THE NEXTEL CUP - See past news, links, the official press release, notes from the press conference, who is Nextel? what happens to 'The Winston' All Star race? what happens to the Winston Preview?....all covered on my NASCAR Sponsor page.(6-20-2003)
The Alan Kulwicki Memorial Scholarship: while listening to the race on PRN it was mentioned that UNC Charlotte is looking for applicants to apply for the Alan Kulwicki Memorial Scholarship, more information and links on my Racing Schools/Jobs News/Links page.(10-12-2003)
Chevy Clinches Manufacturers Championship: #20-Tony Stewart’s victory in the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway clinched the 2003 Manufacturers’ Championship for Chevrolet in NASCAR’s premier division. With five races left in the season, Chevrolet clinched its 27th Manufacturer’s crown and the 23rd of NASCAR’s modern era, which began in 1972.(GM PR), for the standings, rules, how it works and other news, plus manufacturers wins list, see my 2003 Manufacturers Championship page.(10-12-2003)
English team buying into Cup team? UPDATE Travis Carter: Leading Days of Thunder racing team Torquespeed UK/dsiAnyDoc have announced the sensational news that they will be racing on the US ovals as well as in the 2004 Days of Thunder at Rockingham. The team have also announced that dsiANYDOC boss Asa Burrows has taken over the major shareholding of Torquespeed UK [their website: www.torquespeed.com says it is coming Oct 10th.
In preparation for a full-blown assault in oval racing on both sides of the Atlantic in 2004, Torquespeed will join forces with a major NASCAR Winston Cup team to become the first British team to race in the world’s leading saloon car championship. The NASCAR Winston Cup Series is the pinnacle of North American Stock Car Racing. The series will have a new title sponsor in 2004, when North American communications giant NexTel Communications take over the proud legacy of Winston. The 2004 NexTel Cup will be contested over 37 rounds and starts with the blue-riband event on the calendar, the Daytona 500 in February.
Asa Burrows, Managing Director of Torquespeed UK’s 2003 partners dsiAnyDoc, has purchased a major shareholding in Torquespeed UK Limited and joins the board as Commercial Director. Burrows acquired the controlling interest in the NASCAR team in his first major decision since taking over the role. The launch will be announced officially at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 10.
“I am very excited about the global future of Torquespeed,” said Burrows. “We have some clearly defined plans for the future and a strategy that will ensure these plans are brought to fruition.” Torquespeed Managing Director and Days of Thunder driver, John Mickel said: “I am delighted that Asa is now a formal figurehead within the company. He brings experience and new skills that will be of major benefit to the Torquespeed organisation.”(ascar Days of Thunder site)(10-8-2003) UPDATE: Travis Carter, who co-owns BelCar Racing and its #54 National Guard Fords driven by Todd Bodine, has entered into an alliance with a United Kingdom-based motorsports operation, Torquespeed. The group will become the first UK-based and funded team to be majority owners of a Winston Cup operation. The team will be known as TorqueSpeed Carter and operate from the existing Travis Carter Enterprises complex in Statesville, NC. "We are committed to achieving success both on the track and for the marketing partners that will participate in this unique program," Carter said. "With our combined resources, I know we can achieve the business and racing goals we've set for TorqueSpeed Carter Racing in 2004." The team hopes to run a limited Cup schedule next season. A driver has not been selected.(ThatsRacin.com) AND Travis Carter has formed an international alliance to add a second Winston Cup car next season. The longtime owner is partnering with Torquespeed, an England-based motorsports team that has raced on 1.5 to 2-mile ovals in Europe since 2000. Carter mostly has fielded only one car since sponsorship problems forced him to downsize in 2002. He joined with Sam Belnavis before this season. "We would like to be a two-car operation, and this helps," he said. "The thing that is most intriguing about Torquespeed is they are one of the few groups that come to you with a true business plan. They have the funding to support their goals." Torquespeed spokesman Paul Musselle said the team has secured enough investors for a four-year commitment to Winston Cup. The new team would like to field a European driver, and John Mickel of Cambridge, England, will be testing the team's car.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(10-12-2003)
Stock Car Fans - Rumblings - Cgarlotte: Now, that's the way racing is supposed to be. We [SCF] used to call this formful....the fastest car (and the one that led the most laps) won, and the runner-up and 3rd place finishers were the cars that led the
next most laps. Maybe a trend? (Well, for one week anyway) Tony Stewart tracked down Ryan Newman (making up close to 8 seconds in less than 30 laps) and zoomed past with less than 10 laps to go tonight at Lowe's Motor Speedway to lay claim to the UAW-GM Quality 500. It's been a long time since we saw fresh tires make a difference, but we sure returned to that tonight.
It was the second win of the season for Tony (he captured the June event at Pocono) and the 17th of his Winston Cup career. He's now in a 4-way tie for 36th on the all-time win list (with Jeff Burton, Marvin Panch, and Curtis Turner). This was win #39 for Joe Gibbs, and it
clinches a spot on the 2004 Winners Circle plan for the #20 car (and bumps, at least for the moment, teammate Bobby Labonte from that plan).
Jeff Gordon (5th) is in a rut. This is 4 straight 5th place finishes for him.
Mark Martin (11th) had his best finish since he was 10th at Watkins Glen in August.
Tony Raines (25th) had his best finish since he was 20th at Bristol in August.
STREAKIN....Ryan Newman has 6 Top-10's in a row. Tony Stewart has 4 Top-5's in a row.
Jeff Gordon has 4 Top-5's in a row. Kevin Harvick has 4 Top-10's in a row.
This Week's Elevator....UP: Operator of the Week is Matt Kenseth (+21) followed by Jeremy Mayfield (+20). DOWN: The Big Dropper was Elliott Sadler (-36), followed by Mike Skinner (-29), Kurt Busch (-24), Robby Gordon (-23), and Todd Bodine (-21). This was Op #3 for Kenseth (tying him with Jamie McMurray for the lead in that category) and BD #4 for Sadler (tying him with Ryan Newman for most BD's this season).
It certainly wasn't a surprise to see Matt Kenseth pass the re-scheduled Busch race this afternoon. 800 miles in a day is a tad much for
somebody with as much on line as he has. And that was before he knew he was gonna have power steering trouble.
Kenseth tacked another 8 points onto his lead tonight....it's now at 267. But, we've still got some close races elsewhere in the Top-10. 3rd to 6th is separated by 83 points, 7th Place (Tony Stewart) is one point ahead of Bobby Labonte, and brother Terry (9th place) is just five markers ahead of Kurt Busch.
We're down to just 13 drivers with a mathematical (though unrealistic) chance at the Championship. We lopped another four off tonight. Matt Kenseth's "Magic Number" grew as well. It's now 10th (the highest its been since Dover....in spite of his problems the last two races). No driver made a multi-position move forward this week. Robby Gordon (12th to 15th) made the only major move downward.(StockCarFans.Com Wcup Newsletter)(10-12-2003)
Congrats to Matt Borland and his wife Stacy on the birth of thier 2nd daugther Alexandra who arrived Tuesday, October 7th.
Plane Crash Before Race, Everyone OK: Before Saturday night racing started, the Concord [NC] airport was closed to handle a crash landing. It was a six passenger, single engine plane. Because of a malfunction, the pilot did not know the landing gears were not deployed, so the plane crash landed on its belly. All five people on board walked away without injury. All on board ten went directly to the race track. We're told no one on board had any direct connection to NASCAR or any racing teams.(WWOC-TV)(10-12-2003)
(10-11-2003)
Stewart wins at Lowe's: #20-Tony Stewart won the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Home Depot Chevy, his 2nd win of 2003 and 17th of his career and first since Pocono in June, a 16 race dry spell. #20-Stewart was the leader at halfway, which means he won the MBNA Mid-Race Leader Bonus of $10,000 PLUS the $75,000 bonus in addition to his race winnings. #12-Ryan Newman was the runner-up and led until his tires gave out when he had to pit early for their last stop and Stewart made up Newman's eight second lead with 30 to go. The rest of the top five were #48-Johnson, #9-Elliott and #24-Gordon. Scheduled Race Re-Air: on Speed Channel:
one-hour recap/Fast Forward on Wednesday, October 15th at 7:00pm/et and again on October 16th at 1:00am/et;
and a full three-hour race show will re-air at 3:00pm/et on Thursday, October 16th
AND and extra Fast Forward on Friday, October 17th at 2:00pm/et
For the race rundown, results links, lap leaders, dnf's, cars on the lead lap, caution info, notes and some narratives on my UAW-GM Quality 500 Race Info page and Jayski's Lowe's Motor Speedway Race Results and
See full standings at Jayski's Drivers/Owners Points after Lowe's.(10-11-2003)
Benson out? Riggs In? or Riggs in the #01? UPDATE 3 Benson staying in #10: here is a new one - BGNRacing.com site and NASCAR.com is reporting that 'Besides [Kasey] Kahne, another driver whose name has been heating up the rumor mill is Scott Riggs. The latest chatter has him going to the #10 MBV Motorsports ride, now occupied by Johnny Benson.(BGNRacing.com) AND Another driver who has supposedly been quietly looking for a job is Johnny Benson, who is in the #10 Pontiac. Benson and MBV Motorsports could be splitting soon, with Benson replaced by ... Busch Series driver Scott Riggs? Riggs has gotten a few Cup offers for 2004, but he apparently is headed to MBV to team with whoever is in the #01 -- which might be Jerry Nadeau, if he is healthy.(
NASCAR.com Buzz) and from another NASCAR.com column: The #01 Army racing program was built around Jerry Nadeau, and the hope remains that the veteran driver will return to the car in 2004. But if he's unable to recover quickly enough from injuries sustained in a May accident at Richmond International Raceway, the team has to have a backup plan. So they're looking. Intensively. "In our situation, we have to be proactive, always have to be looking," said Jay Frye, general manager of MB2/MBV Motorsports' #01 and #0 teams. "We needed to be testing by now with Jerry and we're not. We have to be prepared either way." Frye admitted the team has talked with highly sought-after Busch Series driver Scott Riggs. Riggs, currently second to David Green in the Busch Series point standings, has been rumored in nearly every car currently available. From the No. 1 at Dale Earnhardt, Inc., to the No. 30 at Richard Childress Racing, he is rumored to be on everyone's short list. Including MB2. The #01 and #10 Pontiacs are both presently in a state of limbo. Citing personal reasons, No. 10 crew chief James Ince recently left the organization, and driver Johnny Benson could soon be looking to move, as well.(NASCAR.com) UPDATE 2: NASCAR Busch Series driver Scott Riggs, who has been rumored for several Winston Cup rides for 2004, appears headed for the MB2/Valvoline Racing organization next season, ThatsRacin.com has learned. Riggs, currently second in the Busch points race, is expected to drive either the #10 or #01 Pontiac next season, sources confirmed Thursday night. Jay Frye, general manager for MB2 Motorsports, confirmed Thursday that Riggs was "under consideration" for a ride with the organization in 2004. He declined to comment further. Riggs' move to MB2/Valvoline Racing would be a surprise since garage area speculation most of the season had him matched with other Cup teams, including rides with Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Evernham Motorsports.(ThatsRacin.com)(10-10-2003) UPDATE 3: Johnny Benson said he intends to be back in MBV Motorsports' No. 10 Pontiac in 2004, despite rumors that he could be replaced. Rumors surfaced this weekend [at NASCAR.com] about Benson's status with the team when MBV/MB2 Motorsports general manager Jay Frye said the team has talked to Busch Series driver Scott Riggs. But Benson said no one at MBV has talked to him about losing his ride. "I have a contract here with another year on it, and I have a ride for next year, so unless we're going to have three cars, there's too many drivers in the mix," Benson said. "I've heard all the talk, but nobody has said anything to me. Unless they come to the right people, we're going ahead as planned."(NASCAR.com)(10-11-2003)
Tide and Craven re-up with PPI Motorsports: Longtime NASCAR Winston Cup Series primary sponsor Tide has extended its sponsorship of the #32 Tide Pontiac fielded by PPI Motorsports through 2006. Tide representatives made the announcement today during a team gathering at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. Downy has also extended its commitment to PPI Motorsports with a renewal of its longtime associate sponsorship of the Tide Racing Program, and 2004 marks the introduction of a new Procter & Gamble
brand to the PPI Motorsports stable: Mr. Clean AutoDry Carwash. Newly-launched Mr. Clean AutoDry Carwash, a revolutionary car care
system that gives you a spot free clean and shine with no need to hand dry, is currently being introduced to NASCAR through a five-race
NASCAR Busch Series program [with #17/98 Wally Dallenbach]. The brand's blue and green logo will appear on the #32 Tide Pontiac beginning next February at Daytona.(PPI Motorsports PR) AND PPI Motorsports announced today it has extended its contract with Ricky Craven to serve as driver of the #32 Tide Pontiac
in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series through 2006. Since joining PPI Motorsports in 2001, Craven helped earn the team's two wins to date: a career first for both Craven and PPI Motorsports in Martinsville (October 2001); and this season's dramatic, .244-second-margin victory in March at Darlington Raceway. Currently in his ninth season of NASCAR Winston Cup Series competition, Craven has earned a total of two wins, six pole positions, 17 top fives, and 24 top tens. He also owns Rookie of the Year titles in NASCAR's Winston Cup (1995), Busch (1992), and Busch North (1990) series, along with the 1991 Busch North Series Championship title.
"I'm very proud to be part of the Tide team, and I'm excited about our future," Craven said. "We've already established some pretty
incredible milestones together, and I'm looking forward to achieving even more of our goals as a team in the years to come."(PPI Motorsports PR)(10-11-2003)
Hermie Sadler to run full Busch Series in 2004: Gaining a new co-owner in former U.Va. star Bryant Stith, Hermie Sadler will run a full Busch season in 2004 with the newly-formed Score Motorsports. The Emporia native has dabbled in Busch and Cup the past three years with his own team. He also is moving his shop from South Hill to the Charlotte, N.C., area. Zapf Creation, a doll company, has signed on as primary sponsor for four races and an associate sponsor for the remainder of the season. Sadler will announce more specifics, such his car model, crew chief, engine supplier and other sponsors, at Homestead, Fla., next month. Stith was drafted by the Denver Nuggets and also played for the Boston Celtics before retiring from the NBA. The Lawrenceville resident was approached by Sadler, a childhood friend, about team ownership this summer. "I've always been a big Hermie and Elliott Sadler fan, but I've gotten more caught up in NASCAR mania the last couple of years," Stith said.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(10-11-2003)
Another Wood: Keven Wood, son of Wood Brothers Racing co-owner Len Wood, made a splash in his entry into competitive auto racing this year. The 19-year-old became the first rookie to win the national championship in the Legends semi-pro division, beating out 622 drivers from around the country. Wood had raced in go-karts only twice before trying Legends. He needed a few months before earning his first top-five but closed the season on a roll. Wood sewed up the title by winning 15 of his final 20 races. He captured 32 victories at tracks scattered across six states. "They said once I learned how to win, it would get a lot easier, and it did," he said. He will move into a higher division next year and hopes to follow his first cousin, Jon, into the NASCAR touring ranks. Jon races in the Craftsman Truck Series. "I had no expectations of succeeding this well," said Wood, who is enrolled in a motorsports technology program at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville. "It's up to Dad, but I want to go as far as I can."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(10-11-2003)
(10-10-2003)
Ford Keeping Kahne: There has been a lot of conversation and rumors this past week regarding the status of Kasey Kahne and his contract with Ford Racing and Robert Yates Racing. Greg Specht, Ford's North American Racing Operations Manager, made a statement regarding Kahne's contract status with the manufacturer and outlined Ford's history with Kasey and its future plans for him.
GREG SPECHT, MANAGER OF NORTH AMERICAN RACING OPERATIONS, FORD RACING TECHNOLOGY
"I've been hearing a lot of speculation around Kasey's status and, as far as Ford Racing is concerned, we have a multi-year contract in place with him and we intend on honoring that. We feel Kasey Kahne is a future star in this sport. That's why we went ahead and signed him to a multi-year contract. We're flattered that other teams and manufacturers are interested in him because that means we must know how to evaluate promising young talent. We've developed a plan for Kasey, along with Robert Yates Racing, and that includes having him run a full Busch Series schedule next season because we feel he's primed for a run at the championship. In addition, he would compete in seven Nextel Cup events for RYR with the plan being that he would run a full-time series schedule in 2005. Kasey has told us in the past that Ford has delivered on every promise it has made to him, and we intend on continuing with that by ensuring he remains in competitive equipment with an eye towards becoming a future champion."(see full quote at Ford Racing Site/PR)(10-10-2003)
Roush to be honored: On Sunday, October 12, hometown boy [Manchester, OH] Jack Roush [owner of the #6,#16,#17,#97,#99 Cup cars] will return to Manchester for an event in his honor. Main Street, (SR 136) will be renamed Jack Roush Way. Festivities will start at 2:00pm with a ribbon cutting ceremony and parade. Participants with classic, antique, Mustang and racing cars are asked to line up at 1:30pm on 7th and 8th streets for the parade. The parade will conclude at the Riverbarn on US 52 and festivities for the rest of the afternoon will include an autograph session by Roush, entertainment, a concert by Bobby Mackey beginning at 6:30, and raffles to benefit the Manchester Christmas Light Fund.
(People's Defender)(10-10-2003)
Rusty off to Texas on Sunday: Rusty Wallace will fly to Fort Worth, TX Sunday morning after competing in Saturday night’s UAW-GM Quality 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Wallace will be cheering for IndyCar Series “teammates” with Penske Racing, Helio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran, along with his longtime car owner Roger Penske. Castroneves and de Ferran are title contenders in the Chevy 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Castroneves and Scott Dixon are tied for the IRL IndyCar Series point lead entering the Chevy 500 with Tony Kanaan, Sam Hornish Jr. and de Ferran still in contention for the championship.(TMS PR)(10-10-2003)
Prilosec to be an associate sponsor on the #40 in 2004: Prilosec OTC will sponsor two time Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin and the #40 NASCAR Cup team owned by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Beginning with the 2004 Nextel Cup season, Prilosec OTC will integrate its Associate sponsorship into a variety of marketing and promotional activities. “Frequent heartburn is a condition that affects many racing fans”, said Scott Mautz, Prilosec OTC Brand Manager. “This is a perfect way to reach those race fans and educate them about the first and only over-the-counter treatment for frequent heartburn.” The sponsorship will be highlighted by a unique one-race paint scheme each season that will transform the silver Coors Light Dodge into a purple Prilosec OTC racing machine. Throughout the Nextel Cup season, Prilosec OTC will also receive logo placement on Sterling Marlin’s firesuit and a logo position on the #40 Coors Light Dodge. Financial terms and length of sponsorship contract were not disclosed. In addition to its sponsorship of Sterling Marlin and the No. 40 team, Prilosec OTC unveiled its Prilosec OTC Racing logo and race day firesuit and helmet. The logo will serve as the brand’s identity within its racing related marketing efforts. The Prilosec OTC Racing logo will appear in a number of applications including apparel, merchandise and point-of-purchase materials. Sterling’s Prilosec OTC firesuit and helmet will also be seen on point-of-purchase materials.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)(10-10-2003)
Bodine back in the #54 in 2004: Sam Belnavis, co-owner of BelCar Racing, #54 Ford, said he should know within several weeks whether the National Guard will return to sponsor the team in 2004. Belnavis, who said he is very optimistic, said Todd Bodine will remain as the team's driver.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to view)(10-10-2003)
DEI and Feed The Children help out:The Dale Earnhardt Foundation (DEF) joined today with international hunger relief organization Feed The Children (FTC), to deliver two semi-tractor trailer trucks of food to children and families in need in the Kannapolis, NC area. At a press conference before the distribution, DEF announced a national program with the Oklahoma City-based Feed The Children. The Dale Earnhardt Foundation/Feed the Children program is designed to help hungry children and their families across the United States. Through FTC, the DEF will sponsor the delivery of trucks of food to feeding agencies in communities located in or around the areas where Dale Earnhardt visited throughout his racing career. These tractor-trailers will travel in conjunction with the NASCAR schedule and be distributed by FTC volunteers.(more at DEI site/ PR or on my Racing Charities page)(10-10-2003)
VISA to sponsor a team? hearing VISA may be sponsoring a Cup team in 2004, #99?. Speaking of VISA, who won Visa’s Debit Dash for Charity Challenge: Rusty Wallace or Kurt Busch on my Racing Charities page.(10-10-2003)
More Safety from Simpson: Safety innovator Bill Simpson was making the rounds in the Winston Cup garage Thursday, showing off a new fireproof material he says could be worn under a driver's uniform and would greatly increase the protection offered in case of fire. Simpson said the carbonized material would offer 90 seconds or more protection to a driver. Current material lasts only for about 12 seconds, he said.(ThatsRacin.com)(10-10-2003)
New Jersey Driver to the #1? Martin Truex, Jr.'s name has been thrown into the mix for the #1 DEI car, possibly to help draw a sponsor with his youth.(BGNRacing.com) AND Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s #1 is still open, but that car doesn't have a sponsor signed yet, so drivers are apparently waiting on DEI to get a sponsor before committing to that ride. Current driver John Andretti might be the leading candidate, with or without a sponsor. Or maybe a potential sponsor would want a young driver, and DEI might look in-house to Chance 2 Motorsports driver Martin Truex Jr.(
NASCAR.com Buzz)(10-10-2003)
Evernham losing sponsor? Jeremy Mayfield could be on the way out of the #19, mostly because Evernham could have sponsorship troubles.(
NASCAR.com Buzz), but it doesn't expand on it, have not heard anything about Dodge Dealers leaving Evernham.(10-10-2003)
Ince Racing: so what is former #10 crew chief doing now? Ince raced Thursday afternoon at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway in the O'Reilly Southern All Star Late Model race. Ince was 9th in the second heat and 6th in the first consolation, which I guess didn't qualify him for the feature which was won by Jeff Cooke. Troy Cline won the USAC sprint car race which had Tony Stewart and J.J. Yeley in it.(LMS PR)(10-10-2003)
NASCAR Hire: NASCAR has hired Justin Johnson, Major League Baseball's vice president of corporate sales and marketing, today's Sports Business Daily reports. Johnson will join NASCAR as managing director of partnership marketing in the New York office, reporting to Brett Yormark, vice president of corporate marketing.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-10-2003)
(10-9-2003)
#18 Crew Wins Award at Kansas: The #18 crew for Bobby Labonte's Interstate Batteries team notched its third victory in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade by taking first-place honors at Sunday's Banquet 400 in Kansas City, Kan. Labonte's crew narrowly defeated its Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and last week's winner (in Talladega) - the No. 20 Home Depot crew for Tony Stewart. Labonte's Chevrolet spent 178.515 seconds on the Kansas Speedway pit road compared to 182.148 for Stewart's Chevrolet. "That's awesome," said Paul Alepa, team trainer and pit crew coordinator for Joe Gibbs Racing. "We were just talking earlier today how cool it would be to someday have the No. 18 and the No. 20 teams finish one and two, so to find out it happened in Kansas is just great. It's a tribute to the guys and how hard they are working. They practice every Tuesday and Thursday, as well as a lot of Wednesdays and all the hard work is paying off." Labonte's pit crew, which scored back-to-back victories earlier in the season at Martinsville and California, has now earned $60,000 ($20,000 for each win) and is within striking distance for the season championship and the $200,000 bonus that goes with the title. With six races remaining, Michael Waltrip's No. 15 crew continues to lead the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade with 1047 points. Dale Earnhardt Jr's crew is second, 36 points behind at 1011. Kurt Busch's team is third (1002) and Labonte's crew is fourth (1001). Labonte's team got back into the mix by picking up 24 points on Waltrip's team in Kansas. Labonte's crew earned the maximum 43 points while Waltrip's crew earned 19 points for finishing 25th. "We have a deficit to overcome (46 points), but it's still possible to grab that title and the $200,000 purse," said Michael "Fatback" McSwain, crew chief for the No. 18 team. "The McDonald's/POWERade championship has sure been a great incentive for our pit crew." Labonte's over-the-wall crew consists of: Jason Lee (jackman), Todd Meredith (front tire carrier), Mark Armstrong (front tire changer), Alan Copley (rear tire carrier), Barry Cook (rear tire changer), Tom Lampe (gasman) and Tom McCrimmon (catch can). The car chief is Scott Zipadelli and the windshield duties are handled by Adam von Olhausen.(DMF PR), see top 10 results at Kansas and the full standings on my Pitcrew News and Links page.(10-9-2003)
Mark Green in the #14 for the next two races: Mark Green will drive A.J. Foyt Racing's #14 Harrah's Dodge this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway and at Martinsville next weekend. Green replaces rookie Larry Foyt, who continues to suffer from a kidney bruise suffered in an accident at Talladega two weeks ago, according to a Foyt team spokesman. Doctors advised Foyt to sit out the next two weeks, meaning he'll return to the car for Atlanta. Green has served the past couple seasons as a driver coach and consultant to Foyt. Mark Green's regular job this season has been as a shock specialist and driver coach at Akins Motorsports, working with promising newcomer Kasey Kahne. He has also made three Busch Series starts.(NASCAR.com)(10-9-2003)
Dale Jr Signed? UPDATE 2 Official - Done: Sources tell [PRN] after two recent meetings between Teresa Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., thet he has signed a contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc.[DEI], The first one the 28-year-old has ever had with the team his Dad started. The deal is said to be for five years and they'll make an official announcement at Charlotte later this week.(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show/Sporting News) AND ....Now that Junior finally signed his contract -- the announcement was delayed by his injury at Dover -- everyone can get back to business. DEI probably will announce the deal this week: Junior will drive the No. 8 for the next five years.(Yahoo Sports/Sporting News)(10-6-2003) UPDATE: Contrary to recent reports, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has signed no contractual agreement with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., a source close to DEI told NASCAR.com Tuesday. The source said that, while the deal is nearly done, Earnhardt's "name is on no papers yet." Earlier this week, it was reported that Earnhardt had two meetings with Teresa Earnhardt -- DEI team owner and Junior's stepmother -- and that he had signed a five-year contract with DEI.(NASCAR.com)(10-8-2003) UPDATE 2: Dale Earnhardt, Inc. has reached an agreement with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for the next five years to remain as the driver of the #8 DEI Chevrolet. The young Earnhardt has been driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. since 1998 and entered NASCAR’s premier Winston Cup Series as a rookie in 2000. The agreement between Teresa Earnhardt, CEO and president of Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and Earnhardt, Jr., solidifies the driver’s future with the organization created by his father, seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, and his wife, Teresa. “Dale and I built this organization with a long term plan in place,” Teresa said. “Dale Jr. has always been an intricate part of that plan and this agreement represents our commitment to one another in reaching the goal of winning championships.” The agreement is Earnhardt Jr’s first ever Winston Cup contract as a driver, the terms are private, and is based on a five-year partnership through the 2007 season. Currently, he holds a career-high ranking of third place in the Winston Cup Series, matching his career best of 17 top-10 finishes with six races remaining.
“This is the first time I have had a contract in four years,” Dale Jr. said “We had a hand shake and that was sufficient. But, in today’s business world you need written agreements and now we have one. It was an interesting process that was very educational. What it really came down to was Teresa and myself being in the same place at the same time and sitting down to talk about it. Once that happened, it was taken care of in no time at all. We have a lot of good people here at DEI that are committed to this company. Now we can set out to achieve those goals without any distractions.”(DEI Site/PR)(10-9-2003)
Stock Car Fans - Ramblings - Lowe's Motor Speedway: Well, what did you expect? He hadn't had a pole in a month! Ryan Newman (who else) set a new track record tonight at Lowe's Motor Speedway as he toured the 1 1/2 mile quad oval in 28.930 seconds (that's only 186.657 mph) and grabbed the Bud Pole for Saturday Night's UAW-GM Quality 500. This is pole #8 for Ryan this year (with only 5 more poles available he's near to closing out the competition for that contingency in '03) and the 15th of his Winston Cup career.
He'll be joined on the front row by Jeff Gordon. Wonder if they'll exchange fuel-mileage recipes?
Bill Elliott (4th) has his best starting spot since he started 3rd at The Brickyard in August.
Tony Stewart (6th) has his best starting spot since he lined up 4th at Watkins Glen in August.
Todd Bodine (8th) has his best starting spot since he lined up 6th for the Daytona 500.
Brian Vickers (20th) makes his first Winston Cup start this weekend. The latest Hendrick phenom will bear watching the rest of this season as he prepares for 2004.
STREAKIN....Jeff Gordon has 6 Top-10 starts in a row. Jimmie Johnson has 5 Top-10 starts in a row.
47 cars on hand....the Trouble Train contains four cars this week. Ken Schrader (for the third time this season), Hermie Sadler, Mark Green (in for Larry Foyt who's nursing a bruised kidney and will miss next week as well), and Jeff Fultz are the DNQ's this weekend.
Our first time at night here in the fall should translate to good numbers for NBC & NASCAR....and it never hurts to have a "cooler" fan in the stands, either.(Stock Car Fans)(10-9-2003)
So where is Ward headed? UPDATE 4 to the #0: Ward Burton said Wednesday that he is in the closing stages of finalizing a full-time deal for 2004, but that he preferred to defer most of his comments to the appropriate time for that announcement.(NASCAR.com), rumors have him a candidate in the #30 RCR AOL Chevy, the #9 or #19 Evernham Dodges.(10-8-2003) UPDATE: He's been rumored to be heading to Richard Childress Racing, but a source told us Wednesday night that he definitely will not be in that car next year. His final destination -- and he does have a signed contract -- could be a surprise.(FoxSports.com)(10-9-2003) UPDATE 2: and a new rumor.....to the #0 NetZero Pontiac. Current driver Jason Leffler may be running for the Haas team full time in the Busch Series in 2004 instead of the Cup car, with Burton in the #0.(10-9-2003) UPDATE 3: Sources at Haas CNC Racing tell Sporting News that Ward Burton has signed on to drive the No. 0 Net Zero Pontiac in NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series for 2004. Burton, 40, could be driving the car as soon as Phoenix. The 10-year veteran has six poles and four wins including the 2002 Daytona 500. Jason Leffler, who has been behind the wheel since August, is expected to run the full Busch Series schedule and selected Cup events next year. In eight starts this season, Leffler's best finish was 25th at Dover.(10-9-2003) UPDATE 4: NetZero HiSpeed and Haas CNC Racing announced today that NASCAR veteran Ward Burton will be behind the wheel of the #0 NetZero HiSpeed Pontiac during the 2004 Nextel Cup Series season. "This is a great opportunity for me to bring my experience to an up and coming, young team," stated Burton. "I've watched the team grow and progress in its first year and it's definitely come a long way in a short time. Gene Haas runs a first-class organization, NetZero HiSpeed is a great sponsor and Tony Furr is an outstanding crew chief. I feel like we can take this team to the next level together and I'm thrilled to be a part of it. There's no end to the possibilities for this race team."
"We're thrilled to have someone of Ward's caliber joining our team. It says a lot for our race team," said Haas, owner of Haas CNC Racing. "The experience that he brings is something that will help us in so many ways. I just can't say enough about how excited we are about our future. We've had a lot of great people come on board our organization this year and we've made steady progress in our efforts to be successful. Ward Burton is the icing on our cake." In a related move, Haas CNC Racing and NetZero will expand their partnership for 2004, with NetZero joining the team's new Busch Series program for current NetZero driver Jason Leffler as an associate sponsor for all 2004 events and primary sponsor of the effort for three races. "We've been really impressed with Jason's performance so far, and look forward to being with him and Haas CNC Racing in the Busch Series next year as they compete for race wins and the championship," said Woods. "Jason is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the Busch Series next year, and the experience he gains there will certainly help when he returns full time to the Nextel Cup Series in the future."
"The combination of Ward Burton and Jason Leffler is going to be a tremendous boost to our entire program," said Haas. "Jason will have a tremendous resource in Ward's experience, and Ward is committed to helping Jason in any way he can. Our long term goal would be to have Jason and Ward running together as teammates in the Nextel Cup Series, and I'm confident that in the not too distant future, that's exactly what we'll do."(NetZero Racing PR)(10-9-2003)
BAM Racing gets a sponsor for Lowe's: SEM Products, Inc., celebrating its 50th year of automotive product research, production, manufacturing and distribution, will sponsor the #49 BAM Racing Dodge of driver Ken Schrader in the upcoming NASCAR Winston Cup stock car race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. SEM Products sponsored BAM earlier this season in the second races at Brooklyn, Mich., and Bristol, Tenn. "We are very pleased SEM Products will return to our car for the race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway,” said Beth Ann Morgenthau, who owns BAM Racing along with her husband Tony.(Williams Company)(10-9-2003)
Dale Jr. visits Army base: About 1,000 people crowded into the Sports USA club Wednesday on Fort Bragg for a close look at one of sports' most popular athletes, NASCAR Winston Cup driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Prior to the autograph session, Earnhardt got a limited view of Fort Bragg as he rode in one of the Army's UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters. Low clouds and rain limited his view, but he came away impressed with the machine and its crew. "I've been in a lot of helicopters, but nothing like that. It was pretty cool," he said. "There was some teamwork going on inside that kind of reminded me of what we do on Sunday. The guys on their crew are spotting for each other just like I have a spotter watching the track for me. It's really overwhelming to come around military bases and see the different way of life."(more at the Fayetteville Observer)(10-9-2003)
Morgan McClure gets Busch/ARCA sponsor [future for Cup?] Morgan-McClure Motorsports [#4 Kodak Pontiac in Cup] will compete in the upcoming ARCA Series event at Lowe's Motor Speedway and a future NASCAR Busch Series race with a young gun and a newly secured sponsor. Eric McClure, son of team owner Jerry McClure, will attempt to qualify for his second ARCA RE/MAX Series event. He competed at Michigan in June in the #4 car by starting the race fifth and finishing in the eighth position. I CAN Learn Education Systems (Interactive Computer Aided Natural Learning) will sponsor the #4 Chevy in the EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 150 on Thursday, October 9 at the 1.5-mile quad-oval located in Concord, North Carolina. I CAN Learn is a teaching program which offers a computerized Algebra curriculum designed to help students primarily in grades 7-10, who are ethnically diverse, inner-city youth, achieve impartiality in mathematics and thinking skills. A key goal of the program is to have students interact with their counterparts across the world to learn proficiency in problem solving in a competitive, peer-oriented atmosphere. The program is a complete education software system that has been recognized by the US Department of Education. It began by teaching Algebra to 200 students in an inner-city school in New Orleans during the 1994-95 school year. Today the I CAN Learn program has expanded to cover 15 states and over 50,000 students. Its range is also expanding to include school grades K-12 and Colleges. To find out more about this exciting program, visit its website at www.icanlearn.com. McClure, who competes on Saturday nights in the NASCAR Late Model Stock Division at Lonesome Pine Speedway in Coeburn, Va., will have Morgan-McClure Motorsports veteran Robert Larkins as his crew chief. The Winston Cup crew will pit his car on raceday. The 24 year-old will also debut in the NASCAR Busch Series with the I CAN Learn sponsorship prior to the end of the season. A race venue will be announced at a later date.(Morgan-McClure Motorsports PR)(10-9-2003)
(10-8-2003)
Ward out of the #22 after Martinsville, Wimmer in, rest of year and in 2004: Scott Wimmer, the current Busch Series driver for Bill Davis Racing, will make the move to NASCAR’s premier series effective October 20, 2003 and compete in the final four races of the 2003 season before becoming the full time driver of the #22 Caterpillar sponsored entry in 2004 and beyond. It is a natural progression for Wimmer into the Winston Cup Series. Wimmer, a native of Wausau, Wis., began racing three-wheelers at age eight and progressed to racing stock cars by the time he was 15. He raced around the state of Wisconsin racking up accolades at all the local short tracks, ranging from rookie of the year at State Park Speedway to Driver of Tomorrow at State Park Speedway to the Miller Triple Crown Champion. Wimmer then moved to Hooter’s Cup in 1997, where he won rookie of the year before moving onto American Speed Association (ASA) in 2000. Wimmer is a logical fit for Caterpillar, as well as Bill Davis Racing. His family owns a construction company and they own and operate CAT equipment.(Bill Davis Racing) AND Ward Burton and team owner Bill Davis reached an agreement Wednesday that will put BDR's Busch Series driver, Scott Wimmer, in the #22 CAT car at Atlanta Motor Speedway in two weeks. Burton will drive the car this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway and the following weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Wimmer will be the driver of the #22 car for the rest of the 2003 season and full-time in 2004. Wimmer previously tested both a Chevrolet and a Dodge at Atlanta for the Oct. 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. BDR has no current agreement with a manufacturer that would require it to run a certain body style.(NASCAR.com)(10-8-2003)
#74 gets sponsor for Lowe's: Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership will rejoin BACE Motorsports and NASCAR driver Tony Raines for this weekend’s UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. For the second time this season, the Atlanta-based corporation will transform the #74 BACE Chevrolet into the Aaron’s Dream Machine. “It’s a great honor to have Aaron’s back on our car,” said Raines. “Their first race with us was at the Brickyard in August, obviously a prestigious race and special to me hailing from Indiana. This weekend they’ll join our team again at another key race for our sport, as Charlotte is home to a majority of the teams. We’ve worked hard all year to be competitive and earn sponsorship for this team,”Raines added. “So when a company like Aaron’s rewards our efforts with another sponsorship program, it’s a great compliment to our team and it makes the hard work worthwhile – especially for two of the most prominent races on the schedule.” Raines first ride in the Aaron’s Dream Machine this season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Brickyard 400 resulted in a 25th place finish, one of 10 top-25s posted by the Raybestos Rookie candidate this year. “Tony Raines and the BACE Motorsports team did a tremendous job representing Aaron’s at the Brickyard,” said Ken Butler, President, Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership. “When the need arose for us to expand our presence in the sport this weekend, it was only natural that we would return to BACE to run the Dream Machine in Charlotte. It’s really hard to believe that this is the first year for Tony and BACE in Winston Cup, and that they’ve been able to be consistently competitive each week on the strength of their internal funding.” For more information on Aaron’s visit www.shopaarons.com.(BACE Motorsports PR)(10-8-2003)
Special Scheme for Kenseth add another scheme for the Lowe's Motor Speedway Cup race, Matt Kenseth will run the #17 Carhartt scheme, they are an associate sponsor for the team.(Roush Racing PR), see image of the scheme on my 2003 Winston Cup Paint Schemes - Car #'s 0-23 page.(10-8-2003)
Foyt Eligible [Jayski Not :(]: Cosmopolitan magazine has named Larry Foyt, driver of A.J. Foyt Racing's #14 Harrah's Dodge in the Winston Cup Series, as North Carolina's hottest bachelor. Foyt, a 26-year-old rookie, and the other 49 bachelors appear in the November issue of Cosmopolitan, which is scheduled to go on sale next Tuesday.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter), yes Jayski is single, and cranky but not in NC...yet, until Jan.(10-8-2003)
The new 'Preview' in Daytona: NASCAR announced plans today for a new preseason fan-oriented event that will coincide with the annual NASCAR Preseason Thunder test sessions in January at Daytona International Speedway. “NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan-Fest at Daytona”will involve drivers from all three of NASCAR’s national series – the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Those three series test Jan.6-22 at Daytona. All three series open the 2004 season at Daytona International Speedway in February. Combining the preview event with the other activities surrounding NASCAR Preseason Thunder will give fans more opportunities to enjoy NASCAR in the city where the sport was founded in 1948 – Daytona Beach. Fans will be able to watch their favorite teams test cars for the new season, see and interact with their favorite drivers, visit the Daytona USA attraction and tour Daytona International Speedway. In addition, the new event will continue to benefit multiple charities. NASCAR will release more details on the “NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan-Fest at Daytona” in the near future.(NASCAR PR)(10-8-2003)
English team buying into Cup team? Leading Days of Thunder racing team Torquespeed UK/dsiAnyDoc have announced the sensational news that they will be racing on the US ovals as well as in the 2004 Days of Thunder at Rockingham. The team have also announced that dsiANYDOC boss Asa Burrows has taken over the major shareholding of Torquespeed UK [their website: www.torquespeed.com says it is coming Oct 10th.
In preparation for a full-blown assault in oval racing on both sides of the Atlantic in 2004, Torquespeed will join forces with a major NASCAR Winston Cup team to become the first British team to race in the world’s leading saloon car championship. The NASCAR Winston Cup Series is the pinnacle of North American Stock Car Racing. The series will have a new title sponsor in 2004, when North American communications giant NexTel Communications take over the proud legacy of Winston. The 2004 NexTel Cup will be contested over 37 rounds and starts with the blue-riband event on the calendar, the Daytona 500 in February.
Asa Burrows, Managing Director of Torquespeed UK’s 2003 partners dsiAnyDoc, has purchased a major shareholding in Torquespeed UK Limited and joins the board as Commercial Director. Burrows acquired the controlling interest in the NASCAR team in his first major decision since taking over the role. The launch will be announced officially at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 10.
“I am very excited about the global future of Torquespeed,” said Burrows. “We have some clearly defined plans for the future and a strategy that will ensure these plans are brought to fruition.” Torquespeed Managing Director and Days of Thunder driver, John Mickel said: “I am delighted that Asa is now a formal figurehead within the company. He brings experience and new skills that will be of major benefit to the Torquespeed organisation.”(ascar Days of Thunder site)(10-8-2003)
Ganassi Racing Moving? Chip Ganassi Racing [#40, #41, #42 Dodges] is considering moving its headquarters to Concord from Mooresville, Concord city officials announced Tuesday. The move would add to Concord's racing credentials, giving the city three of the largest NASCAR racing teams. Already, Winston Cup teams Roush Racing and Hendrick Motorsports have their headquarters in Concord. The city is also home to Lowe's Motor Speedway and a NASCAR research and development complex. Ganassi is looking at a 59-acre site at Poplar Tent and Derita roads adjacent to Concord Regional Airport. The land is large enough for expansion or for the company to sell off to related businesses, said City Manager Brian Hiatt. The company would invest $15.5 million and employ 150 initially. That could grow to 350 within five years, Hiatt said. In addition to a headquarters building, the company also would build an airport hangar at Concord Regional, a city-owned airport. Construction is expected to be finished in 2004, according to the city. In return, Concord is likely to dangle a total of $242,690 in grants over four years for real and personal property taxes. That follows the city's incentive policy for this size investment. The council will consider the incentives Oct. 20, and Padgett said he expects them to be approved. An official with Ganassi declined to comment.(Charlotte Observer)(10-8-2003)
Energizer Paint Scheme: #41-Casey Mears will have a special Energizer paint scheme this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)(10-8-2003)
NASCAR Tops for Marketing: NASCAR leads all major sports by a substantial margin when it comes to innovative and aggressive marketing, according to the 2003 League Report Card from Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal. NASCAR scored at least a 4 or 5 on the 5-point scale from 83 percent of the 195 sports marketing executives who filled out a 12-page survey that was mailed to 1,290 sports marketers nationwide. The score was slightly better than the 81 percent who gave the sanctioning body the same grades in the weekly magazine's initial survey in 1999. The National Football League ranked second this year, scoring a 4 or 5 from 59 percent of respondents. It was followed by minor league baseball (56 percent) and the NBA (51 percent) on the list of 16 organizations, which included all major professional sports and the NCAA.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-8-2003)
What was on the #49 hood at Kansas? Blue Ox was one of the sponsors on the #49 car of Ken Schrader's for Sunday's Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods at Kansas Motor Speedway. Blue Ox had the main logo on the hood of the # 49 BAM Racing Dodge. BAM Racing has partnered with Blue Ox for this race.(Blue Ox Site)(10-8-2003)
Baldwins Resigns? UPDATE 2: The resignation of Tommy Baldwin from Ultra Motorsports and Bill Elliott's expected move to a part-time schedule next season fueled speculation Baldwin and Kasey Kahne [see below story] will team up at Evernham Motorsports next year.(Augusta Chronicle) and see my #9 Team News and Links page for past news.(10-6-2002) UPDATE: been told Baldwin is still with Ultra Motorsports and workign for the shop, no idea if this meant at the end of the season. ALSO see a NASCAR.com/Buzz.(10-7-2003) UPDATE 2 - Done after Lowe's race? hearing the Cup race at Lowe's Motor Speedway will be the last for Baldwin at Ultra Motorsports, #7.(10-8-2003)
RCR cars have “SOWF” decals this week All five Richard Childress Racing entries scheduled to compete in Friday night’s NASCAR Busch Series’ Little Trees 300 and Saturday night’s UAW-GM 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway will carry decals of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF). The SOWF began in 1980 as the Col. Arthur D. "Bull"Simons Scholarship Fund and was created after the Iranian hostage rescue attempt to provide college educations for the 17 children that survived the nine men killed or incapacitated at Desert One. A tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, SOWF is dedicated to providing college scholarships and educational counseling to the children surviving Special Operations personnel killed as a result of an operational mission or training accident. These services are provided throughout the United States, or overseas, depending upon where the surviving children reside. To date, 455 children of fallen Special Operations personnel are involved in the program, of which 65 are currently attending college. RCR's relationship with the SOWF is a continuation of the support Richard Childress and Richard Childress Racing have for the United States armed forces. Childress and long-time RCR crew member Danny "Chocolate" Myers visited with U.S. troops in Europe last January as guests of the Tennessee Air National Guard.(SOWF site)(10-8-2003)
Kenny Wallace will visit Concord High School Oct. 9th as part of “YJ Stinger’s Race to Bee Safe” program. The Race to Bee Safe program is designed to teach teenagers the importance of safe driving and good car maintenance. The tour will visit high schools in six markets that host Winston Cup races this fall. Students will sign a promise to practice safe driving. The promise will act as an informal contract between the student and the student’s parents. The promises will also be used in a drawing for prizes, including tickets to the Oct. 10th Little Trees 300 NASCAR Busch Series event at Lowe’ s Motor Speedway.(PR)(10-8-2003)
(10-7-2003)
In Concord for the races? Check out..... "Shades Of Greatness...", one of the most popular trios of paintings Sam Bass has ever created to commemorate the Earnhardt racing legacy, will be displayed for the first time during the days leading up to the UAW-GM Quality 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The three-part "Shades" set comprises Dale Earnhardt in "Ready To Rumble!", Dale Earnhardt Jr. in "Tradin' Paint!" and both drivers in "...The Shadow Of Greatness." This triad of fan favorites, which has recently been released in a framed collage format featuring a specially displayed title created by Bass for this piece - "Shades of Greatness..." - will occupy a prominent place in the gallery's entrance during race week. The walls of the Sam Bass art gallery, located less than a lap away from Lowe's Motor Speedway's high-banked oval, are alive with vivid recollections of racing's most exciting and endearing events. The 10,000-square-foot building on Performance Drive in Concord that is currently home to the Sam Bass collection of original paintings and fine art, limited-edition prints also gives visitors a look at some of the artist's rare personal racing mementos such as historic driver helmets and uniforms, diecast cars, models and a display of memorabilia paying tribute to his second passion - rock 'n' roll. A tour of the Sam Bass Gallery is a pilgrimage thousands of race fans a year eagerly anticipate. Adjacent to Lowe's Motor Speedway, the gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, year round. Visit www.sambass.com on the Internet or phone 800/556-5464 for more information about tours or the "Shades Of Greatness..." series. Admission is free. Tours may be arranged through the gallery coordinator.(PR) Other places to check out: [Jayski just got back from Mooresville, lots to see for a race fan]:
Visit many of the race shops, for address' see my Team Address page; some shops I have toured in Dec 2002 and Sept 2003 include: Ganassi Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Petty Enterprises, just last week I checked out DEI and the brand new Richard Childress Racing Museum. All are worthwhile to say the least. Earnhardt Fans may wanna make the trip up to Welcome. NC and check it out, it is worthwhile and maybe you'll catch a glimpse of Chocolate Myers there.
some local museums in Mooresville include the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame [see the #7 Underbird there] and Memory Lane Museum. Plus Lowe's Motor Speedway itself has a lot to see.
Also race fans visiting the UAW-GM Motorsports display this week at Lowe's Motor Speedway will not only receive a free fine art poster created by NASCAR artist Sam Bass, they'll also have a chance to meet the artist himself during a round of autograph sessions. The painting, Bass' eighth in a series celebrating the theme of teamwork, uses a split screen effect to combine the on-track action of the UAW-GM Quality 500 Winston Cup race with the people who create, assemble and own General Motors products. Bass will be signing autographs at the UAW-GM display from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 6 to 7 p.m. on Saturday.(10-7-2003)
Testing at Martinsville Tuesday: Eight Winston Cup drivers testing at Martinsville Speedway Tuesday. Testing at the .526-mile oval Wednesday were #97-Kurt Busch, #45-Kyle Petty, #0-Jason Leffler, #14-Larry Foyt, #4-Kevin LePage, and #22-Scott Wimmer in the Bill Davis Caterpillar Dodge usually driven by Ward Burton. #12-Ryan Newman tested Monday and Tuesday but will not return Wednesday. Scott Wimmer was the surprise of the day … not his speed, but that he was in the Bill Davis Dodge normally driven by Ward Burton. But he said that no one should read anything into the fact he was in his teammate’s car for the test, even though Burton was not onsite. Testing resumes Wednesday at Martinsville Speedway at 9 a.m. Spectator gates open at 9 a.m. with no charge to the public.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(10-8-2003)
Ince on leave UPDATE 2 Ince Leaves? Yes: James Ince, crew chief for driver Johnny Benson and the #10 Valvoline Pontiacs, has taken an indefinite leave of absence to deal with family matters, the team said. Jay Guy, who has served as the car chief for the team, will take over the interim crew chief duties and started this weekend.(ThatsRacin.com)(10-3-2003) UPDATE: #10 Pontiac Crew Chief James Ince did not travel with the team to Kansas this weekend. Ince is taking an indefinite leave from his duties in order to deal with family matters in Charlotte. Car Chief Jay Guy will serve as crew chief until Ince’s return.(GM PR)(10-4-2003) UPDATE 2: hearing that Ince and MBV have parted ways and that Ince is no longer with the team. UPDATE 2 1/2: Valvoline Racing announced Tuesday that Jay Guy will serve as crew chief of the #10 Valvoline Pontiac for the remainder of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup season. Guy, who served as car chief this season, replaces James Ince. The team granted Ince his requested release on Tuesday. Guy and driver Johnny Benson worked together Sunday at Kansas where Benson ran as high as third before an accident. Benson said he obviously has mixed feelings about the change. "James Ince is a very good friend of mine and we have been through a lot together since 2000," Benson said. "Somebody somewhere is going to get a good crew chief. But, things change in this sport and I'm really looking forward to working with Jay. We did well Sunday not just in the race but in our communication and everyone's attitude was really positive. We still have a goal of winning a race and I think it would be awesome if we could do that this season." Guy's duties begin this weekend at Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte.(Valvoline Racing PR)(10-7-2003)
STAT:incomplete research but interesting; #12-Ryan Newman won his 9th race in his 74th career start. How does that stack up in history? Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Allison nor Darrell Waltrip did it; neither did Jeff Gordon, who won his 9th race in his 84th start. From what I can figure, Fonty Flock was the fastest to 9 wins, doing it in 42 races back in the early 1950's. His brother, Tom Flock did it in 48 races, Dick Hutcherson did it in 54 races, Junior Johnson did it in 67 races. As for the modern era [1972 to present], looks like Tony Stewart was the fastest, 9th win in his 68th start.(10-7-2003)
Fans Injured: At least two people who were in the pit area of the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway on Friday night were seriously injured when a race car driven by Jason Thoma jumped a concrete wall and crashed into them. The accident, which happened at about 9:40pm, occured during an Area Sportsman feature race. Thoma's car was involved in a crash on the front straightaway of the track, then crashed into and flew over a three-foot-high concrete retaining wall that separates the race track from the pit area. Both victims were members of a Modified race team, according to a track official. According to several witnesses, the car hit, then popped over the retaining wall and crashed into an area used by other drivers and teams as a staging area. Two of the victims were thrown an estimated 25 feet before landing on the inside of the wall, according to witnesses. Three ambulances were on the scene, and the Gundersen Lutheran Med-Link helicopter landed on the Turn One area of the track at 9:55 p.m. One victim was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, while the other was taken by Med-Link at 10:12 p.m. A condition report was not available on either victim. The driver suffered minor injuries, according to medical personnel on the scene, and was not immediately transported to a hospital.(La Crosse Tribune)(10-4-2003) AND see updated columns and info at: Pastor aids those at scene of Speedway accident and Racing fans pray for injured buddies.(10-7-2003)
Who? Forget all of these newfangled hard-on-the-ears bands that NASCAR is pumping up as part of the tragically hip 2003 target key demo world of NASCAR. The new bosses don't look a lot like the old bosses. We're finally talking about a true music superstar who will enter the NASCAR world. A future episode of Extreme History on the History Channel [gotta love Mail Call] will find The Who's Roger Daltrey "surviving" NASCAR.(MotorsportsTV.com)(10-7-2003)
(10-6-2003)
Early Kansas TV Ratings: Nielsen Media Research says NBC's broadcast of Sunday's Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway drew a 4.0 overnight rating and an 8 share, according to today's Sports Business Daily. The race trailed a variety of NFL games on Fox and CBS, NCAA football on ABC and two Major League Baseball playoff games on Fox, according to the figures. Last year's Kansas City race, which was also broadcast on NBC, drew final figures of 4.4/11. Saturday's Mr. Goodcents 300 Busch Series race on NBC drew an overnight 1.8, well ahead of last year's 1.5 final rating.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-6-2003)
Quaid Tests at Las Vegas: Dennis Quaid was out at the speedway this morning to drive a race car for the Richard Petty Driving Experience. He was getting background for a new Disney movie [about the Petty's] he will star in. He went 160 miles per hour, which was much faster than Brittney Spears went last year. The band Fuel was also there.(LVMS), for more info on the movie Quaid will be doing, see my Media-Movies Page.(10-6-2003)
Davis Racing down to one team in 2004? Owner Bill Davis is expected to scale back to one Cup team next season. Ward Burton is leaving the #22 Dodge, and Scott Wimmer, who is seventh in Busch Series points, is the favorite to take the ride in 2004. Kenny Wallace, who drives Davis' #23 in Cup, will drive Davis' Busch car in 2004 with Stacker2 as the sponsor.(Sporting News/Yahoo Sports)(10-6-2003)
Kahne to Cup; Evernham? UPDATE 4 third Yates team?: Busch Series driver Kasey Kahne has received several Winston Cup job offers for the 2004 season, with the most serious coming from Evernham Motorsports, sources said Thursday. Kahne, reached Thursday by phone, confirmed he has received "five or six Cup offers from top-20 teams," but he declined to name them. Kahne, 23, drives the #38 Great Cuts Ford for Akins Motorsports. He is eighth in points with three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes this season. He won his first pole at Michigan in August. Evernham Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing were among the top Cup teams expressing interest, with Evernham the most serious, sources said. Of the three, only RCR currently has an opening for the 2004 season, in its #30 AOL Chevy. Gibbs has Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart under long-term contracts and Evernham currently has Bill Elliott and Jeremy Mayfield under contract. However, there has been a lot of speculation about Elliott's future and whether he would retire at the end of the season. Mayfield's job performance has also been under scrutiny this year. A spokesperson for Evernham Motorsports declined to comment Thursday on any connection between Kahne's Winston Cup plans and Evernham Motorsports. Kahne, who is under contract with Ford Motor Co. through the 2005 season, said he has spoken to Ford officials about the Cup teams' interest. None was a Ford team, he said.(ThatsRacin.com) UPDATE: Robert Yates Racing PR folks tell me that: Not only is Kasey under contract with Ford Racing but he remains under a multi-year contract with Robert Yates Racing. He's driven the Great Clips Ford for Akins Motorsports this year on basically a "loaner" basis. Both Ford and RYR expect Kasey to be racing Ford's for years to come. They haven't been contacted by Kasey or another team about releasing him from his contract. AND Kahne said during an interview on Speed Channel's Busch Series Qualifying that he will run a full Busch Series schedule in 2004, driving the #38 Great Clips car.(10-3-2003) UPDATE 2: Ford's Kenny Kahne is suddenly a hot item among rivals who would like to hire the Busch driver to run Winston Cup next season. Among the car owners reported to be interested: Dodge's Ray Evernham. Kahne has a contract with Ford however that runs another two years, though he said he's getting Winston Cup offers. So Ford officials may now be looking for a Ford team willing to give Kahne a ride. Kahne has a contract with Robert Yates too, so he would be the logical pick, but Yates' two Cup teams aren't doing all that well at the moment so it seems unlikely he would want to expand.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-4-2003) UPDATE 3: what I hear is that while Kahne is under contract with Ford, supposedly his contract says he can entertain offers but Ford can match those offers, but supposedly Dodge's offer is pretty steep and may be tough to match, been told this is for the #9 Dodge and Mayfield would stay in the #19 next year.(10-6-2003) UPDATE 4 - Yates 3rd team? Kasey Kahne, who is eighth in Busch points, is a candidate to drive one of Evernham's Dodges in Cup next season, but there's a conflict. Sources say Kahne's current contracts include two years with Ford and three years with Robert Yates Racing. Both organizations have nurtured Kahne, whose No. 38 Ford is powered by Yates engines, and are not pleased he is listening to offers outside the Ford camp. Kahne, 23, says he doesn't think there are Cup options for him in a Ford, but Robert Yates says he has a sponsor and plans to run a limited Cup schedule with Kahne in 2004 and full time in 2005.(Sporting News/Yahoo Sports)(10-6-2003)
Avis and Petty? UPDATE:AutoRacing1.com insiders have learned that Petty Enterprises has been courting Avis Enterprises (Car Rental) heavily to sponsor the #44 Dodge for next year. A day at the Petty driving school and a massive hospitality event at the upcoming Atlanta race are part of the courtship.(AutoRacing1.com need subscirtion to read)(10-4-2003) UPDATE: being told this is not true and that there is no massive hospitality event scheduled for the Atlanta race and that Avis has no plans on sponsoring any race team.(10-6-2003)
Brett Bodine to run finals three 2003 races: #11-Brett Bodine was at the Kansas Speedway, but he left shortly before the command to start the engines. "I'm not a good spectator," he said. Bodine has a new sponsor signed for the 2004 season, but he plans to run the final three races of this year so his team can get used to working with each other.(Augusta Chronicle)(10-6-2002)
NASCAR Looking to Change Scoring System: NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter said the sanctioning body has been looking at ways to upgrade its scoring system after the current system came under question on the last lap of Saturday's Mr. Goodcents 300 Busch Series race. The race was restarted with one lap to go, but a crash between Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Greg Biffle forced NASCAR to throw the caution. Under rules implemented two weeks ago, cars don't race back to the yellow, even on the last lap. But several drivers, including race winner David Green, raced to the yellow and checkered flags anyway. That meant the results on NASCAR's scoring computer -- which records where the cars are at the finish line -- were incorrect. The new rules dictate the cars being scored exactly when the yellow flag comes out. That's the problem. Hunter said NASCAR knew it was going to be difficult to score the cars "because we cannot freeze the cars at the exact moment that the yellow is displayed. We're simply telling all those competitors that we're looking for a better system," Hunter said. Hunter said NASCAR is considering two systems. The first will use electronic lines under the racetrack, just like the one currently at the start-finish line, in quadrants around the track. The second is an effective global positioning satellite system that would freeze the field when the caution is waved. NASCAR has a GPS system, but Hunter said exact positions can't be determined. Asked when either of the new systems could come online, Hunter said. "I think next year is realistic," and "possibly" by Daytona. Hunter also said NASCAR would not reconsider its decision to allow racing back to the yellow, even on the last lap.(NASCAR.com)(10-6-2003)
Martinsville Testing this week: Several teams are scheduled to test at Martinsville Speedway this week in preparation for the Oct.19 Subway 500 race there. #12-Ryan Newman is scheduled to test today and Tuesday. Series points leader #17-Matt Kenseth, #97-Kurt Busch, #45-Kyle Petty, #57-Jason Leffler [Busch team], #77-Dave Blaney, #14/50-rookie Larry Foyt and Andy Petree [#33 Truck team] are scheduled to test Tuesday and Wednesday.(Roanoke Times)(10-6-2003)
Drivers Snub Media at Kansas; Penalties in the future? NASCAR may be considering penalizing drivers who fail to meet media obligations following race events, said Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president for corporate communications. Hunter said Sunday the sanctioning body will review the policies of of other professional sports regarding media responsibilities of participants. His comments came after driver #9-Bill Elliott refused to attend a post-race news conference Sunday. Elliott finished second in Sunday's Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway. #42-Jamie McMurray, the rookie of the race, also failed to attend the post-race news conferences. Typically, the top-three finishers in each race, along with the highest-finishing rookie, are required to attend post-race media news conferences.(ThatsRacin.com)(10-6-2003)
Newman's Gas Mileage: ....[#12-Ryan] Newman's amazing gas mileage has become the topic of much debate among rivals, wondering if he's got some tricks in his car. The typical engine gets 4.5 mpg, good enough for 100 miles on the average 22-gallon tank. However NASCAR specifies the size of the fuel cell box, not the number of gallons. So teams try numerous ways to expand that box, some even to the point of pressurizing it, or using sliding walls. NASCAR, though, has been quite strict about policing all those tricks for several years. Still, according to sources, Newman's car took 23.2 gallons of gas during one fill up this weekend, when the tank wasn't empty.(Winston Salem Journal)
Newman’s Dodge, by the way, was not the only car to go 78 laps on a tank of fuel. Six others on the lead lap pitted for the final time with Newman, including third-place finisher Jeremy Mayfield, eighth-place Jamie McMurray and 10th-place Ricky Rudd, the highest-finishing Ford driver.(Gaston Gazette)(10-6-2003)
