(not posting new unofficial sites anymore: too many have no updates, are old, driver bashing)
#99 Team Past News and Rumors (NOTE: some older links may not work)
Races [8] that Aflac is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 2008:
March 9, Atlanta
April 6, Texas
April 12, Phoenix
June 8, Pocono
July 5, Daytona
July 27, Indianapolis
Aug. 31, California
Oct. 11, Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Races [3] that DISH Network is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 2008:
Feb 24, California
Mar 2, Las Vegas
June 29, Hew Hampshire
Races [?] that Claritin is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 2008:
Mar 30, Martinsville
May 10, Darlington
the rest TBA
Contracts: Sponsor: 2008; Driver: 2011
Humpy picks Edwards to win All-Star race: H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler named Carl Edwards as his pick to win Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor
Speedway. Wheeler revealed his selection today in uptown Charlotte with assistance from a pack of four-legged friends, including Princess, the back-flipping dog. "Carl Edwards is a racer's racer in the mold of Dale Earnhardt and Cale Yarborough," said Wheeler. "He will put his car in places angels fear to tread and beneath that big smile and his trademark back flip, Carl has an abnormal fire in his heart to win that I have seldom seen. Known for his promotional flair and Karnac-type ability, Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, has correctly picked the winner of the Sprint All-Star Race 10 times in the past 19 races. While Edwards' burning determination was key in Wheeler's decision,
it was the early season performance of the #99 Office Depot Ford that proved to be the determining factor [Wheeler also picked Edwards to win in 2006, he finished 4th]. In preparation for making his selection, Wheeler analyzed early season race results and studied Sprint Cup Series testing at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His final decision came down to a choice between Edwards and Kyle Busch. Each year since 1994, Wheeler has also named a dark-horse selection who he thinks could pull off a surprise victory. This time he's going with #20-Tony Stewart to fill that role. Good seats, in various price ranges, are still available for Saturday's Sprint All-Star Race and include the 3 Doors Down pre-race concert. Tickets start at $40 and may be obtained by calling 1-800-455-FANS or online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.(LMS PR)(5-14-2008) Comment here
Problems with #99 rear housing? #24-Jeff Gordon would like NASCAR to look into the way Roush Fenway Racing is adjusting the rear housing on Carl Edwards' #99 Ford to create a competitive advantage. Edwards has won three times on 1.5-mile tracks this season and was in position to win a fourth before having late engine problems. Many in the garage said during testing at Lowe's Motor Speedway earlier this week that the yaw created -- Edwards' car appears to be going sideways on the straightaway, creating more side force heading into the turns -- by turning the rear housing to the right gives Edwards a competitive advantage. " ... NASCAR knows it's happening," Gordon said on Friday at Darlington Raceway. "They are the ones that see the cars come through inspection. They see it. When cars can't even get on the scales because they're running sideways, it's something they need to address." Series director John Darby said there are no plans to further police the rear housing adjustment, noting NASCAR already has a rule restricting more than a quarter-inch change plus or minus. He added that Hendrick Motorsports, for which Gordon drives, was the first to experiment with the rear-housing adjustment on the new car and that Edwards' #99 team was one of the last. "They [complain] when we've got too many rules and then they want us to create more," Darby said of teams in general. "The process is so simple. There are limits on how far they can go."(full story at ESPN.com)(5-10-2008) Comment here
Office Depot to MWR? Hearing Office Depot, currently the sponsor for #99-Carl Edwards, is considering a move to Michael Waltrip Racing with driver #00-Michael McDowell. UPS has been rumored as a possible sponsor for Edwards and Roush Racing in 2009.(5-8-2008) Comment here
Truex to Penske? with UPS? UPDATE UPS denies: hearing that Martin Truex, current driver of the #1 DEI Chevy, could be headed to a 4th Penske Racing team with UPS as the sponsor.(5-4-2008) UPDATE - UPS denies negotiating with any team: UPS officials released a statement Monday saying the company is not currently in negotiations with any specific Sprint Cup team or driver. UPS currently sponsors the #44 driven by David Reutimann. Michael Waltrip Racing Vice President Cal Wells has said that UPS has had preliminary discussions with six teams about what cars and drivers they would have open for 2009 and "UPS is doing exactly what they should be doing. We either earn the business back or we won’t." But to say that UPS has started negotiations with any team is not accurate, according to a company official. "As of this date, UPS is not engaged in formal active sponsorship negotiations with any NASCAR Sprint Cup driver or race team," read the statement, attributed to UPS Director of Sponsorship & Events Ron Rogowski. With Dale Jarrett's retirement this year, UPS is looking for another face for a long-term campaign. One of the drivers often mentioned is #99-Carl Edwards, who right now is sponsored by Office Depot. Roush Fenway Racing and Office Depot currently are in an exclusive negotiating period for Edwards. "UPS went to six or eight race teams, visited them, to get all the inventory that they all had," Roush Fenway President Geoff Smith said Saturday. "And from that, they told us they would cut it down amongst the teams. There's been no negotiating."(SceneDaily.com)(5-6-2008) Comment here
Edwards re-signs with Roush UPDATE 2: Carl Edwards, driver of the #99 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing has signed a multi-year stay with the team on Thursday. His old contract was thru the end of 2008.(PRN's Garage Pass) UPDATE: Carl Edwards said Friday he signed a multiple-year contract extension to continue driving the #99 Ford, a decision that takes NASCAR's most sought-after free agent off the market. "I'm staying with Roush," Edwards said. "I looked at everything and I talked to everybody and, for me, the number one thing is looking into the future and saying, 'Where can I win the most races and have the most success?' I just feel like for me, personally, this is where I want to be for the near future." He negotiated the contract himself with Geoff Smith, president of Roush. "It took us about a week and a half of going back and forth with just little things and I feel like the luckiest guy in the world for the contract I got," he said. "If I was dealing with someone that I didn't trust or that I felt like I couldn't just kind of air everything out with, then I'd probably have to have an agent, but dealing with Geoff from day one has been very easy at Roush for me, so it was really pretty simple. Besides, I feel like I know what I need more than anyone else. I know what I want to make me happy and this is cool." It's not clear if sponsor Office Depot will remain on the car. A spokeswoman for the company said only they are continuing their negotiations with Roush.(ESPN.com/AP)(5-2-2008) UPDATE 2: Roush said he was battling two rival car owners for Edwards' services. One of the men in the running for Edwards was apparently Chevy kingpin Rick Hendrick. The other was apparently Joe Gibbs, with backer Toyota; Joe and J. D. Gibbs and Toyota executives may well be resigned to the distinct possibility that Tony Stewart could be leaving their team at the end of this season and thus made a quick -- and high-priced -- run at Edwards to fill that seat. Whether that means the Gibbs and Toyota will play hardball to keep Stewart or will look for another championship-caliber driver is unclear.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-3-2008) UPDATE 3: On Friday Edwards announced that he had renewed his contract with Roush Fenway Racing, keeping him behind the wheel of the # 99 Ford for an additional three years.(Athlon Sports)(5-3-2008) Comment here
Edwards gets his crew chief back: This weekend’s race at Richmond marks the return to the racetrack for Bob Osborne, crew chief of the #99 Office Depot team. Following a rule infraction at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 2, Osborne was placed on a six-week suspension from NASCAR. In the time that Osborne was away from the track, interim co-crew chiefs Chris Andrews and Robbie Reiser accumulated one win, two top-five and three top-10 finishes. Had it not been for an engine failure in Atlanta, the win total may have been two. Edwards was leading the race when he was forced to retire from the event early.(Roush Fenway Racing)(4-29-2008) Comment here
Edwards talks contract: #99-Carl Edwards ON CONTRACTS AND NEGOTIATIONS. "For me, personally, just out of respect to everyone and sponsors, and the teams and the way we do business, for me it's always my mission to get that stuff out of the way and get it done as early as I can. That's how I've always tried to do it." WHERE DO YOU
STAND ON YOUR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS? "I don't want to say anything." MORE ON CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS. "I'm working really hard to get my stuff, just because I think it's fair to get it done early, and once I get it done I'll let everyone know what I've done. But, we're working on it."(Ford Racing)(4-26-2008) Comment here
Edwards Tests in Iowa: Carl Edwards already owns three Sprint Cup Series wins this season, but continues to look beyond the immediate horizon. This weekend, Talladega. Next weekend, Richmond. So it made sense for the #99-Roush Fenway Racing driver to conduct a closed test today [4/23] at Iowa Speedway in Newton, a 7/8-mile asphalt track similar in terms of specifications to Richmond.(Des Moines Register)(4-24-2008) Comment here
Office Depot negotiating with Roush; if not UPS could replace: MORE Office Depot is in the midst of an exclusive 60-day negotiating period to extend its sponsorship of Carl Edwards’ #99 Ford, but industry sources say that UPS is waiting in the wings to make a run at the hot Roush Fenway Racing driver.(SportsBusinessJournal.com-sub)(4-21-2008) UPDATE: Office Depot is in the final year of its three-year deal with the #99 team. Edwards and Roush Fenway appear to be in position to push the first of many sponsor dominoes in the coming four to six weeks. If Office Depot, which has used Edwards out front for its annual "Official Small Business of NASCAR" promotion, doesn't have a deal done by mid-May, industry sources say UPS will pursue sponsorship of Edwards' car. UPS has been considering several options, from staying at Michael Waltrip Racing to Edwards to Jeff Burton's #31, which is scheduled to lose AT&T as its primary sponsor at the end of this season, but sources said Edwards has emerged as the top option. The issue between Office Depot and Roush Fenway, sources said, is the price tag for the #99 car has increased significantly from three years ago when Edwards was considered more of an up-and-comer than a bona fide star. If Edwards stays in the # 99 as expected, Roush Fenway hopes to extract $22 million to $24 million a year in the next contract, sources said, a significant step up from the deal Office Depot signed three years ago in the $14 million to $15 million range annually. It's uncertain how aggressively Office Depot will pursue another three years on the #99 at the higher price. The office supply retailer is embroiled in a proxy fight with a shareholder group that is attempting to oust CEO Steve Odland from the company's board after an 85 percent drop in fourth-quarter net earnings year-over-year. Office Depot's stock price has dropped from a high of $37.05 nearly a year ago to $11.51 at Monday's close, which has prompted questions about its ability to win a bidding war for the #99 car. John Miller, a former Roush marketing executive who now owns his own agency, Xceed Sports Marketing, is representing Office Depot in these negotiations.(Sports Business Journal/SceneDaily.com)(4-22-2008) Comment here
Dunkin' Donuts teams up with Fenway Sports: As it expands nationally, Dunkin' Donuts is teaming up with a high-powered group of local sports marketers to bring in new customers. Dunkin’ now has 5,500 stores, but plans to triple that number over the next two decades, targeting markets like Dallas, Cleveland and Nashville that are outside its Northeast base. The Canton-based chain has hired Fenway Sports Group to help devise a national sports marketing campaign. That could mean rolling out Dunkin' ads featuring sports stars in some of its new markets across the country, said Mark Lev, executive vice president at Fenway Sports Group. The Dunkin' deal is a major coup for FSG, which has been building a broad portfolio of deals ranging from a 50% stake in a top NASCAR race team to consulting deals with a range of companies.(Boston Herald)(4-15-2008) Comment here
Edwards wins at Texas: #99-Carl Edwards won the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway for his 3rd win of 2008 and the 10th of his career. He domanated the race, leading 122 laps and surviving and green white checker finish. #48-Johnson was 2nd, followed by #18-Busch, #12-Newman, #11-Hamlin, #31-Burton [who continues to lead the points], #20-Stewart, #8-Martin, #17-Kenseth and #07-Bowyer. #24-Gordon wrecked early and finished 43rd, only the second time in his career that he has finished last [the other being Texas in 1999]. There were 16 lead changes among 6 drivers and 6 cautions for 27 laps. Race Results on my Texas Race Results/Awards Page. Points Standings on my Drivers/Owners Points after Texas page.(4-6-2008) Comment here
Aflac Sponsoring Edwards at Texas & Phoenix: Aflac, the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States, will be the primary sponsor of Carl Edwards’ #99 Roush Fenway Racing team this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Additionally, Aflac will also be the primary sponsor next weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. Edwards will drive the No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion in a total of eight races throughout the 2008 season.(Roush Fenway Racing PR), See images of the scheme on my #99 Team Schemes page.(4-4-2008) Comment here
RFR working on driver contracts: Greg Biffle’s contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing is nearly complete, and the team is working on extensions for David Ragan and Carl Edwards. Using Biffle’s words from earlier in the week, Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith said that the contract with Biffle is 90% along. He said the fact that Biffle is running second in points has not accelerated the deal. “We wanted to get it done over the winter,” Smith said Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. “We like to get them done so they don’t become a distraction of the team in terms of the race season.” The contracts for Edwards and Ragan, as well as those with the companies sponsoring [AAA announced they would leave at the end of 2008] their cars, end after the season is over. Smith indicated that the team would like to sign the sponsor and driver at the same time. He said the team also is working with a sponsor to finalize the Biffle deal. “For us, there’s a money equation that has to be met,” Smith said. “The sponsor has to pay [a certain amount] in order for us to pay the driver and so forth. We close all of that out at the same time.” Smith doesn’t anticipate having trouble finding sponsorship for Edwards. His organization currently is looking for sponsorship for the two Yates Racing cars. “It’s pretty early,” Smith said about the sponsor search. “Carl Edwards, even in this down economy, he’s the hottest property in the garage. We’ve got all the sponsorship we can handle for him. David, and Travis [Kvapil] and David Gilliland, they’re all in the mix. We’re hoping the economic climate improves here shortly and typically May and June are big months for significant prospects to come forward for us. We’re about to find out if that’s true.”(SceneDaily)(3-31-2008) Comment here
Roush Fenway Racing doesn't plan any legal action against MWR: Roush Fenway Racing doesn't plan to take legal action against Michael Waltrip Racing for what it characterized as the theft of a sway bar unless there is evidence that the piece has been duplicated. Team president Geoff Smith said the issue would not have surfaced at all had Toyota general manager Lee White not insinuated that Roush's team of Carl Edwards intentionally cheated at Las Vegas.(see full story at ESPN.com), so lets hope this whole thing is over.(3-30-2008) Comment here
MWR had [Roush] part, says it was a mistake UPDATE: Michael Waltrip confirmed Friday afternoon that it was his team that Jack Roush was alluding to when saying a Toyota team had stolen a sway bar from Roush Fenway Racing at Dover last September. “It was a mistake,” Waltrip said. “Look at the back of these toolboxes. There are sway bars, there’s jack handles, and it wound up in our possession. We called them and said, ‘We want to give this back.’ ”(full story atSceneDaily) MORE: Michael Waltrip acknowledged on Saturday that his team had the sway bar that team owner Jack Roush accused a Toyota team of stealing last season. But Waltrip insisted that it wasn't a theft, that the bar accidentally wound up at his shop after the September race at Dover and that nobody realized it belonged to Roush Fenway Racing until that organization called to inquire about it in January. "Accidents happen, mistakes happen," Waltrip said. "If you look inside this garage area today there's over 70 racing vehicles in here and stuff gets slung everywhere ... I could see why he would be upset. He feels like he was wronged and he's mad about it." Roush said the sway bar was specially designed by Roush Fenway for his cars. He said they were larger than the old bars, unable to fit in the toolbox slot and were put underneath the box instead. Roush said a member of a Toyota team -- which turned out to be David Reutimann's #00 car -- parked next to him at Dover, then walked over and took the piece. "I don't know what makes him tick," Waltrip said of Roush. "But I do know that no one went to his toolbox and swiped his bar." Waltrip said he had no knowledge that the piece was sandblasted to hide its identity and that somebody from his team called a vendor to have it duplicated as Roush alleged. "I don't have knowledge of any of that," he said. "I heard it was painted blue and when we figured out that it wasn't ours then it was set off to the side and eventually returned."(ESPN.com)(3-29-2008) Comment here
NASCAR won't intervene in Roush dispute with Toyota team: NASCAR officials say they will not intervene in the dispute between Roush Fenway Racing and an unspecified Toyota team that allegedly took a part from the Ford organization. Team owner Jack Roush is asking NASCAR for “relief” on the issue, but NASCAR Vice President of Competition strongly dismissed that idea on Friday. “If they’ve got issues with each other or other teams, then they’ve got to talk to those other teams,” Pemberton said. “I didn’t take a part or a piece, all right? Nobody in this [NASCAR] trailer took a part or a piece. We know Jack said that, and apparently some other team acknowledged having a part or a piece. Those people need to work their deal out.” Roush said a Toyota team took a sway bar home from a September race at Dover last season. If that’s true, Pemberton said, “Then shame on a team that has that person working for them. If you’ve got a guy that takes a part or a piece from another team, then, in my opinion, I wouldn’t have a guy like that work for me,” he said. Still, that doesn’t mean NASCAR is going to do anything about it. “[The teams] have to work together,” he said. “We’re not going to build walls in here. We’re not going to separate everything. We’re going to run this garage area just like it’s been run. If you have issues, then you've got to work it out.”(SceneDaily)(3-29-2008)
Latest on the 'stolen' Roush "proprietary part" UPDATE MWR: Jack Roush said on Friday that a Toyota team stole a sway bar made specifically for Roush Fenway Racing from one of his Sprint Cup teams last season at Dover. "A theft did occur," the co-owner of Roush Fenway said during practice at Martinsville Speedway. "The part was recovered ... We are still considering what if any legal action to seek." One of Roush's options is asking for a restraining order to guarantee the team in question does not duplicate the bar, which has been determined legal by NASCAR, for a competitive advantage. "It's lawyer time," Roush said. Roush made his first comments since he was quoted in ESPN The Magazine as saying a proprietary part was found missing from his inventory and discovered with a Toyota team. He discounted comments made by Jim Aust, the president of Toyota Racing Development, that a valve spring was found during a teardown inspection, identified as belonging to Roush and returned. Roush said the theft occurred in the garage area at Dover in September [2007], where the only Toyota teams in the field belonged to Michael Waltrip Racing and Team Red Bull.
Lee White, the general manager of TRD, said his organization launched a full investigation into the allegation when Roush's allegations were published in ESPN The Magazine.
He said a valve spring that did not belong to Toyota ended up at TRD's California location after the California race, that it was reported to NASCAR and returned. Roush said he became aware of the theft in early January when the vendor that produced the product for Roush Fenway was contacted by the Toyota team in question about duplicating the bar.
Roush said he's had several discussions with NASCAR officials about the situation. He was alarmed when Robin Pemberton, the vice president of competition for the series, said disappearing parts are a common occurrence and the teams needed to work it out amongst themselves. Roush said there is something fundamentally wrong if NASCAR doesn't intercede, reminding the governing body has no problem reacting when somebody uses an illegal part -- on purpose or not. Roush, noting he has been in the business 22 years, and said this is the first time he's heard of such a situation. He declined to respond to a question in which Michael Waltrip Racing was insinuated as the Toyota team. "I don't substantiate," he said. Waltrip declined to comment until he heard how the question was posed and the way Roush responded.(see full story at ESPN.com)(3-28-2008) Comment here
Roush Says Toyota Team Stole "Proprietary Part" UPDATE 2:ESPN the Magazine has an interesting and potentially explosive quote from Roush Fenway Racing co-owner Jack Roush as part of its 10th Anniversary issue, which is on newsstands this week. Two weeks ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the magazine quotes Roush as saying, “We had a proprietary Roush Fenway part go missing from one of my race teams, and we recovered it from a Toyota team. I’m not going to say which team it is, but we are considering legal action, or getting NASCAR involved.” If Roush’s allegations prove to be true, this could become NASCAR’s version of the recent spy scandal that rocked Formula One racing, in which the McLaren-Mercedes team was caught with confidential, proprietary test information belonging to rival Ferrari. We contacted Roush Fenway Racing today in search of further information – including team was involved and the specific part in question -- and we [SIRIUS Speedway w/ Dave Moody] hope to have a statement from them later today.(Motorsports Soapbox)(3-25-2008) UPDATE: Jack Roush, co-owner of Ford-based Roush Fenway Racing, leveled another serious accusation at nemesis Toyota at Atlanta Motor Speedway -- one that took nearly three weeks to surface. No one from either RFR or Toyota was willing to comment on Tuesday, but no one was denying Roush told a reporter from ESPN The Magazine on March 7 that a Toyota team had been in possession of an RFR team part.(ESPN)(3-26-2008) UPDATE 2: Toyota officials on Wednesday identified the Roush Fenway Racing part that owner Jack Roush said was found in a Toyota team's possession during a Sprint Cup post-race teardown as a spring. Jim Aust, the president and chief executive officer of Toyota Racing Development, said once the part was found to belong to RFR that it was returned. He was uncertain how the part, discovered on a table with other Toyota parts, got there or from which team it came. "I don't understand the whole procedure when a teardown happens," said Aust, referring to a post-race process in which several cars are broken down by NASCAR inspectors. "The only thing I know is it wound up with parts we had and [which were] returned to Roush. "It's unfortunate it happened the way it did. It wasn't anything intentional. There's no reason to be done intentional. I have no idea how it happened to begin with." Roush Fenway president Geoff Smith said the part in question was not a spring, but he would not elaborate. No one at RFR has identified which Toyota team had the part. "Jack is the only one to talk to at this time and he presently doesn't want to make any additional comments," Smith said.(ESPN.com)(3-26-2008) Comment here
#99 Roush Fenway Racing team will not appeal: Roush Fenway Racing announced today that it will not appeal the penalties imposed by NASCAR following its
post-race inspection of the #99 car at Las Vegas. “We have conducted a thorough internal investigation and have found no evidence whatsoever that anyone intended for the bolt/nut fastener to fail to secure the lid for the entire race,” said Jack Roush, team owner. “We have subsequently added protective measures to insure that the lid will remain fastened even if a failure of this type should again occur.” Geoff Smith, president of Roush Fenway Racing said, “We realize in the NASCAR system of penalty administration that simple negligence, by itself, is never sufficient grounds to overturn or reduce a penalty. Consequently, no appeal will be made of the penalties assessed by NASCAR.”(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(3-12-2008)
EDWARDS, ROUSH RESPOND TO NASCAR PENALTY: Despite being blasted from nearly every angle by competitors for the loose oil tank lid that allegedly gave them an on-track advantage, Carl Edwards and Jack Roush defended their innocence while fielding questions from the media Friday afternoon. "I swear it was not an intentional thing," Edwards said. "It doesn't change what I'm gonna do; I just drive the race car as fast as I can. It's not my responsibility to tighten that bolt." Earlier in the day, nearly every fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup driver or owner who was asked about the penalty condemned Edwards and his Roush Fenway team for intentionally loosening the lid. "You can tell a lot about people by the way they act," Edwards said. "People get worked up about it; we've got 'em where we want 'em. It's not a big deal to me personally; it's almost comical." For owner Jack Roush, it's certainly not a laughing matter. While he wouldn't rule out appealing the decision, he did say he'd made a certain peace with what had transpired. "If NASCAR's decided that your car is out of variance, regardless if you're culpable or did it with intent, and then there's a penalty ... that's fine, just do it every time," Roush said.(AMS Pit Note)(3-8-2008)
Many Driver comments about the #99 oil tank lid controversy: Dale Earnhardt Jr. ON HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SAGA SURROUNDING THE 99 THIS WEEK AND IF HE’S EVER LOOKED AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT: “We tested in the wind tunnel and it does add down force, about 19 pounds to our car but I’m not sure. I applaud them
for being creative and that’s how we got to where we are today because guys are creative to find ways to get an advantage. That’s what makes our cars drive better, drive faster. Like I said, I applaud them for doing that and trying to get that edge. Mr. Smith or the guy that runs Roush, saying it was a bolt failure, that was ridiculous. He should just come out and be honest about it. That was unfortunate and turning the blame on NASCAR saying NASCAR assures every bolt won’t fail. The guy doesn’t even know how many bolts
hold the lid on so how can he make any comment on it. I thought Carl (Edwards) drove a good race, he’s a great race car driver. Even with the lid on, he probably wins the race. We’re all out there trying to get an unfair advantage and you can’t hang one guy for it. You can’t really come down on one guy because we’re all trying to do that. If you’re walking around looking at all these cars you’d find little things that you wouldn’t like, you probably wouldn’t pass inspection on every one of them if you had them for a couple of days. I
got to applaud them for being creative and trying to get that extra advantage. That’s what you try to do.” Jeff Burton ON HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT THE OIL TANK LID COMING OFF THE #99 AT VEGAS AND IF HE BELIEVES IT CAUSED AN ADVANTAGE. “Taking the oil tank lid off of the oil tank is not something new. That’s something that has gone on for a long time particularly at Daytona and Talladega qualifying. You know people used to take the shifter boots off; they take the oil tank cover off, that’s not new. I can’t tell you by any means exactly what happens when you take the oil tank off, oil tank lid off rather from a down force or drag perspective. In the past we do know that it added down force and it decreased drag. Those are two things that typically don’t go together. Typically when you decrease drag, you decrease down force or when you increase down force you increase drag. Having said that, in no way do I believe is the 99 not going to run well this weekend because they have their oil tank lid taped down. It probably is an advantage. “Is that why they won the race? I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. One thing that I have learned about these race cars is typically things don’t fall off of cars that hurt the cars. That’s one thing I’ve learned. Crew members don’t typically leave a-frames loose, they typically don’t leave brakes loose, gauges don’t fall out of them. We have highly trained mechanics that have checklists but mistakes do happen. Mistakes do happen. I certainly don’t know if they did it on purpose or not, or nor would I claim to. It did happen and I guess that’s the end of the story.” Jimmie Johnson WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE PENALTIES ISSUED TO THE #99 CARL EDWARDS AND HAVE YOU HEARD OF THIS OIL COVER DOWNFORCE EQUATION AT ALL? “We’re all aware of it, especially for Daytona and Talladega. That’s been a tool for years that people have used. NASCAR has gotten on to it and we saw a
lot of fines there earlier in the year. I can’t say that we’ve seen it on a downforce track. So maybe there is more there than when we first saw it. But from being in that position before, NASCAR is not in the position to really defend or understand what you’re doing. It’s either right or it’s wrong. I’ve been there. I know how difficult of a time it is. It’s no fun. It’s something that no team wants to go through. So you’ve just got to take your lumps and move on. And it’s certainly going to affect the way the team runs. “At the end of the day, I know from my experience that it’s made us stronger as a team. And with how those guys have been running, from a selfish standpoint, I hope it doesn’t make them any stronger (smiles) because they’ve been awfully tough already this year.” Kevin Harvick: ON HIS REACTION TO THE PENALTY THAT THE #99 TEAM RECEIVED FOLLOWING THE VEGAS RACE. “When you look at all the stuff that they did with the side window and the oil tank lid and the way the lid was designed to come off it sounds, I think the intent was for it all to happen. When you start messing with the safety devices and things on the side window, you’re doing things that are a pretty big no, no.”(GM Racing PR) Kurt Busch: DO YOU ANY REACTION TO CARL EDWARDS PENALTY? “I don’t really have much on one. NASCAR is getting steeper with their penalties - that’s due to trying to even out the playing field. You have to look at it as the competition wants to get an edge on the next guy – at the same time NASCAR doesn’t want you to step out of
the box to do so. And so it works in both favors – at the same time we want our fans to be happy. We want fans to watch our cars race around the race track in a legal position and know that when that car won the race -it’s because he was the fastest, not because he did some other creative things. It’s a tough double-edge sword – you’re racing out there trying to beat the other guy, but you have to stay in the box.” Elliott Sadler: DO YOU THINK THAT ROUSH WAS TRYING TO CHEAT WITH THE 99 CAR LAST WEEK IN VEGAS? “I think that it insults my intelligence as a race car driver when you try and tell me that you accidentally left the oil tank lid off. If you go to any owner, any engineer, any driver any crew chief and ask them is that an advantage, ‘heck yeah it’s an advantage’. I’ve been doing that half of my career. When driving the 21 and 38 car, we pulled the shifter boot off and the oil tank lid off until NASCAR started to tech it. It’s 100 lbs of downforce. “Let me try and put this in perspective for you. We spend three to four million dollars a year going to the wind tunnel trying to change body shapes, trying to do underneath the car, changing crush panels and doing stuff like that all the time – trying to get a gain and trying to get and advantage - when all you have to do is take the oil tank lid off and you get 100 counts of downforce. There’s a beautiful picture of Carl Edwards doing a back-flip – I’m not taking anything away from Carl Edwards, he’s an amazing race car driver. But someone took a picture of him doing a black-flip in the right side of the car and the oil tank lid is eight inches off the top of the tank. That’s not just one bolt. And the right side safety window latches were loose – that’s were the hot air was going. They did a good job and figured it out and made it work. I’m impressed on how they did it – it was smart and it worked out for them – they won the race.” DID THEY LEAVE IT OFF BY MISTAKE? “One bolt isn’t going to raise it up seven inches off the top of the lid.” SHOULD THERE BE A DISTINCTION WHEN A RULES INFRATCTION IS OBVIOUSLY UNINTENTIONAL? “Yeah, I think there should be differences between pre-race and post-race. If they’re pretty happy with 100 points and 100,000 pre-race, make it 200 points and 200,000 after the race being the one you got to race that way. “When you present a car for inspection I understand slapping you on the wrist and saying ‘look, let’s make sure this doesn’t happy again’. I think that it should be more. If my team cheats this weekend on Sunday and I get a competitive advantage – and I get caught with it – I think that it should be more than what it is when somebody gets caught before the race. I just think that it keeps it all in line and keeps it all fair because you actually didn’t get to race with a competitive advantage.”(Dodge MS PR)(3-8-2008)
Article about the oil tank controversy and how leaving the cover off can create an advantage: Stock Car Science: The Science of ...Missing Oil Tank Covers by Diandra Leslie-Pelecky
Roush Denies Intentional Wrongdoing: Car owner Jack Roush strongly denied any intentional wrongdoing Friday in the wake of NASCAR penalties that knocked driver Carl Edwards out of first place in the Sprint Cup points and put crew chief Bob Osborne on a six-week suspension. "Jack is mad," a visibly upset Roush declared as he strode to a podium Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway to respond to Toyota official Lee White's claim in a published report that Edwards' #99 Roush Fenway Racing team had intentionally taken the cover off the car's oil tank to gain an aerodynamic advantage. "He's a real nice guy," Roush said of White, a former Roush employee. "I respect him, but he's also a great racer and would seek any advantage he might think he had an opportunity for." See more at the Associaated Press.(3-8-2008)
Toyota's GM says #99 knew what it was doing with lid UPDATE: Lee White, GM for Toyota Racing Development, said Carl Edwards' team knowingly caused a lid to come loose on an oil tank in his Ford because it increased the car's speed during Sunday's victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Edwards was penalized 100 points by NASCAR for the missing cover. Roush Fenway Racing has denied the infraction was intentional, saying a bolt broke because of a vibration. The team said it wasn't certain it achieved a gain in performance. White said the manufacturer's testing at wind tunnels in Germany revealed removing the cover on the oil tank (located in a steel box behind the driver's seat) resulted in 170 extra pounds of downforce, the aerodynamic measurement of keeping a car glued to the track. White also said video of a pit stop showed a member of Edwards' pit crew pulling on a right rear fender to open a 3-inch gap to an inner panel. Toyota testing showed that would create about 70 pounds of downforce, White said. NASCAR said the only issue with the car during inspection was the lid.(more at USA Today)(3-7-2008) UPDATE: What began as a debate over whether the infraction was intentional -- which is the overwhelming opinion of the Sprint Cup garage -- has turned into personal warfare between Jack Roush and Toyota's Lee White. Roush has badgered White repeatedly since Toyota came into the sport last season, complaining about how the foreign manufacturer stole away crew members by doubling salaries and drove up the overall cost it takes to compete. He even referenced the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. So when NASCAR hammered Edwards with the penalty, which included the loss of 10 bonus points he would get should he makes the championship chase and a six-race suspension for crew chief Bob Osborne, White didn't hesitate to fire back at his former boss. White, the general manager of Toyota Racing Development, told USA Today on Thursday that Roush Fenway Racing knowingly caused the lid to come off to increase the car's speed. Roush fired back with claims that White basically cheated during his days as the manager of his road-racing team and that was the reason he didn't bring him to North Carolina when he moved into NASCAR. He also questioned why White would test a car without the lid or with the side panel pulled out when both are illegal. And then to throw fuel on the fire, Roush said Michael Waltrip's car wasn't the only Toyota at the 2007 Daytona 500 that had "jet fuel" in the engine. NASCAR never has revealed what the foreign substance was. Roush and White actually were once friends. White often tells how in 1986 his wife picked out Roush's first fedora that has become synonymous with the man known as the "Cat in the Hat." NASCAR officials declined to comment on that topic, but got a kick out of the way Roush and White were attacking each other. Maybe the two simply are following the edict of chairman Brian France and showing more of their personalities.(see full story and many quotes at ESPN.com) Comment here
Roush Fenway Racing Statement on #99 Penalty: Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith’s statement on the penalty given to the #99 team following Sunday’s Las Vegas race. “The bolt holding the lid in place failed in its purpose as a result of vibration harmonics generated by the car and the race track during the race. The bolt was secure enough to survive 225 miles of practice, perhaps up to 399 of 400 miles of the race and the scrutiny of numerous inspections. It’s a tough business for any race team to have to pledge $100,000, 100 points and a six race crew chief suspension as an indemnity payment to NASCAR against a promise forced from us by NASCAR that no bolt will ever fail its purpose under race conditions. We are currently evaluating whether or not the circumstances justify submitting to the unpleasantness of the appeal process, but from a competitive standpoint, we believe it is in our best interest to have Bob Osborne begin serving the penalty now. Chris Andrews, our chief engineer, will be at the track on Friday and Saturday to lead the #99 team and general manager Robbie Reiser will join Chris on the pit box Sunday during the race. We are confident that we have the depth of talent in our organization and the strength in Carl Edwards and the #99 team to overcome this penalty, should that end up being the final outcome of this unhappy episode.”(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(3-5-2008)
#99 Fails post race inspection at Las Vegas UPDATE 3 Penalties announced: been told the oil tank lid was not secured on the winning #99 Ford of Carl Edward's and found during post race inspection at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The car failed post race inspection and will keep the win, but will face points penalties and a fine. NASCAR usually announces penalties late Tuesday afternoons.(3-2-2008) MORE: The #99 car had a problem in the postrace inspection. The lid of the oil tank reservoir was off, so NASCAR officials are taking the car to the Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. Any possible penalties would come later this week, probably Tuesday. Five Nationwide Series teams were penalized for a similar violation at Daytona.(ESPN.com)....the rule...the oil reservoir tank cover was not fastened securely, the five teams were penalized with the loss of 25 driver and owner championship points.(Jayski's Past NNS News page) UPDATE: Carl Edwards said on NASCAR This Week [SPEED] that a bolt backed out, but he expects to be penalized.(3-3-2008) UPDATE 2: NASCAR did not announce any penalties Tuesday and supposedly will make an announcement on their decision sometime Wednesday, March 5th.(3-4-2008) UPDATE 3: NASCAR has issued penalties and fines to the #99 team that competes in the Sprint Cup Series, as a result of rule infractions found last Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The #99 car driven by Carl Edwards was found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-2.1J (any device or duct work that permits air to pass from one area of the interior of the car to another, or to the outside of the car, will not be permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, the inside of the car to the trunk area, or the floors, firewalls, crush panels and wheel wells passing air into or out of the car) of the 2008 NASCAR rule book. The violations were found during post-race inspection at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 2. As a result, Edwards and car owner Jack Roush have been penalized 100 championship driver and 100 championship owner points, respectively. In the event the #99 team qualifies for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the team will not receive the 10 bonus points for the UAW-Dodge 400 victory used for determining the Chase seeding order. Crew chief Bob Osborne has been fined $100,000, suspended from the next six Sprint Cup Series events, suspended from NASCAR until April 30 and placed on probation until Dec. 31.(NASCAR PR), Expect Roush Fenway Racing to appeal the penalties. The 100 pt deduction takes Edwards from leading the Drivers Points Standings to 7th, 79 pts out of 1st and #18-Kyle Busch retakes the points standings by 20 over #12-Ryan Newman.(3-5-2008) Comment here
Osborne named WYPALL Wipers “Crew Chief the Race” in California: Bob Osborne, crew chief of the #99 DISH Network/Office Depot Ford Fusion driven by Carl Edwards, was named “Crew Chief of the Race” Monday in Fontana, California for his team’s win in the Auto Club 500. Bob, who is a 2008 WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative, made the WYPALL brand proud Monday leading his team to a dominant win in the rain delayed two-day affair. Osborne will receive a $1,000 check as a result of his leadership and strategic thinking during the race.
Sunday’s effort to get the Auto Club 500 completed was thwarted late in the evening when rain returned to the two-mile oval, halting any chance at a conclusion to the race. NASCAR chose to postpone the race until Monday where Osborne and Edwards worked to make their car better and better on the sun soaked track. Edwards took over the lead from Jimmie Johnson with 13 laps to go and never looked back in rout to his first win of the season.
Osborne, Edwards and the #99 team continue to be a formidable threat to win every week, amassing their eighth win in three years together in the Sprint Cup series. Bob and his team use WYPALL Wipers to help improve their performance and keep their Roush-Fenway Racing Ford performing at its top level. “I am excited to be the WYPALL Wipers ‘Crew Chief of the Race’ once again and really proud to be part of the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Team in 2008,” Osborne said after his team’s victory Monday. “Every Crew Chief in the garage wants to win the WYPALL Wipers ‘Crew Chief of the Race’ award because its voted on by his peers and that’s what makes it so special.”
The 2008 WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge is a season-long contest that will determine the best crew chiefs in the Sprint Cup garage. Following each Cup race, a panel will vote to determine which crew chief demonstrated the most outstanding strategy and leadership during the race. It isn’t necessarily the crew chief that goes to victory lane, but the crew chief that made the biggest difference to his team. Representatives from WYPALL Wipers, together with FOX/Speed television analyst Jeff Hammond, and three of NASCAR’s top crew chiefs who represent WYPALL, including Todd Berrier of the Richard Childress Racing #29 Shell Pennzoil Chevy team, Bob Osborne of the Roush Fenway Racing #99 Office Depot Ford team, and Kenny Francis of the Gillett Evernham Motorsports #9 Budweiser Dodge team, make up the panel of judges. In addition to the $1,000 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly top wins will be honored as the WYPALL
Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at the season finale in Homestead, FL. The WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge will continue throughout the remainder of the 2008 season and spotlight the men behind the machines. For more information, log onto www.wypall.com.(WYPALL PR)(2-26-2008)
Edwards wins at California: #99-Carl Edwards won the Auto Club at Auto Club Speedway for his first win of 2008 and 8th win of his career. Edwards led 64 of 250 laps [#48-Johnson led the most]. #48-Jimmie Johnson finished 2nd followed by #24-Jeff Gordon, #18-Kyle Busch [new points leader], #17-Matt Kenseth, #1-Martin Truex Jr., #20-Tony Stewart, #29-Kevin Harvick, #9-Kasey Kahne and #12-Ryan Newman. #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished the race after his early race wreck and finished 40th, 47 laps down. There were
33 lead changes among 15 drivers and 12 caution flags for 44 laps.
See some notes and lucky dogs posted on my California Race Info Page Race Results on my California Race Results/Awards Page.(2-25-2008)
The DISH Network to sponsor Roush cars for 15 races: Roush Fenway Racing announced DISH Network has signed on as a sponsor in the 2008 Sprint Cup Series. DISH Network will have a team representative and serve as a primary sponsor in 15 Sprint Cup Races in 2008, alternating between three Roush Fenway drivers. Greg Biffle will drive the #16 DISH Network Ford Fusion in 11 Sprint Cup races, Carl Edwards will drive the #99 Ford in three races [this week at California is one] and Matt Kenseth will race the #17 Ford in one race [Bristol in March]. The DISH Network team of drivers will be dubbed the DISH Network AllStars. The DISH Network AllStars first race is Sunday, Feb. 24 featuring the 2007 Nationwide Series champion #99-Carl Edwards.(Roush Fenway Racing)(2-21-2008)Comment here
Edwards Honored: Columbia, MO race car driver Carl Edwards was honored by Missouri senators for his NASCAR championship. Edwards brought his 2007 Busch Series trophy to the Capitol on Monday to pose for pictures and sign autographs for fans. He drew a standing ovation from senators who unanimously passed a resolution honoring his accomplishments. Dressed in a blue suit, white shirt and tie, Edwards looked more like a lawmaker than a NASCAR driver. But he assured that he has no political ambitions. "The biggest difference between racing and politics is racing is probably a little bit safer," Edwards quipped.(Kansas City Star)(2-19-2008) Comment here
New Young Guns Named: #07-Clint Bowyer and #11-Denny Hamlin are the latest additions to the Gillette Young Guns program. The pair join #2-Kurt Busch, #12-Ryan Newman, #99-Carl Edwards and #9-Kasey Kahne as clean-shaven drivers in the campaign. #48-Jimmie Johnson and #26-Jamie McMurray are no longer participating in the program. The company is unveiling a new ad campaign featuring the drivers with WWE veteran John Cena attempting to teach the group to wrestle. Cena learned to drive a Sprint Cup car as part of a reality television show last summer. The Gillette program is entering its fifth season.(SceneDaily.com) Comment here.
Claritin to sponsor Edwards for a few races: Schering-Plough, makers of the non-drowsy allergy medication, Claritin, today announced a first-time sponsorship deal with allergy sufferer Carl Edwards for the 2008 Sprint Cup racing season. Edwards, a member of the Roush Fenway Racing team and 2007 Nationwide [then Busch] Series champion, will drive the #99 Claritin Ford Fusion during selected spring races, and Claritin branding will appear on his #99 Office Depot Ford Fusion and firesuit throughout the season. Edwards, who takes Claritin to treat his allergy symptoms, will serve as spokesperson for the Claritin "Clear to Drive" campaign. He will also be featured in the Claritin brand's new advertising campaign. Additionally, a sweepstakes launching later this year will give five lucky NASCAR fans the opportunity to win a trip around the track with Edwards, and one will win a Ford Mustang.(PR Newswire)(2-1-2008) Comment here
Super Bowl Commercials featuring some NASCAR drivers: The pulse of American pop culture is racing right through Super Bowl Sunday and it's hitching a ride on the back of Pepsi's unprecedented slate of Super Bowl advertising that features a lineup of brands, images and stars as diverse as Pepsi's portfolio of drinks. Promising a one-of-a-kind lineup for a one-of-a-kind day, Pepsi's Super Sunday lineup includes: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. getting a charge out of AMP Energy drink as he gets over the hump and harness the energy, focus and control he needs to compete in a camel race.(PepsiCo)
#99-Carl Edwards will appear on advertising's largest stage this Sunday, February 3 - Super Bowl Sunday in a 60 second Under Amour spot, the brand's first-ever Super Bowl
Commercial. The commercial, showcasing several professional athletes will mark the first time audiences will see Under Armour's new performance trainers. "I am really looking forward seeing the commercial. I'm going to the Super Bowl and I hope that they show the commercials at the game," said Carl Edwards. "The scale of the production was huge and I'm looking forward to seeing the end product."(Roush Racing PR)(1-31-2008)
Roush looking to re-sign drivers: Roush Fenway Racing officials say they are working on contract extensions for #99-Carl Edwards and #16-Greg Biffle. The contracts for both drivers expire after this season.(Virginia Pilot)(1-26-2008) Comment here
Edwards testing at Nashville: #99-Carl Edwards is testing his Cup car at the Nashville Superspeedway today. Roush Fenway rented the facility for the one day test. Edwards won the two Nationwide [then Busch] races at the Nashville Superspeedway in 2007.(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(1-23-2008)
CitiFinancial sponsoring Roush: CitiFinancial will be the primary sponsor on a variety of Roush Fenway Racing entries in all 35 Nationwide Series events in 2008. The sponsorship is part of Citi's new multifaceted, strategic marketing partnership with Roush Fenway Racing. As part of the relationship, CitiFinancial will tap into Roush Fenway's all-star driver lineup to pilot the CitiFinancial Ford. In addition, Citi will become a major associate sponsor on all Roush Fenway Racing teams, including the Sprint Cup Series entries of #16-Greg Biffle, #99-Carl Edwards, #17-Matt Kenseth, #26-Jamie McMurray, and #6-David Ragan.(Roush Fenway PR)(1-19-2008) Comment here
Roush Fenway Racing announces new GM - Robbie Reiser: Roush Fenway Racing announced Thursday that championship crew chief, Robbie Reiser, has been appointed General Manager of Roush Fenway Racing’s Nextel Cup team operations. “This is a great opportunity for me and I’m looking forward to the next phase of my racing career,” Reiser said. “If it’s anywhere near as fun, competitive, and successful as the previous phase, then we’re going to be in good shape. It wasn’t an easy decision to stop being the crew chief of the #17 team, but now I get to work with all of our Cup teams and help improve our performance as a whole. I’m looking forward to the new challenge.” Reiser replaces Max Jones and steps into the GM role with well over 20 years of racing experience under his belt. Roush Fenway Racing is expected to name other crew changes to the #17 Ford team in the upcoming weeks.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(11-15-2007)
Doug Yates and Max Jones join forces: Yates Racing announced Thursday that Max Jones, long-time general manager for Roush Fenway Racing and former road-racing driver has joined Yates Racing as a co-owner and will also assume the role of General Manager . Jones, a native of Long Beach, Calif., joins Yates Racing after serving as general manager for Roush Fenway Racing’s Cup program in 2007. “We’re thrilled to have someone as respected as Max join Yates Racing,” said Yates Racing owner, Doug Yates. “With his experience in the sport and working with such a large and successful organization as Roush Fenway Racing for so many years, he will immediately step in and improve our race operations. As we continue to improve and restructure in preparation for a successful 2008 season, having someone with Max’s experience and credibility only accelerates the process of getting Yates Racing back to where it needs to be and that’s competing for wins and championships on a weekly basis.” Jones will add his experience to one of the most successful operations in motorsports. Since venturing into NASCAR’s Cup series in 1989, Yates Racing has recorded 57 wins, 269 top fives, and 427 top-10 finishes, including the Cup
series championship in 1999.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(11-15-2007)
Aflac to sponsor Edwards in 2008 UPDATE: Aflac is close to announcing a 2008 NASCAR limited sponsorship deal with Roush Fenway Racing. Aflac will sponsor a #99 Ford driven by Carl Edwards. An Aflac executive would not confirm the deal with Edwards on Tuesday, but the company did not deny it either when asked about Edwards. "We are still working through the details," said Al Johnson, a second vice president responsible for sponsorships. "We like Carl and what he has done this year -- and what we expect him to do next year. We're very excited." The final terms of the deal could be announced in the next two weeks. The deal with Edwards is expected to be for eight races and could possibly include an associate sponsorship that would put the Aflac duck logo somewhere on the car for the entire season, said a source familiar with the deal. Edwards' primary sponsor is Office Depot. The eight races that Aflac will be the primary sponsor with the corporate logo on the hood have not been determined. Terms of the deal are not available. It is believed Aflac spent between $2 million and $3 million for the 2007 deal. Aflac broke into NASCAR racing this summer with an eight-race deal with Roush Fenway. That deal included four Nextel Cup races in California, New Hampshire, Chicago and Kansas City and four Busch Series races. #16-Greg Biffle drove the Aflac car on the Nextel Cup circuit, winning the race in Kansas City. Roush Fenway drivers Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray split the Busch races. Biffle, Edwards' Roush Fenway teammate, will be sponsored by 3M next year. In July, Aflac announced a deal with NASCAR to serve as the sport's exclusive supplemental insurance sponsor and provider through the 2010 season. It is not known what Aflac paid for that designation.(Ledger-Enquirer)(10-24-2007) UPDATE: Aflac Incorporated and Office Depot announced a new business relationship within the sport of NASCAR that will help both companies reach new customers,
engage the loyal NASCAR fan base and leverage opportunities to grow their businesses. Building on its successful entry into NASCAR in 2007, Aflac will serve as the primary sponsor of Carl Edwards and the #99 Ford Fusion for eight races. In addition, Aflac will be onboard the Office Depot #99 Ford Fusion as an associate sponsor for all other races during the 2008 Sprint Cup season. At the core of the affiliation are Edwards and the #99 Ford Fusion from Roush Fenway Racing. Aflac will be Edwards’ primary sponsor for the following 2008 Sprint Cup Series races: Atlanta [March]. Texas [April], Phoenix [April], Pocono [June]. Daytona [July], Indy [July], California [Aug] and Charlotte [Oct]. More information can be found at www.aflacracing.com.(Roush Racing PR)(11-2-2007)
Kenseth/Edwards altercation: UPDATES: on pit road at Martinsville Speedway after the Subway 500 Nextel Cup race, #17-Matt Kenseth and #99-Carl Edwards got into some sort of altercation which was aired on the SPEED Report Sunday night [and aired on Victory Lane the next hour]. SPEED's Bob Dilner was getting ready to interview Kenseth, when Edwards came over the wall to talk to Kenseth, Dilner backed away but the camera was rolling, Edwards pushed Kenseth away from Dilner down the pit wall, and was 'talking' to Kenseth, touching Kenseth the whole time, the camera then cut away to show Kenseth on the inside of the wall and Edwards on the outside, both drivers said something as they were leaving and then Edwards came back towards Kenseth and faked a punch at Kenseth, who flinched and looked surprised. Edwards then walked away and Kenseth came towards Dilner and that was it. No word on what the exchange was about or if there will be any penalties from Roush Fenway Racing or NASCAR. The video can be seen at SPEEDtv.com about 8 minutes into the Subway 500 video.(10-22-2007) UPDATE: Owner Jack Roush has talked to both drivers with a simple message. "He told them they've got to settle this without wrecking our cars," team president Geoff Smith said on Tuesday. "He told them to get yourself at peace with one another, then go compete against one another as hard as you want to compete." Smith said neither driver would be punished by the organization, noting that Roush has a policy that teammates are allowed to compete against each other as though they are not teammates. Smith doesn't believe Edwards intended to hit Kenseth.(ESPN.com)(10-23-2007) AND: Carl Edwards apologized Tuesday for his actions following Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway, saying he was wrong to show his anger toward Roush Fenway Racing teammate Matt Kenseth. Edwards said on a NASCAR teleconference that trouble has been brewing between the pair for a while and that it's probably been six months since they've had a conversation. Now, he wants to change all of that. Edwards is hoping that he and his Roush Fenway teammates can do a better job of having a "team spirit," and he says he plans to do his best to communicate better not only with Kenseth, but with all his Roush Fenway teammates. Edwards took full blame for his actions, pledged to get to know his teammates better and analyzed what could have brought on this type of display. He added that he would take the first step toward mending fences.(SceneDaily.com)(10-23-2007) Kenseth Comments: Kenseth wasn't very surprised when Edwards accosted him shortly after the race. "His behavior has been real erratic lately, honestly," Kenseth said of his Roush Fenway Racing teammate. "You don't know what to expect with him. That's the thing that's a little bit troublesome. One minute, he has so much respect for you, and he's real friendly and everything's so much fun. The next minute he wants to kick your butt and he's swearing at you. It's a little scary. You never know what you're going to get. I thought it was good in a way that the cameras were there because a lot of us see that, and nobody else does because he kind of puts on a different front."(USA Today)(10-24-2007)
