14-2003)
- DW, Mikey, Tide and a few truck races - Boogity! Boogity! Boogity!: Darrell Waltrip will drive the Micahel Waltrip owned #17 Tide Chevy truck at Martinsville in April and at IRP in August in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Jeff Hammond is the "Interperator"; Bobby Kennedy the crew chief; Larry McReynoldsis the spotter. Martinsville will be Tide with Bleach paint scheme, IRP race will feature the "Give Kids The World Village" paint scheme. Speed Channel is going to mike up DW, Larry and Jeff
AND Three-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion Darrell Waltrip is strapping in for two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events in 2003 and SPEED Channel is taking viewers along for the ride. Waltrip, a regular on SPEED Channel’s Trackside program, will be wired for sound and his #17 Chevrolet, sponsored by Tide, will be equipped with extra cameras. FOX broadcast partners Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond will get in on the act, with Larry serving as DW’s spotter and Hammond taking position on the pit box. Both will have live mics as part of the SPEED Channel broadcasts from the spring race at Martinsville and the August NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park. “It doesn’t get any better than this,” said Rick Miner, SPEED Channel Sr. VP/Executive Producer. “DW behind the wheel, Larry Mac as our eye in the sky and Hollywood Hammond interpreting it all on the pit box. With Darrell using kid brother Michael’s truck as well as his NASCAR Busch Series pit crew, these will certainly be great events for SPEED Channel and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.”(Allwaltip.com)(2-14-2003)
- $100 Million? The latest update on the R.J. Reynolds-NASCAR front: According to one very highly placed source, NASCAR officials are looking for a sponsor willing to commit to a 15-year contract for $100 million a year. According to several corporate sources, there is no American company willing to make that kind of commitment. It remains unclear if NASCAR executives have been trying to get Reynolds officials to commit to the $100 million contract.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-14-2003)
- Donlavey Plans Up in the air: Junie Donlavey's #90 Ford team missed qualifying for the Daytona 500 for the third consecutive season yesterday. Kirk Shelmerdine started 24th and finished 23rd in the second 125-mile qualifying race at Daytona. Shelmerdine needed to finish at least 15th, and Donlavey estimated his #90 Ford needed to be a half-second faster per lap to have a shot at making the field. "We just didn't have what we needed," he said. "This was a week of 'Let's go down and test and see how far off we are.' " The team has no plans to attend any upcoming Winston Cup races, but Donlavey will keep his shop open and continue to hunt for sponsorship. He left open the option of returning this year.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(2-14-2003)
- More on the ISC moves: If Bill France's latest in-house move - promoting his brother, Jim, to take over his role as CEO of the family's International Speedway Corp. and promoting his daughter, Lesa, to president of ISC - is part of a broad plan to prepare this sport for his eventual retirement, then the next big question is what Bill France might have planned for the NASCAR half of the operation. Bill France is chairman of a five-man board of directors of NASCAR, including George Pyne, the chief operating officer; Mike Helton, the president, and Lesa and Brian France. Pyne has been taking an increasingly important role within the organization over the past two years.
(Winston Salem Journal)(2-14-2003)
- NASCAR IN CAR on iNDEMAND Free Preview Sunday: There will be a NASCAR IN CAR on iNDEMAND free preview on Sunday for the Daytona 500. It is only available to digital cable subscribers. You can vote for your favorite driver to be one of the drivers covered on iN DEMAND from 5:00 p.m. Thursday through 5:00 p.m. Friday each week.(MotorsportsTV)(2-14-2003)
(2-13-2003)
- Wimmer to run some Cup..later in 2003: Scott Wimmer, who is among the preseason favorites to challenge for the BGN championship this season at Bill Davis Racing, also plans to enter some Winston Cup events. "Whatever we do it probably won't be until the end of the year. Bill wants us to get this Busch team rolling," Wimmer said. "Midway through the year we want to be in the lead in points or right near the leader. We don't want to take anything away by concentrating on some Winston Cup races." Wimmer made three Cup starts last season with BDR, with his best finish 17th at the October race at Talladega.(ThatsRacin.com)(2-13-2003)
- Atwood still Looking: Casey Atwood sat on a folding chair in the Daytona International Speedway garage yesterday, glumly watching the bustle of activity swirling around him. Three years ago the 22-year-old racer from Nashville was one of the hottest young prospects in NASCAR. Now he is a spectator. When Atwood signed to race in Winston Cup for Ray Evernham, many felt that Evernham would do for Atwood what he had done for Jeff Gordon — mold him into a Winston Cup champion. But the dream ride turned into a nightmare for Atwood, who was dumped by Evernham at the end of last season. Atwood now is not only out of Winston Cup, he doesn't even have a ride in any of NASCAR's lower divisions. ''It's been pretty rough,'' said Atwood, who is a garage guest of some of his former Busch Series associates. ''I guess I've been given a lesson in reality.'' Atwood said he has no immediate driving prospects, ''because by the time Ray officially let me go all the rides were taken. There wasn't anything left. But I'm not giving up. I'll definitely get back in racing at some point.'' Atwood said he doesn't know why he was released. He was showing great progress toward the end of his rookie season in 2001 (''I almost won two of the last five races,'' he said) but was suddenly demoted to a non-competitive third car. He struggled terribly last season and by October Evernham hinted that Atwood would not be back.(Tennessean)(2-13-2003)
(2-12-2003)
- Finch moving North: James Finch has bought Buckshot Jones' shop in Spartanburg, SC, and plans to move his full-time BGN [#1 Yellow Freight Dodge] and part-time Winston Cup [#09 Dodge] operations from their present location in Lynn Haven, FL, in the next few months. Finch, who is teaming with Chip Ganassi to field Dodges for Jamie McMurray and David Stremme this year, says he will go for the Busch Series championship in 2004.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(2-12-2003)
- Elliott Withdraws UPDATE Vote for the NMPA Most Popular Driver: #9-Bill Elliott is expected to announce today that he's withdrawing his name from the circuit's Most Popular Driver contest. Elliott has won the honor 16 times. So many that the National Motorsports Press Association, which runs the contest that allows fans to pick the winner, already has decided that whenever Elliott retires, the award will be renamed the Bill Elliott Trophy.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
UPDATE: Online voting for this year’s Grands!® Biscuits NMPA NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award will officially open on Thurs, Feb 13th with the launch of www.mostpopulardriver.com. But the site is missing something. Sixteen-time winner Bill Elliott’s name isn’t on the ballot. With Elliott out and the Web site now available, fans should start voting because the 2003 Most Popular Drive Award is anyone’s race. At a press conference this afternoon, Bill Elliott announced that he is removing his name from the ballot for the 2003 season. Fans have voted Elliott the Most Popular Driver more times than any other driver. Last year, he edged out Dale Earnhardt Jr. to mark his 16th victory. Grands! Biscuits is building on the fan enthusiasm for NASCAR and getting the word out about voting. The Web site, www.mostpopulardriver.com, is available for Internet voting Thursday, Feb, 13th through Monday, Nov. 17, 2003, at 11:59am/ct. Additional voting guidelines are accessible on the Web site. The official Grands! Biscuits NMPA NASCAR Most Popular Driver of the Year Award trophy will be presented to the winning driver during the NASCAR Winston Cup Awards festivities.(Williams Company PR)(2-12-2003)
- Toyota in the CTS in 2004: Toyota announced today at the Chicago Auto Show its historic plans to begin participation in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2004. Toyota Tundra Trucks will make their racing debut at Daytona International Speedway in February 2004.(Autoracing1.com need subscription to view/read article, also on NASCAR.com), Toyota has assembled the full-size Toyota Tundra exclusively at its Princeton, Ind., plant since its debut in 1999. Beginning with the 2004 season-opening NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona, as many as six Toyota Tundra race trucks may be entered for competition. Team affiliations will not be determined until a later date. Toyota Racing Development (TRD), U.S.A. will design, develop, and build the Craftsman Truck Tundra V8 to NASCAR specifications in its Costa Mesa, Calif., facility, see my CTS Site for an image.(2-12-2003)
- Benning Will Not Run: #84-Norm Benning, who has unsuccessfully tried to make the Daytona 500 for the past 14 years, didn't get a chance this year. In the past several years, Benning hasn't made a qualifying run and has simply tried to make his way into the field through the 125-mile qualifying races. But to start one of those races, a driver must reach a minimum speed of 172.000mph in practice. Rain wiped out qualifying Sunday, leaving drivers with only one round, and Benning was told late Monday that since he didn't reach his speed before the end of qualifying, he couldn't run in the qualifying races. "I'm devastated," Benning said. "I feel like they changed the rules. I don't know what I did to deserve this. I want to be a part of the NASCAR family, like they say, but I feel like I've been thrown out of the family." Winston Cup director John Darby said Benning had to reach the speed before the end of qualifying, since practice Tuesday was devoted to getting ready for the qualifying races. "It's a process we follow," Darby said.(Daytona Beach News Journal/AP)(2-12-2003)
- Texas Testing: Several teams {not sure which exact teams/driovers] will be testing at Texas Motor Speedway over the next few weeks. Bill Davis Racing (#22 and #23 - March 3) and Joe Gibbs Racing (#18 and #20 - March 4) are the first Winston Cup teams scheduled to test. They will be followed by Roush Racing (#6, #16, #17, #97, #99 - March 17) and Hendrick Motorsports (#5, #24, #25, #48 - March 18). Test sessions are closed to the public.(TMS PR)(2-12-2003)
- Busch Should be Happier: After a string of outbursts last season over different racing incidents, Roush Racing sent driver Kurt Busch to a management training seminar to learn to deal with people better.(Roanoke Times/AP)(2-12-2003)
- Home Depot not interested in stepping up to replace RJR: Home Depot doesn't plan to increase its commitment to NASCAR, even though the organization is seeking a new title sponsor for the Winston Cup Series. "We enjoy the relationship we have with NASCAR today," said Bob Nardelli, chairman, chief executive and president of Home Depot. "It's at the appropriate level." The Atlanta-based retailer sponsors driver Tony Stewart, the 2002 Winston Cup champion. Former Washington Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs is Stewart's team owner. Last week, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which makes Winston cigarettes, and NASCAR confirmed that talks have taken place about a change in the title sponsorship. Limits on advertising by cigarette makers and the weak economy have R.J. Reynolds thinking about ending the partnership that started in 1971.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(2-12-2003)
- Park has 2 months? AutoRacing1.com (need subscription to view) is reporting that #1-Steve Park has two months left to prove his worth to DEI. Park has been given through April to show he deserves to remain in the #1 Pennzoil Chevrolet past the 2003 season. How big is the deal at Chance2 to run a limited BGN and Winston Cup schedule? Big enough they could have run a full Winston Cup schedule suggests one team insider.(AutoRacing1.com/Stan Creekmore)(2-12-2003)
- Gordon to take flight: Diecast dealers have begun taking pre-orders on a Jeff Gordon paint scheme for Charlotte in May. The scheme is a tribute to the "Wright Brothers 100 years of Aviation."(Gordonline)(2-12-2003)
- Gas Cans Getting Looked at: on Tuesday NASCAR inspectors began checking closely cans the teams use to shuttle gas from the fuel pumps to their pit stalls. The maximum they're supposed to hold is 11 gallons each. With 13.5-gallon fuel cells in the cars at Daytona, however, teams were getting creative in making one can hold enough gas to fill up a car in an effort to save time on pit stops. "There are ways to very cleverly allow a drop can to hold 13.5 or 14 gallons," Winston Cup series director John Darby said. "In appearance, there is not enough change in the can to notice a difference. So we're inspecting and sealing all cans that will be used." Darby said several cans had been sent back to various teams for "repair for various infractions." He said some teams are being forced to have different cans shipped to Daytona from their shops in time for Thursday's 125-mile qualifying races.(ThatsRacin.com)(2-12-2003)
- Evernham subpoenaed by Brooke: #9 and #19 car owner Ray Evernham was subpoenaed in Jeff Gordon's divorce case Tuesday, accepting the papers from a sheriff's deputy outside Daytona International Speedway. Brooke Gordon's lawyers want to look at the contracts NASCAR car owners have with their drivers and sponsors to determine what Gordon is worth as a car owner. The four-time Winston Cup champion owns a stake of Hendrick Motorsports. The car owners fought original subpoenas they received over the past month at their home offices, but the lawyers have been trying to serve them during preparations for Sunday's season-opening Daytona 500 to get them to appear in a Florida court. NASCAR turned away a process server attempting to get into the track last week, and Evernham said officials from the sanctioning body asked him to go outside of the track on Tuesday to accept the papers. "NASCAR asked me to do it and to not make a scene about it," Evernham said. "So I did it because I care about this sport, unlike Mrs. Gordon, who is trying to make a circus of the Daytona 500." Evernham, who won three Winston Cup titles as Gordon's crew chief, was the best man at the Gordons' wedding. The subpoena orders Evernham to appear in court this Friday, but he said he would not be showing up. "I have 150 employees to worry about and two race cars to get ready for the biggest event of the year," he said. "I'm not stopping to go to court." Car owner Chip Ganassi said he was not served before he left Daytona on Monday to return to his home in Pittsburgh, but was told a deputy had been looking for him where he had been staying when he first arrived for the race. Roush Racing general manager Geoff Smith said his organization had not received an order to appear in a Florida court.(FoxSports/AP)(2-12-2003)
- Burton returns to IROC broadcast team: #99 Roush Racing driver Jeff Burton will join Bob Jenkins and Scott Goodyear in the announcers' booth for the 2003 IROC Race Series. Burton, who made his broadcasting debut with the series last year, will return to help call the 27th season of the series, which is to be aired on ESPN.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(2-12-2002)
- Hornish wrecks in IROC practice UPDATE Draw today: Indy Racing League driver Sam Hornish crashed in practice for the opening round of the International Race of Champions series.(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
UPDATE: The IROC drivers will draw starting position at 1:30pm/et today. In practice Tuesday, IRL driver Sam Hornish spun and hit the wall. He was treated and released from the infield medical center.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(2-12-2003)
(2-11-2003)
- Fukuyama testing at Vegas? UPDATE to attempt an 'ABC' schedule, mostly Cup: hearing that Hideo Fukuyama is testing Monday and Tuesday [Feb 10-11] at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the #66 Travis Carter Ford and that Gary Cogswell is the crew chief.
UPDATE: using a Japanese online translator and some help from a reader, converted a PR from a Japanese Hideo Fukuyama site announcing that Fukuyama will run 23 (but has since cancelled Rockingham as he didn't get to test so it is 22) Cup races, 7 BGN and 6 ARCA races (or games as they call it) in the #66 Travis Carter Ford (or as Penske Racing made famous with Newman a few years ago, the ABC - ARCA, BGN and Cup). Mentions "Corporation HFRP" or "Hideo Fukuyama Racing Project. The translation was rough to say the least, check this out "we would like to convey the charm of the most radical American stock car race to also the Japanese motor sport fan in the world". A 2nd PR on the site, mentions that the Las Vegas Cup would be attempted.(2-11-2003)
- Teresa Earnhardt to be on Dateline - Feb 14th UPDATE: Teresa Earnhardt will give her first interview since the death of her husband, racing legend Dale Earnhardt, to Dateline NBC, a producer for the show said Tuesday. Producer Matt Lombardi said Teresa Earnhardt will be interviewed by Katie Couric on Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C., and the taped segment is expected to air in mid-February. The interview "will most likely look at how she and Dale met, their years together and how she has taken over much of the responsibility of running Dale Earnhardt Inc.," Lombardi said. The segment also will touch on Teresa Earnhardt's fight to restrict access to autopsy photos, he said.(Orlando Sentinel)(1-16-2003)
UPDATE: Katie Couric's exclusive interview with Teresa Earnhardt will air on NBC's Dateline at 9:00pm/et on Friday, February 14th.(MotorsportsTV)(2-11-2003)
- Drivers to be Featured in USA Weekend UPDATE: Four-time Winston Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, 1999 champ Dale Jarrett and rising star Jimmie Johnson are featured on the cover of USA Weekend magazine for the Daytona 500 weekend of Feb. 14-16. The trio also is featured inside in a round-table discussion and a two-page poster.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(2-9-2003)
UPDATE: In a major exclusive USA Weekend Magazine presents the very top 3 drivers of three generations of NASCAR in an autographed collectible poster. Featured drivers in the 2/16 issue are, Dale Jarrett; Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. The column will be posted online at the USA Weekend Magazine. Some highlights: What they think of the fans...
Jeff Gordon: When somebody shows me his tattoos, and I can see my car, face and name all over their back. That's when I call security. [Laughs.] Just kidding. It's cool. But, it's unreal too.
Jimmie Johnson: To me, the coolest thing is when a fan has taken a room in their house and dedicated it to you. They have all these jackets and other stuff of ours decorating it. I mean, the money they spend- there's no way any other sport can boast that kind of passion.
What they think appeals to the fans...
Johnson: Everybody can do it. Not everyone grows up with the ability to play basketball, football or baseball. But, some time or another;
your going to drive a car. And, you're going to break the speed limit.
Dale Jarrett: Plus, TV puts fans in the driver's seat. You feel like you're right here. That's unique to our sport.(2-11-2003)
- France talks about RJR AND: NASCAR chairman Bill France says that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.'s announcement that it has given NASCAR permission to look for a new Winston Cup Series sponsor was Reynolds' way of being "a good partner." But, he says, "We have a five-year agreement with them. They've just given us the opportunity to throw our fish line out in the water and see what's out there." Possible sponsors include Coca-Cola, Budweiser, UPS, McDonald's and FedEx.(Sporting News)(2-10-2003)
AND - Things to be worked out with RJR? NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. believes something can be worked out with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company [RJR - Winston], which may end its association with NASCAR when its contract runs out in 2007. The series has been called the Winston Cup since 1971. "We'll get that worked out," France said. "They've been a great partner."(Florida Today)(2-11-2003)
- ISC Changes: NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. chairman William "Bill" France Jr., announced several changes to the ISC infrastructure Monday. France, 69, will relinquish his role of ISC's chief executive officer. France's brother Jim France, 58, will inherit the position. Jim France has served as ISC's president and chief operating officer since 1987. ISC executive vice president Lesa Kennedy, 41, will become president. John Saunders, senior vice president of operations becomes senior vice president and COO. "We need to start making moves," Bill France Jr. says. "My father was here for a while, and he's not here anymore. One of these days I won't be here." Bill France Sr. founded NASCAR in 1948. Bill France Jr. assumed the title of CEO in 1981. ISC owns and operates 12 of the NASCAR racetracks including Daytona International Speedway.(Sporting News)(2-11-2003)
- Nothing Confiscated from the #8: NASCAR's John Darby denied reports that his inspectors had taken some parts - the carburetor and some rear springs - from #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s winning car Saturday for further inspection. "Negative on that," Darby said.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-11-2003)
- 76 Gasoline Gone at the end of 2003 in NASCAR UPDATEs: ConocoPhillips, owner of the 76 gasoline brand, said on Tuesday it will end its more than half century-long relationship with NASCAR auto racing at the end of the year. The familiar 76 gasoline logo -- an orange ball with the number 76 in blue at its center -- has been a fixture at NASCAR as "the official fuel of NASCAR." But 76's Houston-based parent company said it will end the sponsorship deal of more than 50 years by Dec. 31. ConocoPhillips said 76 will fulfill all of its contractual obligations, including supplying racing fuel at all Winston Cup events and at NASCAR's other circuits -- the BGN and CTS -- before returning its official fuel rights to NASCAR at year's end.(Forbes.com/Reuters)(1-28-2003)
UPDATE: NASCAR Statement Regarding ConocoPhillips: NASCAR and ConocoPhillips continue to enjoy a strong working relationship and look forward to another great season in 2003. NASCAR has enjoyed its longstanding relationship with the company and wishes it all the best in the future. While we will be saying goodbye to ConocoPhillips, we look forward to welcoming a new official fuel supplier to NASCAR in 2004. We are already in the process of identifying the new official fuel supplier and will make an announcement regarding that supplier at the appropriate time.(NASCAR PR)(1-29-2003)
UPDATE 2: hearing Exxon-Mobil is getting set to announce that Mobil will become the official fuel and lubricant/oil supplier of NASCAR.(1-30-2003)
UPDATE: The debate now is whether those advertising balls will be painted ExxonMobil red-and-white or Shell yellow. Those are the two companies expected to make the biggest offers to NASCAR for the marketing rights. Why would ConocoPhillips [76], the nation's third-largest oil company, give up NASCAR rights? Company officials say it's because they plan to continue to market regionally with their various brands, not nationally.(Winston Salem Journal), more on 76's departure on my NASCAR Past News page.(2-11-2003)
- Races will go on: NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. said Monday it is likely the sport would continue racing even if the United States finds itself at war, but admitted there are certain circumstances that could affect the sport. "It depends on how far away it is, what's the inconvenience to the spectators -- can we buy fuel, for instance," France said Monday. "But I remember during World War II, President Roosevelt wanted to have baseball continue on because he thought the country needed recreation, needed to take some time to where they could get their mind off what their job was at the time. They advocated sports and movies and that sort of thing. Like I said, it depends on the extent of the hardships. If people can't buy gas to go where you're going to go and they can't get there, and you can't collect enough money to pay the purse, I guess you'd have to call it a day."(Florida Today)(2-11-2003)
- Remember those old Two Division rumors? The possibility of two Winston Cup divisions in the future, effectively doubling the number of races NASCAR could run over the course of a season. ``We did a focus group on that a few years ago and it wasn't really feasible,'' he said. ``I don't know if television would be in favor of it. This is a different ballgame now. With the revenue they're putting into the sport, we've got to pay attention to them.''(Tampa Tribune) AND A proposal made by [Bruton] Smith to split NASCAR into two divisions to create more race dates has been deemed unworkable by the sanctioning body and likely would be rejected by its TV partners.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(2-11-2003)
- No Mears for Finch: Owner James Finch has scaled back on his driver armada to pilot his #1 Dodge in the BGN this season. Winston Cup rookies Jamie McMurray and Casey Mears and last year's ASA rookie of the year David Stremme were to share time in the car. This week, the driver rotation was scaled back to just McMurray and Stremme, who together will run the entire schedule. McMurray will debut in the car in Saturday's season opener at Daytona. Stremme, an Indiana native, finished fourth in points in ASA in 2002, ending the season with two wins and three poles. Finch's team is receiving technical and engine support from Chip Ganassi Racing this season.(ThatsRacin.com)(2-11-2003)
- Toyota Announcement Soon? NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. said Monday that he expects an announcement soon about the involvement of a new manufacturer [Toyota?] in one of the racing organization's top three series. Toyota, which already competes in NASCAR's Dash series, is said to be ready to announce that it will compete in the NASCAR truck series in the coming years. Although NASCAR's rules prohibit foreign-made cars, France pointed out that Toyota actually "manufactures" some of its cars in the United States.(in part from the Orlando Sentinel)(2-11-2003)
- Brooke Gordon lawyers try to serve subpoenas at Daytona: Jeff Gordon's divorce case spilled over to the race track Monday when attorneys for his wife tried to subpoena several car owners at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR officials did not allow process servers into the track. Most of the top teams have been subpoenaed at their home offices in the past month, and all have refused to open their books to Brooke Gordon and her lawyers. Because the divorce is being heard in Florida, her lawyers want the car owners to have to fight new subpoenas in a local court. Terry Young, an Orlando-based attorney representing Brooke Gordon, said a process server was turned away Friday when NASCAR teams reported to the track to prepare for Sunday's Daytona 500, so the papers were sent again Monday with Volusia County sheriff's deputies. Young did not know if the deputies had gotten into the track, but a NASCAR official said they did not allow the subpoenas in. Gordon, the four-time Winston Cup champion, was aware of what was happening at the track. "It's out of my control, but I think it's really disgusting," he said. "It's a real shame that they are trying to drag all these other guys into this because to me, there are other ways for them to get what they are looking for. This is just harassment." Gordon had to turn over papers in November that estimated his worth at about $48.8 million and that he earned more than $18 million in 2001. Brooke Gordon has asked for exclusive use of their Highland Beach, Fla., mansion, valued at $10.2 million, as well as alimony, two cars and periodic use of their boats and an airplane. She also wants him to continue to pay the salaries of their housekeepers, maintenance workers and chef. The racer has countersued, saying he should not have to equally split the couple's estate because he risked his life to collect it. Florida law requires assets amassed during a marriage to be split evenly.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(2-11-2003)
- Pizza and NASCAR: Domino's has signed a five-year deal to become the first official pizza of NASCAR, according to this week's Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal. Sources told the publication's Terry Lefton that Domino's will support the sponsorship "with at least $30 million in media, promotions and rights fees over the life of the deal, with additional marketing support anticipated from local Domino's franchises." Domino's first TV ad, which was produced by J. Walter Thompson and features driver Michael Waltrip and his family, will air this week.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(2-11-2003)
- No Benning in 1st round: NASCAR.com reports that 50 cars will make a run for the Bud Pole Award for the Daytona 500 on Sunday at 1:15pm/et on Fox. #84-Norm Benning's car was at the speedway but was never approved to get on the track. Benning will have to make an attempt in second round qualifying Monday.(2-8-2002)
UPDATE: since 2nd Round qualifying was canceled due to first round being postponed until Monday, Benning will not be allowed to race in the Twin 125's unless he reaches a NASCAR-determined minimum speed in practice on Tuesday or Wednesday (not sure what that speed is)(2-11-2003)
- Real Horsepower: Greg and Donna Griffith have combined their love of thoroughbred and auto racing in a unique manner: naming some of their young horses for their favorite NASCAR drivers. The Griffiths, who breed and train 75 horses at their D & G Thoroughbreds, Inc., in Ocala, FL, plan to attend Sunday's Daytona 500 and hook up with 2001 winner Michael Waltrip. The reason: to give the driver an update on a 2-year-old colt they named Sherrillsfordposse. Waltrip lives in Sherrills Ford, NC, and his crew is known as Sherrills Ford Posse. A walk along the shedrow at Griffith's farm is like a trip along pit row for Daytona. Among Sherrillsfordposse's stablemates:
Harvick 3-year-old colt named for Kevin Harvick.
J. Gordon 3-year-old colt named for Jeff Gordon.
Dirtymoposse 2-year-old colt named for the close circle of friends of Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Steveneedsaposse 3-year-old colt named for Steve Park.
Coddle Creek - 2-year-old filly named for the road in Mooresville, N.C. on which the Dale Earnhardt Inc. headquarters is located.(Boston Globe/AP)(2-11-2003)
- NASCAR Celebrates Black History Month: In celebration of Black History Month this February, NASCAR will participate in four upcoming activities that include:
Feb. 22 - NASCAR will serve as the title sponsor for the Association of Minorities in Motorsports Awards Celebration honoring minority pioneers in the motorsports industry.
Feb. 25 - NASCAR will serve as a sponsor for the National Consortium for Academics and Sports 5thAnnual Giant Steps Award Banquet. Jackie Joyner-Kersee [remeber she attempted to start a Cup team a few years ago], considered by many to be the greatest female athlete of the 20th Century, will be inducted into the NCAS Hall of Fame.
Feb. 27 - NASCAR will be the title sponsor and assist with the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Charity Golf Classic at Duke Universityin Durham, NC.
NASCAR, and the entire industry, continues to take important steps to expand diversity in the sport. These include the NASCAR Diversity Council; the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program; the NASCAR College Tour presented by the Coca-Cola Company; partnership with the NASCAR Technical Institute; Scholarships to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions; and support of the Urban Youth Racing School.(NASCAR PR)(2-11-2003)
- Trackpass Free for Speedweeks but NOT the Daytona 500: This year NASCAR.com is providing fans RaceCast, along with TrackPass with Pit Command free for the 2003 NASCAR Speedweeks, Feb 7 - 16, in Daytona Beach, FL, BUT been told it does NOT include the Daytona 500, sorry for the mis-information. More info at NASCAR.com.(2-11-2003)
(2-10-2003)
- Wilburn to Change tires: Bill Wilburn, second-year crew chief for Rusty Wallace, will pull double duty the next few weeks as he returns to his role as front tire changer. "It's the only option we have right now because no one in the shop wanted to do it," Wilburn says. Dennis Terry, who had inherited the position after Wilburn became chief, resigned after last season.(Sporting News), AND got the Pit Crew Chart Page done, with the over the wall people and crew chief/car chief/spotters listed of the full time teams. plus for news and links see my Pit Crew Info/Championship Page.(2-10-2003)
- Security at the Daytona 500/Speedweeks: Come early. Take cameras out of carrying cases. Bring clear plastic bags and soft-sided coolers. These are tips officials at Daytona International Speedway are giving race fans who plan to attend this week's races and avoid long lines. Security concerns stem from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the possibility of new attacks as the nation prepares for war with Iraq. The Bush administration placed the nation on a heightened state of alert Friday by raising the threat level from the yellow, or "elevated," level to the orange "high" level based on "specific and credible" threats indicating al-Qaida terrorists were planning large-scale attacks. Last year, law enforcement and Speedway officials tightened security in response to the 2001 attacks. "It's the same drill this year. Nothing has changed," said Glyn Johnston, the Speedway's director of communications. Johnston and law enforcement officials said they had no information about threats to the area during Speed Weeks, which brings in hundreds of thousands of visitors and concentrates them in a confined area leading up to Sunday's Daytona 500. But like their counterparts in other areas of the country, officials don't want to take any chances. "We realize nothing is impossible within the warped mind of a terrorist," said Terry Sanders, a captain with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office who works with special events. Officials declined to release specifics of their security plans, except to say plans would involve multiple agencies -- including the Daytona Beach Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement -- and resemble last year's plan. Last year, hundreds of officers helped patrol track grounds and direct traffic. They guarded gate entrances, checked car trunks and truck beds and poked mirrors under vehicles. The Federal Aviation Administration restricted the airspace last year to one nautical mile around the Speedway. Officials are restricting what a person can bring into the Speedway: one soft-sided bag or cooler no larger than 6 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches, and one clear plastic bag no larger than 18 inches by 18 inches by 4 inches. People can still "bring cameras, scanners and binoculars, as long as they're not in bags," Johnston said. He advised people to arrive at least an hour early for the race. Officers also rely on spectators and race fans for security, said Sgt. Al Tolley of the Daytona Beach Police Department. "We rely on people who see something suspicious to give us a call," Tolley said.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(2-10-2003)
- RIR SAFER test delayed: A critical test of the Steel And Foam Energy Reduction barrier slated for this week has been delayed by cold weather in Lincoln, NE. NASCAR Competition Director Gary Nelson said researchers at the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility have completed preparations and are waiting only "until the ice melts" to test the barrier on a replica of a Richmond International Raceway wall. If the tests are successful, the energy-absorbing barriers, which have been constructed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway in the past year, could be installed at RIR for the NASCAR weekend May 1-3. Nelson said researchers, led by Dr. Dean Sicking, are optimistic about completing the test within the next few weeks. "Everything is ready," Nelson said. "It's just a matter of weather. I told them, 'Call us, and we'll be there in four hours.'" Crash tests already have been completed on the wall to gather data to compare against a barrier test. Because Sicking designed the barrier for the 2.5-mile track at Indianapolis, the system wasn't readily adaptable to the 0.75-mile layout at RIR. The Indianapolis version had been modified to fit the model of Richmond's wall. "The biggest thing is the radius," Nelson said. "The steel tubes are bent, where at Indianapolis, they were straight sections stuck on the wall." A test car has been donated by Hendrick Motorsports.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(2-10-2003)
(2-9-2003)
see the Feb 3-9, 2003 Archived News Page
(2-2-2003)
see the Jan 27-Feb 2, 2003 Archived News Page
