Computer theft compromises NASCAR driver & crew info: NASCAR has informed more than 1,000 drivers and crew members that a laptop computer containing social security numbers, driver's license numbers and other personal information was stolen last month from an employee of Aegis Laboratories, the company that oversees the sanctioning body's substance abuse testing program. Aegis administers planned and random drug tests to NASCAR license holders throughout the season, screening samples for banned substances and reporting back to the sanctioning body. The laptop computer was reported stolen on November 22nd, but many licensees were not informed of the theft until this week. NASCAR Director of Communications Kerry Tharp said the stolen laptop contained no medical or lab records, only driver's license and Social Security numbers. He said there have been no reports of any identity theft, adding, "in all likelihood, the person who stole the laptop sold it at a local Pawn Shop without ever knowing what was on it." Since the computer file in question was created in 2009, NASCAR and Aegis have instituted a new data-processing system that prevents such an incident from happening again. Aegis is revising its security procedures, encrypting data on laptop computers, and retraining affected employees on confidentiality and security procedures. Aegis has also agreed to supply all involved parties with two years of complimentary credit monitoring. NASCAR said it "apologizes to the affected individuals for this unfortunate incident involving one of our vendors, and we are pressing Aegis to do everything necessary to mitigate this situation."(Sirius Speedway)(12-22-2011)

NASCAR looking to regain digital rights: NASCAR is close to reaching an agreement to buy its digital rights back from Turner Sports, a move that could see the sanctioning body manage its own digital business as soon as 2013. Specific terms of the pending agreement were not available, and sources said the deal is not expected to be official until next year. It's not clear how much NASCAR will pay to reclaim its rights, but sources said it would be in the mid-eight figures. The move puts NASCAR in a stronger position to sell its media rights, which are expected to go on the market next year. NASCAR's current eight-year, $4.48 billion media deal with Fox, ESPN and Turner ends in 2014. The company is preparing to put those rights up for sale, and its executives know that any network that bids on TV rights will also want digital rights to stream races online. Though NASCAR is moving now to reclaim its rights, Turner will continue to run NASCAR.com for at least a year. That will give NASCAR time to build up an infrastructure that can support and manage its digital assets independently. The group will hire staff to oversee the site and likely base the group in Charlotte. NASCAR has been looking to reclaim its digital rights for some time. The sanctioning body sold its interactive rights to Turner in 2000. In 2008, it extended that partnership through 2014. But in recent years, NASCAR officials began to regret taking a big paycheck from Turner rather than controlling the sport's digital future. During the last few years, senior NASCAR officials, who declined to speak on the record, complained that the deal was so restrictive that even simple digital initiatives were difficult to undertake. For example, if NASCAR wanted a Facebook page or Twitter handle, it had to get Turner to create or approve them. The sport and its tracks also couldn't create mobile applications without Turner's approval.(Sports Business Daily) - subscription required.(12-20-2011)

NASCAR looking at banning driver-to-driver communications: NASCAR is expected to revise its policy on in-car radio communications, including a possible ban on drivers communicating with other drivers over their in-car radios for at least restrictor-plate events in 2012. The sanctioning body is reviewing its current policy, which does allow driver-to-driver radio contact, a series spokesman said, and expects to have a revised policy in place in 2012. The practice was used heavily during the restrictor-plate races as drivers worked in two-car tandems. The drivers would use one spotter and be able to communicate with each other. NASCAR is expected to make other rule changes in hopes of getting rid of the two-car drafts at Daytona and Talladega. Smaller spoilers and different cooling systems are the most likely changes.(SceneDaily)(12-15-2011)

NASCAR will use HD instant replay system: Telestream, the leading provider of video transcoding and workflow automation systems, announced that it has created a new High Definition (HD) instant replay system for NASCAR race control officials. Developed for the start of the 2012 racing season, Telestream's new Replay multichannel video player combines with its Pipeline HD video capture system to provide instant capture and display of 18 high definition 720p camera feeds. This allows race officials to instantly see detailed information to make rapid decisions about on-track aspects of the race. Telestream's Pipeline HD video capture system simultaneously acquires multiple camera feeds in high-quality Apple ProRes 720p as well as other HD and SD formats. Video feeds are delivered to shared storage where they are available for immediate playback, editing during capture, or transcoding to other file formats. Telestream's Replay multichannel video player provides instant, synchronous multichannel playback of multiple HD camera feeds for simultaneous review and analysis of incidents from different camera angles. The player also allows officials to easily locate any camera and scrub forward or backward through any portion of the event video.(Telestream)(12-13-2011)

Media votes top 10 moments of 2011: Members of NASCARMedia.com voted in a week-long poll, casting ballots for the top-10 moments from the just-completed NASCAR season. Tony Stewart's walk-off win in the season finale, however, didn't exactly prevail in a landslide among voting by members of the news media. Trevor Bayne's historic Daytona 500 victory - which opened the year on a spectacular note at Daytona International Speedway - barely missed out on the #1 spot.
#1 - Tony Stewart's Homestead-Miami win to clinch the Championship
#2 - Trevor Bayne's Daytona 500 Win
#3 - Brad Keselowski's win at Pocono after breaking his left ankle in a testing accident
#4 - Jeff Gordon's 85th NASCAR Sprint Cup Win
#5 - Regan Smith's Darlington Southern 500 Win
#6 - Jimmie Johnson's .0002 second margin of victory in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega
#7 - Paul Menard Holds Off Jeff Gordon to Win Brickyard 400
#8 - Austin Dillon Becomes Youngest NASCAR Camping World Truck Champion
#9 - Danica Patrick Posts Best Finish in NASCAR by a Female Driver with 4th place at Las Vegas
#10 - 2010 Sunoco Rookies Stenhouse and Dillon win 2011 Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series Championships(NASCAR)(12-11-2011)

Simplified Points System To Be Instituted In NASCAR Regional Touring Series: NASCAR announced that the points system all NASCAR national series began using this year will be instituted in the regional touring level for 2012. The points system was simplified to make it easier for fans, competitors and the industry to understand. Beginning in 2012, the system will be integrated into the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and NASCAR Mexico Series. The new structure awards points in one-point increments. As an example, race winners earn 43 points, plus three bonus points for the win. Drivers also can earn an extra point for leading a lap and leading the most laps, bringing the race-winning total to a possible maximum of 48 points. All other drivers in a finishing order are separated by one-point increments. A second-place finisher earns 42 points, a third-place driver 41 points, and so on. The move to bring the simplified points system from NASCAR's national series to the regional touring level is part of an effort to integrate uniform race formats and procedures throughout the NASCAR ranks. Earlier this year, two race procedures were changed to bring the touring series in line with the national series. One of those procedures stipulated that if a green-white-checkered finish is necessary, a maximum of three attempts will be made. The other change directed that on all restarts, passing will not be permitted until the car reached the start-finish line. In some cases, race procedures developed at the touring level have been adopted at the national level. In 2009, the double-file restarts that had come about in the regional series, became a part of the national series race procedures.(NASCAR)(11-30-2011)

Records Set In Lead Changes And Leaders Per Race in 2011: Tony Stewart won the title in the most statistically-competitive season in the 63-year history of the Sprint Cup Series. Two major NASCAR Sprint Cup competition records were broken this past season: average lead changes and leaders per race. There was an average of 27.1 lead changes per race in 2011, the most in the history of Sprint Cup competition. Additionally, there was an average of 12.8 leaders per event, also the highest average since the series' inaugural year of 1949. For the second consecutive season, the record books were rewritten. The previous record-highs in both statistics were set in 2010, when there were averages of 25.4 lead changes and 11.4 leaders. In addition, there were 131,989 total green flag passes (an average of 3,666 per race), which is a series-high since NASCAR began tabulating passing numbers in 2005. From green flag to checkered, races during the 2011 unfurled in a tight, unpredictable manner. Averaging a margin of victory of 1.321, a record 23 races featured an MOV under one second. That's the most since the inception of timing and scoring in 1993.(NASCAR)(11-24-2011)

Auto Racing could be Florida's state sport: This summer, The News-Journal asked readers what Florida's official state sport should be. We have an official state reptile, pie and bird -- why not an official state sport? Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, immediately knew the answer. She said she would file legislation to make auto racing the official state sport, and she's done just that. Senate Bill 266 designates "automobile racing" as the official state sport. If the Legislature adopts it during the session that begins Jan. 10, it would take effect next July 1 -- just in time for NASCAR's summer return to Daytona International Speedway.(Daytona Beach News-Journal)(11-6-2011)

Some teams forced to add braces to deck lids: More than a half a dozen Sprint Cup teams going through inspection on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway were told by NASCAR inspectors they would have to add additional braces to their rear deck lids. NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said the deck lids were legal, but inspectors noticed some deflection on some. The additional braces would prevent any deflection. In theory, a deflecting rear deck lid would be like having a deflecting and movable rear spoiler, which could provide an aerodynamic advantage.(Charlotte Observer)(11-6-2011)

Three lap penalty for intentionally causing a caution: NASCAR officials announced during the drivers meeting Sunday morning at Martinsville that they would enforce a three lap penatly for any driver that intentionally causes a caution during the race. The rule will be in effect for at least the remainder of the year.(10-30-2011)
UPDATE: NASCAR issued a warning to competitors during the prerace drivers meeting Sunday at Martinsville: If you intentionally cause a caution, it could result in a three-lap penalty. NASCAR has used the penalty box as a repercussion for shenanigans before. But on a short track, if a driver feigns immobility because of a flat tire or other malfunction, the sanctioning body will enforce a penalty if deemed necessary. "This isn't new," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition. "We're reminding them that if they intentionally cause a caution we will impose a penalty. (Three laps), that's probably what you would lose under green. We're reminding them that you're getting a penalty for intentionally parking to bring out a caution."(Fox Sports)(10-31-2011)

NASCAR looking for ways to limit two-car drafting: NASCAR is looking at further changes in order to reduce the amount of two-car drafting in time for the 2012 Daytona 500, sources close to the situation said Thursday. NASCAR has made two changes designed to affect drafting at Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway, enlarging the size of the restrictor plate hole to increase speed and adjusting the pop-off valve in the cooling system to increase the threat of overheating. However, the changes did not work as hoped and the two-car draft received harsh criticism from fans and caused controversy among teams. Sources close to the situation told ESPN one of the possible solutions is a smaller spoiler which teams experimented with during the final 45 minutes of last Thursday's fuel injection test at Talladega. Sources said driver feedback indicated the smaller spoiler made it harder to draft and harder to back up into the car pushing it. Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president for competition, said during the Talladega fuel injection test that NASCAR is concerned about the apparent unhappiness of fans with the two-car tandem, "but you have to be careful because the cure can be way worse than the disease."(ESPN.com)(10-28-2011)

NASCAR bans power tools in fuel transfers: NASCAR has banned the use of power tools when teams are transferring fuel. The decision is in response to a fuel fire next to #78-Regan Smith's hauler at Talladega Superspeedway. The fire broke out as spouts from gas cans were being removed so excess fuel could be poured into storage. A spark from a power tool apparently ignited gas inside one can. No one was hurt in the fire, which sent thick clouds of black smoke through the garage. There was no previous rule as to how the spouts could be removed. This is the first year these cans have been used. The ban applies to all NASCAR series.(Associated Press/ESPN)(10-27-2011)

Kraft Foods extends partnerships with NASCAR and Stewart-Haas Racing: NASCAR, Stewart-Haas Racing and Kraft Foods jointly announced an extended agreement for Kraft Foods to continue as the Official Cookie (Oreo, Nilla and Nutter Butter) and Cracker (Ritz and Wheat Thins) of NASCAR, and that the iconic Oreo and Ritz brands would continue to serve as Associate Sponsors of Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, respectively, in the Sprint Cup Series. Kraft Foods, an Official NASCAR Partner since 2000, will continue its long tradition of creating NASCAR-themed, specially-marked packages of Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers for a national consumer sweepstakes. For the first time in 2012, Ritz will host a national digital and social media sweepstakes on its Facebook page where a fan will have the chance to win a prize package to go to the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony.(NASCAR)(10-26-2011)

NASCAR Confiscates Windshields: UPDATE: NASCAR confiscated the windshields from Michael Waltrip Racing's #00 and #56 Toyotas and from the #47 Toyota for JTG-Daugherty Racing on Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. Each team was forced to switch out the windshield for a new one after they were found to have unapproved modifications. Any penalties for the infraction will come next week. The #00 and #56 cars went out and paced the final practice session.(Motor Racing Network)(10-21-2011)
UPDATE: NASCAR has issued penalties to the #00, #47 and #56 teams that compete in the Sprint Cup Series as a result of rule infractions discovered during opening day inspection Oct. 21 at Talladega Superspeedway. All three cars were found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the rule book, or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the event); and 20-3.2.1A (unapproved modification to an approved windshield) of the 2011 NASCAR rule book. Crew chiefs Rodney Childers (#00), Frank Kerr (#47) and Chad Johnston (#56) have each been fined $50,000 and have been suspended from the next four Sprint Cup Series championship events and suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 23. Car chiefs Steve Channing (#00), Raymond Fox (#47) and Anthony Lunders (#56) have likewise been suspended from the next four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship events and suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 23. Additionally, Bobby Kennedy, director of competition for Michael Waltrip Racing, has been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Car owners Rob Kauffman (#00), Tad Geschickter (#47), and Michael Waltrip (#56) have each been penalized with the loss of 25 championship owner points. Drivers David Reutimann (#00), Bobby Labonte (#47), and Martin Truex Jr. (#56) have each been penalized with the loss of 25 championship driver points.(NASCAR)(10-25-2011)
AND: "We are very disappointed in this entire situation and we will not appeal NASCAR's ruling," JTG Daugherty Racing co-owner Brad Daugherty said. "We look forward to racing at Martinsville Speedway this weekend and getting ready for next season." Team chief race engineer Brian Burns will assume the role as crew chief for the #47 Toyota Camry replacing Frank Kerr and Bob Bechstein has been named car chief replacing Raymond Fox following penalties assessed by NASCAR.(JTG Daugherty Racing)(10-25-2011)
AND: "Michael Waltrip Racing is ultra-sensitive and very serious about working within the guidelines of NASCAR policy. We do not condone this type of activity and as such we will take appropriate internal corrective action immediately. We thank NASCAR for providing a fair and equitable platform for all of its competitors and respect its decisions; therefore, we will not appeal." The following team personnel moves will take effect until NASCAR reinstates the suspended crew members:
#56 Team: Veteran crew chief Pat Tryson will serve as interim crew chief in place of suspended crew chief Chad Johnston at Martinsville. Allen Mincey, #56 race mechanic, will serve as interim car chief in place of suspended car chief Tony Lunders
#00 Team: Bobby Kennedy, executive vice president of race operations, will serve as interim crew chief in place of Rodney Childers. Chris Hall, #00 race mechanic, will serve as interim car chief in place of suspended car chief Steve Channing.
Both crew and car chiefs will return to their positions following their suspensions.(Michael Waltrip Racing)(10-25-2011)

NASCAR clarifies rules about giving assistance: NASCAR made a clear distinction about giving assistance to another car with a decision made public Saturday morning at Talladega Superspeedway. A driver can push a disabled car to pit road but may not push another car to assist the driver in saving fuel, or in maintaining caution pace while saving fuel on the race track. As always, no assistance of any kind is allowed on the final lap. The clarification comes as a reaction to #98-Austin Dillon (in his Sprint Cup debut) pushing Richard Childress Racing teammate #29-Kevin Harvick under caution at Kansas Speedway, while Harvick was conserving fuel. In NASCAR's view, helping a driver save fuel by pushing his car provides a competitive advantage that may not be available to drivers without teammates. There also is the possibility that such assistance could skew the results of the Chase. "You can still push a car that's disabled or out of power to pit road," NASCAR spokesperson Kerry Tharp said. What happens when one car pushes another past the entrance to pit road? "That's when we would react," Tharp said. The clarification has been passed along to teams through word of mouth, not with a formal competition bulletin. The subject also is likely to come up during the drivers' meeting before Sunday's Good Sam Club 500, the sixth race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. It is also likely that new language regarding assistance will appear in the 2012 rule book, Tharp said.(Sporting News)(10-23-2011)

NASCAR Honors National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, NASCAR is "going pink" with concentrated efforts during this weekend's activities at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway to build awareness and raise funds for breast cancer-aimed charitable organizations. NASCAR will add pink accents to its NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series vehicles during the upcoming race weekend - which includes Charlotte Motor Speedway's Bank of America 500 and Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage; and Las Vegas Motor Speedway's Smith's 350. Included among the many race weekend initiatives are:
• Race cars and trucks will carry a NASCAR Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon logo on A-posts
• NASCAR officials will wear pink lanyards and gloves in the garage area throughout the weekend
• NASCAR officials' fire suits will carry NASCAR Breast Cancer Awareness patches
• NASCAR partner Mechanix Wear will provide pink gloves that will later be signed by drivers to auction off on the NASCAR Unites website
(NASCAR)(10-13-2011)

Cars pushing other cars, rule needed?: During a late caution at Kansas Speedway most of the field pitted, but #29-Kevin Harvick did not. This was with about 50 laps to go. Harvick was trying to save fuel. Behind him on the track was #98-Austin Dillon, making his first Cup start. Dillon is the grandson of car owner Richard Childress and technically was in a car owned by Mike Curb. Still, Dillon saw Harvick and came up and pushed Harvick, helping him save fuel. NASCAR stepped in and told Dillon to stop. Wait a minute you say, the rule is clear that it can’t be done only on the last lap? Well, in a way, you are right and you are wrong. I [Dustin Long] talked with a NASCAR spokesperson after the race and here’s what happened.
After the Chicago race (where #17-Matt Kenseth was penalized for being pushed on the final lap after he ran out of fuel), NASCAR told teams that they’d be watching this issue of assisting another car more often the rest of the season. So, already, NASCAR is on the lookout for this more often.
Then came the Harvick situation today. At first, he slowed way down and fell off the rear bumper of the car in front under caution _ NASCAR’s rule book requires drivers to “maintain a reasonable speed’’ under caution. So, NASCAR officials wanted Harvick to maintain reasonable speed and to close the gap with the car in front under caution (NASCAR likes the field tight to limit how much of the track cars are taking, making it easier to move emergency equipment and clean-up vehicles, if needed, around the track).
With NASCAR already putting word out that it was going to look more closely at cars assisting others, series officials reacted. What I was told was that NASCAR doesn’t like this because of the advantage it can provide. Also, this is something not all teams can equally do since not all cars have teammates and thus could be at a disadvantage to a multi-car team. In a way, Harvick can say there’s no rule that prohibits it. NASCAR can also say that it adjusts things as it goes and this is one of them. What would seem to be the best situation is for NASCAR to write a rule that either prohibits a car pushing another or provide further guidelines on when it is acceptable and when it is not. Don’t be surprised if there’s a new rule on this in next year’s rule book.(Virginian Pilot)(10-10-2011)

NASCAR increasing restrictor plate size at Talladega: UPDATE: NASCAR will implement two rule changes for next month's running of the Good Sam Club 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. The size of the restrictor plate that teams will use to prepare and practice for the race will increase by 1/64 inch and is now going to be 57/64 inch diameter. This will provide the teams with an additional 7-10 horsepower. Additionally, the pressure relief valve on the cars' cooling system will be recalibrated to reduce the pressure by approximately eight pounds per square inch from last April's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega. "After the last few superspeedway races, we've heard many drivers express their desire to open up the size of the restrictor plate some and we thought the time was right to do that," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president, competition. "We anticipate these revisions in the rules package for Talladega will help continue to provide competitive and exciting racing for the fans."(NASCAR)(9-21-2011)
UPDATE: The larger restrictor plate could push speeds over 200 mph, but the combination of the pop-off valve change likely means the cars won't be able to stay locked together for as many laps. #00-David Reutimann crew chief Rodney Childers thinks drivers might be limited to a lap of pushing before needing to swap. "Changing the plates will be better," Childers said. "It should make it more racy, where you can pull out and pass. If they are wanting to make it where people can't draft as long, it's going to do that. Probably only a half of a lap or a lap is all you're going to get out of it." Chad Johnston, crew chief for #56-Martin Truex Jr., predicted that drivers will have to swap positions more. That could make it dicey, he said, because drivers will have to swap while also avoiding the two-car packs closing in behind them. The chances of something going wrong on a swap are going to go up obviously, but hopefully it will eliminate or lessen the two-by-two racing," he said.(Associated Press/ESPN)(9-22-2011)

NASCAR teams with MillerCoors And TEAM Coalition to promote responsibility: NASCAR announced that it has joined Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition, an alliance that promotes responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports facilities through the Responsibility Has Its Rewards campaign. NASCAR's membership launches with a promotion conducted in partnership with MillerCoors that will reward one responsible NASCAR fan with a grand prize trip to Las Vegas, Nev. to attend the season-ending festivities that crown the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. TEAM Coalition is an alliance of 20 organizations, including professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaires, stadium service providers, the beer industry, broadcasters, governmental traffic safety experts and others. Its members are united by their mission to provide effective alcohol service training and promote responsible alcohol consumption to enhance the entertainment experience while reducing alcohol-related instances in facilities and on the road. Beginning Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway and later at four additional Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races, NASCAR fans at least 21 years in age can pledge at designated driver booths to be a designated driver and help promote responsible alcohol consumption at the race track. Fans can also enter online at www.rhir.org.(NASCAR)(9-18-2011)

NASCAR Kinetics Program to expand: NASCAR announced the expansion of its successful NASCAR Kinetics program from 12 to 20 schools, further increasing the breadth of the program to 17 states and dozens of additional students for the fall 2011 semester. This innovative case study competition gives college students the opportunity to work through real-world business challenges and scenarios provided by NASCAR and its various industry stakeholders, such as Official Partners, teams and tracks. With the mission of educating and exposing college students across the nation to the NASCAR brand, NASCAR Kinetics was started as a grassroots initiative in the spring semester of 2009 with only four schools. Over the past three years, the program has grown to become the largest NASCAR college enterprise. This semester the case studies will involve evaluating the social media strategies for Michael Waltrip Racing and generating sponsorship activation ideas for Dodge. The last stage of the competition - the viewing parties - will all be hosted in conjunction with M&M's and will serve to celebrate the colorfulness of the M&M's characters and NASCAR. For more information on NASCAR Kinetics, refer to the new website: www.NASCARKinetics.com.(NASCAR)(9-18-2011)

NASCAR Unites For 10th Anniversary 9/11 Tribute:
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11, NASCAR announced today a special in-race tribute to take place on Saturday, Sept. 10 during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway. Fans attending the event, ABC-TV and MRN Radio broadcasters announcing the race, and the track announcer will all go quiet for a three-lap moment of silence from laps 9 through 11 at the .75-mile oval. The three-lap moment of silence, in which all fans attending the race will also wave American flags, is the culmination of many 9/11 tributes and patriotic activities being planned by NASCAR race tracks, teams, sponsors, licensees, drivers, and fans in special recognition of the anniversary.
ABC’s broadcast of the Richmond race will also feature a NASCAR Foundation public service announcement (PSA) television spot that encourages NASCAR fans to pay tribute by pledging to perform good deeds, support charitable causes, and volunteer in honor of the 9/11 victims, survivors and those who served in response to the attacks. The NASCAR Unites-branded, 30-second PSA has been airing on ABC and ESPN race broadcasts, as well as on SPEED, since August 27.
“NASCAR takes great pride in the patriotism that the sport showcases every race weekend, and the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is a special opportunity for NASCAR to unite and recognize those we lost and honor those who responded with courage,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “Bringing together the various 9/11 tributes with the NASCAR Unites platform collectively demonstrates the giving nature of NASCAR fans and those who work in our sport.”
The NASCAR Unites PSA is an extension of The NASCAR Foundation’s support for the national “I Will, Join the 9/11 Tribute Movement” campaign organized by MyGoodDeed and the HandsOn Network, which seeks to create the single largest day of charitable service in observance of the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance (911day.org). MyGoodDeed’s campaign features relatives of 9/11 victims and survivors of the attacks, along with celebrities, sharing a special 9/11 memory or tribute. Appearing in a campaign spot as a representative of NASCAR is five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who will wear a Helmet of Hope in Saturday’s race to raise awareness for children and families in need.
Johnson also appears in the NASCAR Unites PSA spot, entitled “I will. Will you?” along with fellow NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers, team owner Richard Childress, Richmond International Raceway President Dennis Bickmeier, NASCAR officials, team crew members, track safety firemen and NASCAR fans. In the spot, viewers are directed to visit NASCAR.COM/Unites to submit their own 9/11 video tribute, send a postcard to a first responder and register for volunteer opportunities in observance of the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance.
Highlights of various 9/11 tributes planned across the NASCAR industry:
· Richmond International Raceway has planned its most patriotic pre-race ceremony, highlighted by Wounded Warriors saying the Pledge of Allegiance; N.Y. police officer Daniel Rodriguez performing God Bless America; and the U.S. Army Infantry Division Band performing the National Anthem in a “Salute to America.” First responders will also be honored with a special ladder truck American flag display. Representing the Flight 93 National Memorial in Richmond will be a first responder and Tanker 627-4 truck from the Shanksville (Pa.) Volunteer Fire Dept. that responded on 9/11.
· Jimmie Johnson visitied The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial for remembrance on Wednesday before being hosted by President Barack Obama at the White House in a ceremony to honor his 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
· NASCAR is hosting a group of Wounded Warriors from Quantico Marine Corps Base, Fort Belvoir Army Base, and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. as part of the new Troops to the Track program with the Armed Forces Foundation.
· Lionel NASCAR Collectables, the official die-cast of NASCAR, partnered with the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, in a multi-car “Honoring Our Heroes” program in which several race cars will feature special patriotic paint schemes at Richmond that pay tribute while giving thanks to three military heroes who were severely wounded in the line of duty. Cars participating are driven by NASCAR drivers Greg Biffle, David Gilliland, Jamie McMurray, Danica Patrick, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Trevor Bayne, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Lionel NASCAR Collectables will also be title sponsor of the Charlotte Tunnel to Towers Run, which takes place on Saturday.
· Stewart-Haas Racing driver Ryan Newman will carry the names of the 75 U.S. Army Pentagon victims on his No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet at Richmond. In addition to the listing of the names, the race car will carry an inscription "We Will Never Forget" and sport a specially-designed logo featuring the World Trade Center twin towers, Pentagon and the American Flag.
· ABC/ESPN will air a special feature during its Richmond race broadcast on Saturday entitled "I Remember" that includes stars of the sport reflecting on 9/11 and their memories 10 years later.
· Many race tracks, including Daytona International Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Richmond International Raceway and Darlington Speedway are hosting annual blood drives.
· Dover International Speedway, along with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and Delaware Volunteer Firefighter’s Association, will host Delaware’s 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb on Sunday. In addition, Dover is hosting a free concert by the Dover Symphony Orchestra that night.(NASCAR)(9-9-2011)

NASCAR Launches College Brand Ambassador Program: Students at select colleges and universities will return to campuses this fall to find NASCAR brand ambassadors hosting events including viewing parties and trips to their local tracks to witness firsthand the thrill and excitement of NASCAR racing. NASCAR U CREW, launched by NASCAR and managed with assistance and support from University Directories On Campus (UDOC), the leading campus media and marketing company in the United States, is designed to engage college students by establishing unique NASCAR events on campus and at the track. With the assistance of two brand ambassadors per school, NASCAR will be integrated into the college lifestyle of 12 colleges and universities in the 10 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup markets this fall. The 12 schools participating in the pilot program of NASCAR U CREW are: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; University of New Hampshire; University of Delaware; University of Kansas; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Auburn University; Virginia Tech; University of North Texas; Arizona State University; Florida International University; and University of Miami.(NASCAR)(8-30-2011)

NASCAR plans more scoring loops at Bristol: Bristol Motor Speedway is unique among NASCAR Sprint Cup tracks in that it has two separate pit roads - one along each straightaway. That alignment does not fit well with NASCAR's modern method of pitting, which includes strict pit-road speeds and an attempt to make pit stops and the entrance to and exit from the pits as equal as possible. That was not the case in Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race at the track. Race winner Brad Keselowski and others appeared to benefit from the location of their pits, giving them more room to move faster in certain sections of pit road. Other pit spots were not as advantageous. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director John Darby admitted after the race that the situation was not ideal and said NASCAR will address it. "We understand what happened, and we're already looking at it," he said. "We'll probably put in two more scoring loops on each side of pit road." Darby's intent is to add loops on the Bristol surface, thus providing a closer read on speeds. Based primarily on their pit locations, some drivers were positioned to "speed" along portions of pit road, then quickly hit their brakes before being detected. Additional loops should take care of that discrepancy.(SPEED)(8-28-2011)

NASCAR tightening up technical rules: A new NASCAR rule, or rather a stricter interpretation of the rules, was just issued to Sprint Cup teams. And reaction is mixed among crew chiefs, who worry the new rule - in part designed as a cost-limiting rule -- might further inhibit technological innovation on the stock car racing trail. The new rule requires teams to submit not only all car parts for pre-race week inspection at the sport's Concord, N.C., R&D center but also to submit all 'tweaks' in designs. The rule is in part a response to:
• the oil-pan issues the Joe Gibbs teams had in June at Michigan, where all three teams showed up Friday with a new oil pan design which NASCAR officials didn't like.
• the Clint Bowyer/2010 playoff controversy over the chassis design of his Loudon, N.H. race car.
• and three, the possibility that a team could slip into the chase with a good run at Richmond (the last race of the regular season) by using a car with unapproved modifications not discovered until well after the race.
The new rule further tightens the technological 'box' that Cup teams must work within these days. And teams have long complained about how tight that box already is. NASCAR Cup director John Darby says "It's just a better way to do business - before a car owner has to invest a lot of money in a part, we can approve it, because they make the big investment.(MikeMulhern.net)(8-27-2011)

All-Star Showdown gets canceled: The NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, an annual event at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale that started in 2003 and attracted the top developmental drivers in the country, has been canceled. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Joey Logano and David Gilliland have won the All-Star Showdown before moving up the stock car ladder. X-Games star Travis Pastrana made his NASCAR debut at the All-Star Showdown this past January. Bob DeFazio, the vice president and chief operating officer of Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, said he was not surprised that NASCAR cancelled the All-Star Showdown. "It didn't come out of nowhere," DeFazio said. "Negotiations have been ongoing with NASCAR and Toyota. I'm sure the economy had something to do with this." The Showdown was one of the more popular events at Irwindale, attracting sell-out crowds. It was televised nationally on Speed. The Showdown started as a one-day, two-race event and was eventually expanded to three races over two days. DeFazio added that the contract between Toyota and NASCAR expired at the end of the Showdown in 2011. The two sides were negotiating a deal before the Showdown race in 2011. Ultimately, NASCAR could not work out a deal with Toyota and no other sponsor stepped forward to take its place, DeFazio said.(ESPN)(8-25-2011)

NASCAR changes rule for gasman: The following rule change is effective August 11, 2011 for all three NASCAR national series:
9-15 Pit Procedures During Race -
M. The fuel handler must be in control of the fuel can at all times when fuel is being added to the car. The fuel handler will not be permitted to perform any adjustments or other pit stop procedures while the fuel can coupler is engaged with the car-mounted adapter.
"In an ongoing effort to keep pit road safer, we have made this adjustment to the duties of the fuel handler. If the fueler's only responsibility is to fuel the car, he will do a better job and make fewer mistakes on pit road." - NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby.(NASCAR)(8-13-2011)

NASCAR Cafe liquidation sale: NASCAR cars & trucks including Dale Earnhardt's #3 car, Carzilla – the largest Pontiac Grand Prix stock car in the world, designed by Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR race wear & uniforms, helmets, flag stands, pictures, prints, photos, gas cans, Cyber Speedway simulators, neon signs, shadow boxes, granite top slot bar w/ back bar, booths, NASCAR pedestal tables & bar stools, light fixtures, paneling, wrought iron hand rails, roll up doors, commercial kitchen equipment, sound & video systems, office furnishings, public restroom items and much more! Buyers can buy NASCAR Cafe items with cash, Visa or Mastercard. The sale runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, except Sundays, noon-5 p.m. To see pictures of some of the items, go to www.nclsales.com, and click on the "Current Sales-NASCAR Cafe" option under Liquidation Sales at the bottom of the page.(8-4-2011)
AND see an article at the Las Vegas Review Journal: Collectors gladly pay for NASCAR Cafe souvenirs by Ron Kantowski

NASCAR's Mike Helton adds his salute to Richter: Significant racing presence at Saturday's Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies in Canton, Ohio: Inductee Les Richter, who died in 2010, was also a former NASCAR operations director. "If you looked at 'Coach,' you knew he was a football player, even in his older days, because of his stature," NASCAR president Mike Helton told The Associated Press. "And while he demanded respect because of his history and experience, he never expected it and never made you feel like he was better than you. He was very humble, personable, the guy you really just liked being with and working with. He was a good guy for NASCAR because a lot of things were going on and Les was a really great liaison because of his fame on the football field." Richter played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1954-62.(Charlotte Observer)(8-7-2011)

Watching NASCAR race causes accidents? Accidents caused by aggressive driving rise notably, in West Virginia, five days after a NASCAR race is shown on TV. That’s the finding of a new study that explored whether the televised spectacle of aggressive, crash-filled racing shaped the day-to-day motoring habits of West Virginians. The state is fertile ground for such a study, the researchers observed, because it has more NASCAR fans, per capita, than any other. And it has no NASCAR tracks, the study said, so TV is how most people take in races. The study looked at all aggressive-driving accidents (a category used by the state’s Division of Highways) from 2003 through 2006—nearly 29,000 in all. Poor road conditions and rain predicted such accidents, unsurprisingly. But 156 televised NASCAR races also had a detectable effect. Accidents actually dropped the day of a race, possibly because people were glued to the TV. But days that followed NASCAR events by five days had 23.59 aggressive accidents, on average, compared to 19.40 for other days.(for more see the Wall Street Journal or the study at wiley.com)(7-29-2011)

DIRECTV Head2Head Knockout Competition: DIRECTV will team up with ESPN and NASCAR to open the throttle for a second consecutive year of DIRECTV's Head2Head Knockout competition – an innovative, bracket-format contest that will showcase existing and new rivalries among 32 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers. The high-stakes competition will take place over the course of four races during the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series beginning Aug. 7, 2011 finishing with DIRECTV's NASCAR Head2Head Knockout Championship in Bristol, Tenn. on Aug. 27. DIRECTV, the exclusive provider of the NASCAR HotPass broadcast, will donate a total of $400,000 to driver charities during the four-round event as drivers compete head-to-head each week with the winner moving on to the next bracket. And drivers won't be the only ones competing. A participating fan, who fills out a perfect bracket, can win a $1 million. More info at directv.com.(7-28-2011)

NASCAR Officials discuss adding races: from a NASCAR Transcript of a Q&A held at Kentucky Speedway
Q. With Iowa rumbling about wanting a Cup race, are we still at the point where 36 is a number? If anyone is going to add a race, is it going to come to somewhere else?
ROBIN PEMBERTON: We're pretty thin right now with what's available out there for off time or adding races. I mean, the statement has been made we are at the limit at 36, plus two non-points races. As you've seen Atlanta move a date to here, we've moved things around over the past few years, whether it be Wilkesboro, Rockingham, California Speedway. Everybody knows the routine that those dates need to be moved around or traded amongst the ownership groups that are out there.So we'll see what happens moving forward. But right now I believe the company line is we are, today, happy with the number of weekends that we spend at the tracks.(NASCAR)(7-9-2011)

NASCAR increasing road course pace car/pit road speeds: Beginning this weekend at Infineon Raceway, NASCAR officials have increased the caution car speeds by five miles per hour at all four NASCAR-sanctioned road courses – Infineon, Watkins Glen International, Road America and Circuit-Gilles Villeneuve. Pit road speeds also have been increased by 5 miles per hour at Watkins Glen and Infineon. The changes will help alleviate engine strain caused by elevation changes, explained John Darby, NASCAR’s managing director of competition and Sprint Cup Series director. “With cars going uphill and downhill, plus the way teams have developed their cars and gear ratios, the speeds were too slow,” Darby said. “Engines were overheating, especially with extended caution periods.” This weekend’s caution car speed at Infineon and Road America is 45 mph. Pit road speed is 40 mph at Infineon and 35 mph at Road America.(NASCAR)(6-24-2011)

NASCAR Team Properties Named Top Sports Licensing Program: NASCAR Team Properties was named Best Sports Program of the Year by the International Licensing Industry and Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) on Tuesday night at the annual International Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, Nev. Just one year into its formation, NASCAR Team Properties was recognized by its peers in the licensing industry worldwide as having put together a landmark program which continues to transform the business. NASCAR Team Properties manages the intellectual property rights for NASCAR and participating teams in the key licensing categories of apparel, die-cast collectables, toys and trackside retail. Since its launch last year, NASCAR Team Properties has signed on renowned companies such as Lionel Electric Trains, Motorsports Authentics, Spin Master Toys and Walmart with a signature retail program.(NASCAR)(6-17-2011)

NASCAR joins with Spin Master for merchandising program: NASCAR Team Properties and Spin Master Ltd. have joined forces to connect with, and help build, a new generation of fans for the sport. In a strategic effort to build its merchandising program and to further its reach with the youth demographic, NASCAR has chosen Spin Master to inject excitement, innovation, and fun into its toys and merchandise. As the primary toy licensee, Spin Master's line of products will begin hitting store shelves in 2012. The multi-year agreement provides Spin Master with exclusive licensing rights for NASCAR branded toy categories including replica vehicles, play sets, action figures, remote control items and much more. Not only will these Spin Master NASCAR items be sold at mass market retailers, but also at online e-commerce sites and specialty retailers nationwide. Spin Master's Air Hogs, the largest radio-controlled toy brand in the world, is a sponsoring partner with Jr. Motorsports, and will be the primary sponsor of driver Josh Wise and the #7 Chevy car at the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Michigan this Saturday, June 18.(NASCAR)(6-15-2011)

Drivers back to shifting at Pocono: NASCAR implemented a change in transmission gear ratios to make it easier on engines and give teams a better opportunity to use third gear and shift at Pocono Raceway. For practice, qualifying and the race this weekend at Pocono Raceway all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitors will compete with transmission gear ratios as follows: 1st gear optional; 2nd gear 1.70:1 or greater (1.699 or less will not be permitted); 3rd gear 1.14:1 or greater (1.139 or less will not be permitted); 4th gear must remain 1.00:1. Overdrive ratios will not be permitted. This is an addendum to the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book which states: Transmission gear ratios between 1.00:1 and 1.28:1 will not be permitted for the remaining forward transmission gears except road course Events. Overdrive gears will not be permitted. “There has been some confusion that shifting was not allowed at Pocono, and that isn’t true," said John Darby, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director.(full story at Motor Racing Network)(6-10-2011)

NASCAR changing Cup qualifying procedures: NASCAR is changing its NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying rules effective next week at Pocono Raceway .... qualifying order will be determined by the driver’s fastest lap in first practice. The times on the speed sheet will be inverted with the slowest cars attempting their qualifying runs first. The go-or-go-home cars will now qualify among the 35 teams locked in on owner points and not be separated by the field. The NASCAR Sprint Cup director does reserve the right to change a driver’s qualifying order or allow “adjustments or repairs” to cars after the car has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. And all cars must qualify with a full fuel cell. According to the NASCAR bulletin: "Qualifying consists of two consecutive timed laps (EIRI). The fastest lap determines qualifying position. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one car engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Cars will be released in selected increments until all cars have had an opportunity to attempt qualifying." EIRI stands for "except in rare instances." In case of a rain-out of practice, a random drawing will be held for cars set up in the garage area to determine qualifying. If qualifying is rained out, the order of the field will be set according to Section 9-5 of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup rule book. According to the rule book "all available starting positions will first be assigned to those car owners who have entered in the event prior to the drawing deadline. All available starting positions will be assigned including those starting positions previously designated as provisional starting positions on the Official Entry Blank. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship points for the event will be assigned to those non-qualifier car owners provided they have entered in the event prior to the entry deadline."(Fox Sports)(6-3-2011)

NASCAR Celebrates Memorial Day Weekend: In celebration of Memorial Day Weekend, the NASCAR community has organized a number of key initiatives. Those occurring this week:
• On Thursday, May 26, 2011, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and President of ESPN and ABC Sports’ George Bodenheimer will join the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in honoring the men and women who serve our nation in the U.S. Armed Forces. France and Bodenheimer will receive the 2011 Intrepid Salute Award, an award presented to “corporate and community leaders for their support of our nation’s military and veterans communities, providing educational opportunities to our nation’s young people, and serving as an example of leadership and responsibility” at the Intrepid’s 2011 Salute to Freedom dinner. The award will be presented by Jeddah Deloria, a wounded warrior who served with the Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and was severely injured in combat while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2007. The NASCAR Sprint Cup trophy and at least one show car are scheduled to be at the dinner.
• In support of First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden’s “Joining Forces” initiative announced in April 2011, NASCAR and Walmart have completed a public service announcement to be featured on the in-store networks of 500+ Walmart stores. Produced by NASCAR Media Group, the PSA features drivers Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Parker Kligerman as well as the First Lady calling on fans and customers to recognize the needs of our military families. Viewers will be directed to joiningforces.gov for information. The PSA’s will debut on Memorial Day and run throughout the 2011 NASCAR season.
• NASCAR and the Armed Forces Foundation have come together to launch the Troops to the Track initiative, which recognizes and hosts members of the U.S. Armed Forces at NASCAR races throughout the year. Troops to the Track will provide over 100 wounded service members, or service members in jobs that are particularly emotional and physically demanding, an opportunity to get away from the challenges they face each day with an exclusive, VIP-style NASCAR race day experience. This weekend’s guest will be from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg.
Jeddah enlisted in the Army in March 2006 from Los Angeles, CA. Jeddah joined 173 Airborne Brigade Chosen Company 2nd of 503 and deployed to Afghanistan May 2007. While at outpost 'Ranch House' alone on the morning of 22 Aug 2007 he was overrun by some 75 Taliban and left for dead. After re-attack by his unit pushing the Taliban back, they got to his outpost and found him still alive. He had been hit by an RPG and shot in the back. His injuries included shrapnel in the brain, impaired vision in right eye, loss of an ear drum, and a bullet in the shoulder. Admitted into Bethesda Naval Hospital initially and later Walter Reed while still recovering from his wounds with pending medical discharge, Jeddah was recruited for the Oracle Wounded Warrior Internship in June 2009. He graduated from the Internship in July 2010 and was hired full time as Oracle Direct Army Sales Representative. Oracle is finishing their 4th Quarter and Jeddah is in the Top 5 Oracle Direct Sales Reps, beginning a software sales career with a most impressive start.(NASCAR)(5-26-2011)

Brian France discusses 'Boy's have at it": NASCAR Chairman Brian France held a press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway Friday, May 20th and discussed many issues in the sport, including, 'Boy's Have at it", the Q&A:
Q. I'm wondering where you personally fall on the boys have at it issue? It's a little tricky in that NASCAR has to maintain law and order, but you get all this outside interest and you bring all these new eyeballs and it gets people talking and it's a real water cooler thing. So where do you personally fall, and what is the proper way to manage that?
BRIAN FRANCE: "Well, I think that's a good question. I think there are limits. You saw one of the limits is that if you put anyone in danger, like what happened with Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch where it was after the race had happened. think it's important to note if you look through NASCAR's history, one of the videos that showed the most Wednesday night was the famous finish at Daytona with Richard Petty and David Pearson where they obviously hit each other and spun out in the grass. You go through our history and that's part of it, contact, emotion, in particular late in the race.
We're like anybody. We can over officiate and over regulate in some circumstances, over a 60 year period of time. And I think our point was a couple years ago we thought we might be in a pattern of that, and we wanted to put it more in the drivers' hands.
We never said there were no limits to that. You just can't go around with a missile and a weapon out there. But if you're having contact, that's part of NASCAR. So it's tough for us, but that's what we do. And it's tough for any sport to have certain areas of the game or in auto racing that are subjective as to what is too much, but we'll figure that out.
We're going to remain, obviously, a contact sport, and we're going to remain with the basic philosophy that we're putting more of it in the drivers' hands. If they go over a line we think is there, we'll deal with that."
Q. What does probation mean and why was the All-Star Race included with Kevin and Kyle? A lot of fans are confused by that and think maybe because it's a non-points event that it shouldn't be included.
BRIAN FRANCE: " What probation means is there is a different set of eyes and expectations that are placed on a driver who has been placed on probation. They're going to have a more limited flexibility in how we're going to officiate them should they be in a similar area that they have just violated.
Why it's important to have consistent rules even through the All-Star Races is there are safety elements that are inter-affected between events. There are lots of different reasons why you just wouldn't want to say we're not going to have a standard set of NASCAR rules in the All-Star Race.
Keep in mind, given that there are no points at stake, by definition, it gets more aggressive. We know that. That's fine. Drivers take more chances, they're not worried about where they are in the point standings, so it's going to be more aggressive and more competitive.
But if we took the lid off and said there are no rules or don't worry about any ramifications that might extend into next week at all, then we believe that -- as I said earlier in my remarks -- there has to be limits to all of this. That would be above the limits that we believe going into an event would make any sense.
See full transcript of the interview: Brian France Interview - May 2011.(5-21-2011)

NASCAR revises procedure for pit road officials: NASCAR will change how it dispatches its officials after a race in response to the pit road incident between #29-Kevin Harvick and #18-Kyle Busch on Saturday night at Darlington. The change is to make sure all cars are clear of pit road before series officials are released to head toward their post-race duties. The move is intended to help NASCAR better control pit road. At Darlington, Harvick stopped his car near pit entrance and blocked Busch after the race. The cars sat for several seconds before Harvick exited his car and reached in to hit Busch as he sat in his car. Busch ran into the back of Harvick's car as he drove off, sending Harvick's car into an inside pit wall. At the time of the incident only a couple of Harvick's crew members were in the vicinity of the cars. NASCAR's officials were positioned further down pit road where the top five finishers (and any random cars) stop, or in Victory Lane to monitor the winning car or throughout the garage. Video replays showed that after Busch hit Harvick's car, several of Harvick's crew members were en route to the scene along with three NASCAR officials.(Virginian Pilot)(5-13-2011)

NASCAR "Needed To Send A Message": NASCAR’s Senior Director of Communication Kerry Tharp told Sirius/XM NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that the $25,000 fines and four-race probations handed down to drivers Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch are in response to what happened on pit road after Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, and not for anything that transpired in the final laps of the race. “We look very closely at what happens on the race track,” said Tharp. “But more importantly after the race, (where) the actions of those two competitors led to putting some people in harm’s way on pit road. We’ve got to maintain a safe environment on pit road, and we’re going to maintain a safe environment there. That’s why we reacted with the penalties.
Tharp said NASCAR fined both drivers equally because, “both had skin in the game. Both had opportunities to make other decisions that would not have put them in this situation, so the penalty was assessed to both.” He said the sanctioning body has reached out to both Busch and Harvick to clarify what is expected of them going forward, saying, “Anytime we penalize a driver, we have a conversation with that individual and their team owner. We feel like we owe it to both parties to give them a heads-up on what the penalties will be, so they can notify their respective teams and sponsors. We’ve had conversations with Kevin and Kyle and explained why we were penalizing them.”
He said the penalties do not signal a change in NASCAR’s “Boys Have At It” policy, adding, “The drivers have done a very good job of that. We’ve seen some terrific, hard racing over the last couple of years, and I think (the policy) is alive and well. We certainly want it to be.
Newman-Montoya: Tharp said he does not expect NASCAR to sanction either #39-Ryan Newman or #42-Juan Pablo Montoya for a reported physical confrontation during a closed-door meeting at Darlington Raceway last Friday. “You go into some meetings thinking they’re going to go well, and most of the time they hit the mark. Sometimes, they don’t,” he said. “We met with Ryan and Juan Friday and made it clear to them that this was their final warning and we will be watching them very closely. I believe both of them understood where we were coming from. They got the message, loud and clear. They raced hard Saturday night at Darlington, but they raced cleanly. I believe they will continue to do so moving forward.”(Sirius Speedway)(5-11-2011)

NASCAR Chairman Brian France Visits ESPN: Brian France, chairman and chief executive officer of NASCAR, visited ESPN on Monday and appeared on NASCAR Now, ESPN2's daily NASCAR news and information program, and on SportsCenter.
On SportsCenter, France told anchor Kevin Negandhi that the sport has momentum. "We started off with a really neat champion in the Daytona 500, Trevor Bayne, a young kid with an old team, so we had some neat storylines. Some of the drivers that had been struggling, like Jeff Gordon, have already won and they've put notice that they're going to contend for the championship. Jimmie Johnson could do something historic and get to six, and then Dale Earnhardt Jr. is running well, he's well within our playoff structure to make it, and he's competing at a high level, so we see a lot of neat things going on right now."
Some more quotes from France's appearance on SportsCenter:
What does it mean to the sport of NASCAR when Dale Earnhardt Jr. is succeeding?
"He's the biggest franchise in NASCAR. It would be great if he continues to figure out the chemistry of the team. He's done that, and I think his confidence is finally back to where it was a few years ago. He went through a pretty good slump, so it's nice to see him competing at a high level."
Why do you think Jimmie Johnson doesn't get enough credit?
"I don't think that's something he runs around trying to promote and figure out. I think he just puts his game face on and wins when he needs to win. He's a great guy, he's represented us well, and we'll see what he does on (championship) No. 6."
What's your favorite thing when you go out to the track?
"The size of it, the huge crowds that file in, the energy level when the green flag comes out. It's just a different feeling than perhaps any other sport."
France later joined part of the one-hour Monday roundtable edition of NASCAR Now to discuss the sport with ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven, ESPN.com senior writer Ed Hinton, NASCAR Now lead reporter Marty Smith and host Allen Bestwick.(ESPN)(5-3-2011)

North Carolina Senate picks stock car racing as state sport: The North Carolina Senate has voted to establish stock car racing as the official state sport. The Senate voted 46-3 on Wednesday to crank up the legislation and drive it toward the House after it sat in a committee for nearly two weeks. Republican Sen. Tom Apodaca of Henderson County said lawmakers put the brakes on rival efforts to name the college basketball played at Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the state sport. North Carolina is home to more than 90% of NASCAR Sprint Cup teams and to Charlotte Motor Speedway.(Associated Press)(4-28-2011)

University of Miami NASCAR Kinetics Team Triumphant: The University of Miami's first-year NASCAR Kinetics team pulled into Victory Lane having been declared the winner in the Spring 2011 edition of the "NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion" competition. The UM team placed first, trailed by Oklahoma State University and Coastal Carolina University, in their first semester participating in the competition. This groundbreaking program gave teams an opportunity to work through real-world business challenges facing the motorsports industry. The national marketing challenge came down to the wire, with students from UM's Sport Administration program defeating 11 universities from across the country.
The NASCAR Kinetics competition consisted of two marketing innovation case studies and an official viewing party for a NASCAR race. Through a promotional partnership with Homestead-Miami Speedway, these potential leaders in the racing industry hosted an official NASCAR viewing party during the race at Texas. The UM team was the top performer in both case studies and received the highest marks for their April 9th "M&M's Makes Race Day Fun" viewing party held at Smoke't Southern Kitchen & Tap across from the Coral Gables campus.
"We felt confident the whole time" said team leader Justin Leiser, "but we didn't expect anything; we knew the competition was going to be very close." A senior from Clearwater, Fla., Leiser combined classroom knowledge as well as insight he gained during past internships with Homestead-Miami Speedway and International Speedway Corporation's corporate marketing team. "It was an amazing opportunity to put experience into action and provide NASCAR and its partners with creative marketing ideas. We worked well as a team, threw a fantastic viewing party and to be declared the winner is a huge thrill for us."
The winning participants also included senior Alex Bryant of Durham, N.C., a past public relations intern of Homestead-Miami Speedway as well as senior Ethan Alpern of Encino, Calif., sophomore Lucas Schutt of Trumansburg, N.Y., and senior Matt Small of Rutherford, N.J., all of whom volunteered during NASCAR's Ford Championship Weekend in Homestead, Fla. last November. With the victory, NASCAR will fly the team and their faculty advisors from the University of Miami School of Education, Dr. Windy Dees and Dr. Warren Whisenant, to Charlotte on May 18 for five days to be guests for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 21. While there, the students will have the opportunity to meet marketing representatives of NASCAR sponsors and get a behind-the-scenes look at NASCAR facilities from officials.(HMS PR)(4-27-2011)

France sues ex-wife, alleges extortion attempt: NASCAR chairman Brian France has sued his former wife, accusing her of tape recording telephone conversations to extort money from him. In a lawsuit filed Friday, Brian France claims his ex-wife, Megan France, has recorded multiple telephone conversations with him without his consent. He is asking a federal judge to issue an injunction barring Megan France from engaging in additional "intercepts of wire communications" between the two and distributing the contents of the recordings. Brian France alleges his ex-wife has offered not to disclose the recordings - keeping them private - if he pays her "substantial sums of money." Megan France's lawyers could not be reached for comment.(Charlotte Observer)(4-16-2011)

NASCAR, Walmart Join Forces In Support Of U.S. Military Families: NASCAR and Walmart have partnered to produce a public service announcement (PSA) campaign recognizing the sacrifices and challenges military families face throughout the United States. These PSAs, which will feature a number of NASCAR drivers and be shown in more than 500 Walmart locations, will highlight opportunities for NASCAR fans and Walmart customers to support military families in their local communities. Scheduled to launch Memorial Day Weekend, the NASCAR-produced spots will direct viewers to a website - www.joiningforces.gov - where they can learn more about opportunities to support local efforts.(NASCAR)(4-13-2011)

Judge rules against NASCAR in plane crash suit: A U.S. District Court judge has thrown out NASCAR's lawsuit against Cessna over a July 10, 2007, plane crash that killed five people near Orlando. Judge John Antoon II issued the ruling Friday, granting summary judgment in favor of Cessna, stating that any responsibility by Cessna for the crash expired after 12 years. The Cessna 310R involved in the crash was constructed in 1977 and co-piloted by Bruce Kennedy, husband of NASCAR Executive Vice President Lesa France Kennedy. Bruce Kennedy, his co-pilot and three others on the ground were killed in the fiery accident in Sanford, Fla. The pilots reported smoke in the cockpit and were attempting to make an emergency landing. NASCAR, through its insurance company, has paid the families of the victims (as well as the property owners who had damage resulting from the crash) an undisclosed settlement. NASCAR and its insurance companies were asking for Cessna to contribute to those payments.(Scene Daily)(4-12-2011)

NASCAR may let fans stay forever UPDATE voted down: NASCAR fans who consider Daytona International Speedway their home away from home could soon make it their final resting place, too -- albeit less quiet and peaceful than a traditional cemetery. Legislation making its way through the Florida House and Senate would allow construction of an on-site columbarium -- a building or structure that houses urns -- at both Daytona International Speedway and Homestead Miami Speedway. International Speedway Corp. spokesman Lenny Santiago said many NASCAR fans have inquired over the years about having their ashes laid to rest at Daytona International Speedway. "We have a lot of fans that are very, very loyal to NASCAR races and to Daytona in general," Santiago said. "This opens that door, this bill, and we're hopeful that this will get passed." If it passes, the bill would become law July 1. It has been approved by two House committees and has its first Senate committee hearing today. Daytona International Speedway doesn't have a proposed location for the structure yet or any timeline for building it until the bill passes, Santiago said, although it would be somewhere public that fans would be able to see. He also said he didn't know what kind of fees the Speedway might charge to fans looking to place their ashes there.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(3-29-2011)
UPDATE: Racing fans who might have dreamed of making the Daytona International Speedway their eternal home had their hopes dashed Tuesday as a Florida Senate committee voted down a bill that would have made those dreams possible. The Senate Committee on Regulated Industries rejected the bill by a 5-7 vote, which would have allowed columbariums to be built at both Daytona International Speedway and Homestead Miami Speedway. Columbariums are buildings that house urns. The state House companion bill had already passed two committees and was scheduled for its third and final committee hearing Thursday. "I just felt very strongly that to have people's remains, cremated remains, at the same place where there's NASCAR racing and a motorsports entertainment complex was not appropriate," said state Sen. Maria Lorts Sachs, D-Delray Beach, the committee's vice chairwoman. "A lot of that has to do with the fact that I love NASCAR, and I love Daytona, and I didn't want it to turn into a partial cemetery."(Daytona Beach News Journal)(3-30-2011)

Sahara Hotel & Casino closing in May; the NASCAR Cafe? Sahara Hotel & Casino [in Las Vegas] announced that it plans to close on May 16, 2011. The hotel houses the NASCAR Cafe, no word on the fate of the attraction/restaurant. The NASCAR Cafe offers American fare on the Las Vegas Strip, features authentic NASCAR stock cars and the world's largest Pontiac Gran Prix stock car, designed by Dale Earnhardt. The Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas opened its doors in 1952 and offers 1,720 classically styled guestrooms and Las Vegas suites decorated in a Moroccan motif.(Sahara Hotel & Casino)(3-12-2011)

VLRA To Buy NASCAR Birthplace: The historic Streamline Hotel, where NASCAR held its organizational meeting on December 14, 1947, will soon have a new owner. Zetta Baker, one of the founders of Victory Lane Racing Association announced at their annual meeting in February, which was held at the Pelican Bay Country Club, that the organization plans to purchase the hotel. Baker, who is a VLRA boardmember is also handling the purchase for the organization. Victory Lane Racing Association is a not for profit organization based in Daytona Beach, FL. It was formed in 2005 to assist racing families in need. The hotel opened in the late 40's, and was considered the first fire proofed hotel and bomb shelter in the area. Its form of architecture was ahead of its time when Bill France and the other founding members of NASCAR met there. Baker said that as soon as the purchase is completed, information on sponsorships will be made available to racing teams and NASCAR fans.(full story at race500)(3-11-2011)

NASCAR chairman Brian France transcript: On Wednesday, March 9, NASCAR chairman Brian France held a conference call with NASCAR reporters and addressed many topics concerning NASCAR, including: TV Ratings, attendance at tracks, the early off weekend, the possible NFL lockout, Danica Patrick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., competition of the races so far, fuel prices, lack of a post-race show, next generation of car, ethanol, 2012 schedule, the diversity program, rough driving, racing at Daytona. See the full interview on the Brian France March 2011 Transcript page.(3-10-2010)

Some teams get a free lunch: Stein5 LLC, the local independent franchisee for Five Guys Burgers and Fries, will provide lunch for winning Mooresville-based NASCAR race teams during the 2011 season, franchise co-owner Jeff Steiner said. Teams will also compete for the first annual "Brown Bag Championship Trophy," which Five Guys will award to the Mooresville-based team with the best winning performance in races for 2011. Twenty Mooresville-based teams with 40 cars and trucks plan to compete in NASCAR's top three series in 2011, Steiner said. If a Mooresville-based team wins a Sprint Cup, Nationwide or Camping World Truck race in 2011, Five Guys will bring burgers to the race shop on the Tuesday after the win. Team shops will accumulate points throughout the season: three points for a win, two for second place and one for third place. The team shop with the most points will receive the Brown Bag Champion's Trophy and lunch for the entire shop after the season.
Qualifying Mooresville teams are FAS Lane Racing, Germain Racing, JR Motorsports, Key Motorsports, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Mac Hill Motorsports, MacDonald Motorsports, MaxQ Motorsports, NEMCO Motorsports, Penske Racing, Red Bull Racing, Red Horse Racing, Rusty Wallace Inc., SS Green Light Racing, Status Racing, Tommy Baldwin Racing, TRG Motorsports, Turner Motorsports, Vision Aviation Racing and Whitney Motorsports. Fans and teams can follow the weekly results and Five Guys' team lunches on the company's website, www.mooresvillefive.com/brownbag. Five Guys is celebrating five years at 654 River Highway (N.C. 150 West), across from Morrison Plantation Parkway.(Charlotte Observer)(3-8-2011)

NASCAR partners with Ten80 Education on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education: NASCAR and Ten80 Education's Student Racing Challenge announced a partnership focusing on attracting youth into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Increased national focus on student scores in math/science testing prompted NASCAR to seek a high-performance educational initiative. The program had to be research-based, compelling for youth participation and reach a widely underserved audience, making the Ten80 Student Racing Challenge the right fit for NASCAR. The Ten80 Student Racing Challenge uses a NASCAR-themed curriculum for students in grades 6-12, paralleling student activity to the arduous preparation of real NASCAR teams. Students will be challenged to optimize performance of a 1:10 scale race car just like the NASCAR professionals in track garages all across the country. Mini-race teams composed of students will earn points between October and May and points leaders will then compete in the National Finals held at a NASCAR track each May. Teams can earn points in various categories including sanctioned races, aerodynamic design, creative engineering and alternative energies and sustainable design. Marketing and graphic design are rewarded as teams seek sponsorship and media presence.The Ten80 Student Racing Challenge will use the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. as a key resource for its curriculum.(NASCAR)(3-5-2011)

Post race inspection rules change a tad: In 2011, NASCAR will have two random teams selected for post-race inspection, John Darby, Cup series director explained. Last year, NASCAR took the first car out as a random for post-race inspection. That's why you saw cars go to the garage early and go back out at different times in the race to not be the first car out. Darby said that NASCAR is changing how that random will be selected. "There will still be a random inspection from the cars outside the top 35 (in car owner points), but we're going to make it more random,'' Darby said. "We're going to do it very similar to the way we do the (random) for the big group of the cars at the end of the race, drawing a number kind of situation so nobody really knows who that random will be.'' What will happen is that the crew chief of the first car out of the race will be asked by NASCAR to select two numbers. One will represent a car not in the top 35 in car owner points to be selected for post-race inspection. Another number will represent a car in the top 35 in car owner points for post-race inspection (Virginian Pilot)(3-3-2011)

NASCAR will look at changes for Talladega: NASCAR officials are looking at changes for Talladega based on last week's Daytona 500 but admit that maybe nothing needs to be done. The two-by-two drafting that dominated Daytona is expected to play a key role at Talladega, the next restrictor-plate race. So, what might NASCAR do before the April 17 race there? "We're still looking at some things," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. "I don't think it's something that's broken; that's my personal opinion. We'll have to see. I think we'll just have to sit back and watch a little bit of it and see what happens....We're getting some feedback from teams, but, ultimately, we have to make the decisions on what is good for the garage area. So, we're continuing our internal discussions, knowing that the timeline is very short because teams are preparing for Talladega already."(Virginian Pilot)(2-26-2011)

NASCAR Allows Sprint Cup Series Teams To Open Air Inlets: NASCAR is letting NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams open up their air inlet openings some for Daytona 500 - going from a 2 1/2 x 20-inch opening to a 3 x 20-inch opening. With continued warm weather forecast for Sunday, this move gives teams more air to cool their engines.(NASCAR)(2-20-2011)

No more changes planned for Daytona 500: Barring a major shift from what was seen in Thursday's two qualifying races, NASCAR doesn't plan any additional changes to the Sprint Cup cars before the Daytona 500, series director John Darby said Friday. "You never want to say no, we're not going to do any changes. If somebody is holding onto something and we get a group in practice on Saturday and it gets really nuts, we'll look at it," Darby said. "Typically, we won't drop ourselves into a box until we drop the green flag on Sunday. But no changes are planned." Since Saturday's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, where cars reached speeds of 206 mph, NASCAR has gone to a smaller restrictor plate hole, reduced the opening in the front grill and mandated a lower radiator pressure to slow the cars.(ESPN.com)(2-18-2011)

Minnesota Congresswoman wants to ban military from NASCAR sponsorships UPDATE: Rep. Betty McCollum wants to put the brakes on the Defense Department's 10-year sponsorship deal with NASCAR racing teams, saying the multimillion-dollar recruiting effort is a waste of money. The Minnesota Democrat is also dubious that stock car sponsorship has much to do with enlistment numbers or troop readiness. "This is not only putting a sticker on the car. This is paying for a racing team," Ms. McCollum's chief of staff, Bill Harper, told Washington Wire. "That doesn't contribute to military readiness." The amendment is one of more than 400 that lawmakers want attached to Rep. Paul Ryan's spending bill to fund the government through Sept. 30. Ms. McCollum's office estimates the Pentagon has spent more than $100 million on its own NASCAR teams. Col. Derik Crotts, director of the army's sponsorship, told Washington Wire in an email that the Army spends $7 million a year on its racing team, and finds it valuable. "Youth surveys show that motorsports is a passion point for young Americans," wrote Col. Crotts. "It is critical that the Army use these passion points to communicate with prospects and their influencers." He continued, "In a 2009 among nationwide fans, 37% feel more positive about the Army due to its involvement in motorsports."(Wall Street Journal)(2-16-2011)
UPDATE: Congresswoman Betty McCollum's amendment to ban military sponsorship of NASCAR teams suffered a defeat Friday night but she is pressing forward with the amendment. After a brief period of debate on the amendment, which McCollum introduced Monday, a voice vote was held with the no votes prevailing. McCollum (D-Minn.), however, "demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until a time to be announced,'' according to the website for the Office of the Cleak for the U.S. House of Representatives. So, the matter is not dead. In essence, she wants everyone's vote to be recorded publicly instead of hidden behind a voice vote.(Virginian Pilot)(2-18-2011)
Death Threat: Democratic U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum received a death threat on Wednesday over her proposal to end Pentagon funding for NASCAR. McCollum said she thinks the army-sponsored car is a waste of taxpayers’ money and should be eliminated. The fax received by her office contained vulgar language directed at the congresswoman, telling her to shut her (expletive) “pie hole,” and featured a cartoon of President Barack Obama’s head being pulled behind a truck in a noose. The letter also called for the deaths of all Marxists, and referred to the president, McCollum and Attorney General Eric Holder as “Marxist thugs.” The violent imagery and phrases come just one month after Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot at a campaign rally, despite public campaigns for more reasoned and respectful political discourse.(myfoxtwincities.com)(2-18-2011)
Lawmakers reject congresswoman's effort to stop NASCAR sponsorship: The House has voted to let the Pentagon continue using taxpayer dollars to sponsor NASCAR race teams. By a 281-148 vote, lawmakers rejected an effort by Minnesota Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum that would have ended the practice. McCollum aides said the Army is spending $7 million on a sponsorship this year, and the Air Force and National Guard are spending additional money. Most Democrats backed McCollum's effort, while Republicans voted overwhelmingly against it.(Associated Press)(2-18-2011)

NASCAR Revises Its Garage Access Policy: Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway not only opens up the 2011 NASCAR racing season, it also opens the garage gates to some very important fans. A revision in NASCAR's garage access policy allows an adult with approved access, either via annual credential (hard card) or a single event license (SEL), to bring his or her children in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series garages on race days. The policy is in effect only during the "cold" pre-race period. Each child will be issued a special credential. There is no minimum age requirement. Some "Need to Know" parameters for this new policy:
* Parents must complete a minor's release form prior to receiving a minor's credential.
* Releases and credentials will be available at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series registration hauler or at the garage location.
* NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series children credentials will be available at those series' at-track registration locations.
Also updated for 2011: The dress code for all NASCAR pit and garage areas. Attire must remain appropriate for both a major sporting event and a family environment, but has been relaxed to include shorts, open-toed shoes, sleeveless blouses and skirts/dresses.(NASCAR)(2-17-2011)

NASCAR Tweaks rules to limit drafting UPDATE plate smaller: NASCAR officials announced two technical changes Sunday evening aimed at preventing the sustained two-car drafts that dominated Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, said the body issued a bulletin to race teams with the following specifications:
• The maximum size for the air inlet for the cooling system will be 2½ inches tall by 20 inches wide.
• The pressure release valve on the water system will be set at 33 pounds per square inch.
The intent is to set up the cars so they can't push each other in two-car tandems for extended runs without overheating. Teams try to line up drafting partners at Daytona and Talladega so they can overcome the limitations of the restrictor plates used to keep speeds down at those two tracks. "That will bring down the temperatures so the teams can't run at 290 or 300 degrees [without overheating] on the extended push of 30 or 40 laps," Pemberton said. "This will put [the water temperature in the engines] back in the 250-degree range." Several drivers, crew chiefs and team executives expected NASCAR to control the pressure relief valve. Jamie McMurray, who finished second to Kurt Busch in the Shootout, said many cars had valves that allowed the temperature up to 300 degrees before boiling over. That allowed the second car in the two-car draft to push longer without overheating -- some for more than a dozen laps -- under Saturday's cooler outdoor temperatures. The weather is expected to be warmer for Thursday's qualifying races and the Daytona 500.(see full story at ESPN.com)(2-13-2011)
UPDATE - NASCAR makes change to restrictor plate: NASCAR announced Wednesday morning that the Sprint Cup teams will now use a 57/64 inch restrictor plate at Daytona for the Gatorade Duel and Daytona 500. The 1/64" plate is smaller then the 29/32nd inch plate that was being used. The change will reduce horsepower 12-13 hp and slow the cars down a bit.(SPEED coverage of rain delayed practice)(2-16-2011)

NASCAR Lowers Age Limit For Touring Series: NASCAR announced it has lowered the minimum age for drivers competing in its regional touring series to 15. The change, effective immediately, will be applied to drivers in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. In a corresponding move, the Learner's Permit License for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will be applicable for all divisions at NASCAR-sanctioned tracks. The Whelen All-American Series is NASCAR's national championship program for its more than 55 sanctioned short tracks across North America.(NASCAR)(2-13-2011)

No restrictor plate change for Bud Shootout BUT air hose change: NASCAR will NOT change the restrictor plate size for tonight’s Budweiser Shootout, Cup Series Director John Darby said Saturday morning but NASCAR is making a change in hopes of slowing the cars. Ten drivers hit 200 mph or more _ led by Joey Logano’s lap of 203.087 _ in Friday night’s practice session at Daytona International Speedway. Drivers were aided by cooler evening temperatures, a resurfaced race track and the ability to run several laps in a row stuck in a two-car track, building momentum and speed around the 2.5-mile speedwday.
Here’s what NASCAR will do, according to Darby: “There’s a couple of fresh air hoses that a lot of the teams added _ that are OK, it’s not something that they did outside of us knowing about it _ and we’re just taking them back off,’’ Darby said. “If the cars can heat up a little quicker to where we can limit the amount of laps that they push each other for all the reasons we’ll probably have a little better race out of the deal. At tracks other than Daytona and Talladega you would have a brake duct installed and run air hoses to the brakes. Nobody uses brake cooling here, so in the same real estate, we said, all right, go ahead and put a couple of hoses in here to help to get some extra air to your radiator and oil coolers. We don’t believe it’s needed for a normal, functioning race car on the race track, so we’re going to take it off.’’
Asked about concerns with laps exceeding 200 mph, Darby said: “It’s all relative. The only way they get that fast is to do multiple laps of two-car pushes to where the momentum continues to build. The exact same race cars with no change, no plate change anything else in a conventional drafting pack are currently running about 193 mph. So, that’s what you’ve got to watch and look for.’’(Virginian Pilot)(2-12-2011)
But another Change Typically when speeds cross the 200-mph barrier at Daytona or Talladega, NASCAR goes to a different restrictor plate that causes less air flow to the engines and slows the cars down. NASCAR officials elected not to in this situation but did make a small change. Air hoses that were added to the cars this week will not be allowed. Teams have reached higher speeds by lining up in two-car breakaways in which the rear car pushes the front car. That move quickly causes the rear car to overheat after a few laps, so teams were allowed to add additional air hoses to help cool the engines. Those hoses will be removed, which NASCAR hopes will cause the rear car to back off after a couple of laps. But no one knows for sure how it will work or whether it will limit the two-car breakaway runs. Restrictor-plate changes or other rule adjustments still could come before the Daytona 500 next weekend, depending on what happens in Saturday night's race and how fast the cars go next week in practice and the qualifying races.(ESPN)(2-12-2011)

Students say stock car racing should be state sport: Mooresville students plan to lobby lawmakers to designate stock car racing as North Carolina’s state sport. And they say State Rep. Grey Mills, R-Iredell, supports their proposal. Tanner Orr says the idea makes sense – dollars and sense – considering the sport contributes more than $6 billion annually to the state’s economy through jobs, fan support and facilities. Tanner is one of the 13 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-graders from Lake Norman Elementary and Mt. Mourne IB School working on the project. They were inspired by a similar effort in 1995, when elementary school students in Wilson convinced the General Assembly to make sweet potatoes the state vegetable. Students have worked on the project twice a week since May, conducting research, writing, rewriting and attending field trips. After students presented their findings Jan. 20 to the Iredell-Statesville Board of Education, Mooresville representative Anna Bonham made a motion supporting the children’s efforts. It passed unanimously. Already, they’ve talked with Mayor Chris Montgomery and an economics professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who in turn, invited them to speak to his sports economics class (Mooresville Weekly)(2-8-2011)

National Corn Growers Association Becomes Official Partner Of NASCAR: As the 2011 NASCAR season launches with a new, greener fuel, the nation’s corn growers are joining forces with NASCAR to promote the use of corn-based American Ethanol. As an Official Partner of NASCAR, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) will leverage their relationship to authentically spread the message to NASCAR fans around the role American Farmers play in the development of American Ethanol. As the 2011 NASCAR season launches with a new, greener fuel, the nation’s corn growers are joining forces with NASCAR to promote the use of corn-based American Ethanol. As an Official Partner of NASCAR, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) will leverage their relationship to authentically spread the message to NASCAR fans around the role American Farmers play in the development of American Ethanol. In December 2010, NASCAR unveiled its landmark partnership with American Ethanol just weeks after announcing a 2011 switch in its three major national series to Sunoco Green E15, a new 15-percent ethanol blend fuel made with corn grown in the United States. Growth Energy, a leading ethanol advocacy organization, created the American Ethanol partnership to push for broad acceptance of a renewable domestic fuel for all American motorists.(NASCAR)(2-4-2011)

Late season race times moved to avoid conflict with NFL: NASCAR will stray from last year's standardized start times this season in an effort to boost sagging television ratings. Specifically NASCAR races in the last third of the season will slide back to a later green flag to avoid going head-to-head with NFL kickoffs. While the majority of the races televised in the first half of the year as part of the FOX television package will remain in the 1 p.m. ET start range, green flags will slide back later in the year. A 2 p.m. ET beginning is the plan for most of the races in September through November with west coast venues including Texas and Phoenix near the tail end of the schedule, going to a 3 p.m. ET start. The Homestead-Miami season-ending Ford 400 will also begin at 3 p.m. ET.(CBS Sports)(1-28-2011)

NASCAR announces changes for 2011 season: NASCAR announced Wednesday that it has added a wild card element to setting the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field and it has simplified its points system for 2011, making it easier for fans, competitors and the industry to understand.
While the 12-driver Chase field remains intact, the final two spots will be determined by the number of wins during the first 26 races.
The top 10 in points following Race No. 26 – the “cutoff” race – continue to earn Chase berths.
Positions 11 and 12 are “wild card” qualifiers and will go to non-top-10-ranked drivers with the most wins, as long as they’re ranked in the top 20 in points. The top-10 Chase drivers will continue to be seeded based on wins during the first 26 races, with each win worth three bonus points. The wild card drivers will not receive bonus points for wins and will be seeded 11th and 12th, respectively. It’s a move aimed towards rewarding winning and consistency during the regular season.
Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, made the announcements at the NASCAR Hall of Fame during NASCAR’s annual media event as part of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour.
“The fans tell us that winning matters the most with them, so we’re combining the tradition of consistency in our sport with the excitement that comes along with winning,” said France. “This makes every race count leading into the 26th race of the season at Richmond, when we set the field for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.”
The new points system – which applies to all NASCAR national series – will award points in one-point increments. As an example, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, race winners will earn 43 points, plus three bonus points for the win. Winners also can earn an extra point for leading a lap and leading the most laps, bringing their total to a possible maximum of 48 points.
All other drivers in a finishing order will be separated by one-point increments. A second-place finisher will earn 42 points, a third-place driver 41 points, and so on. A last-place finisher – 43rd place – earns one point. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the last-place finisher receives eight points, to account for that series’ 36-driver race field.
“Many of our most loyal fans don’t fully understand the points system we have used to date,” said France, referencing the system that has been in use since 1975. “So, we are simplifying the points system to one that is much easier to understand. Conceptually, it is comparable to our previous system, but it is easier to follow.”
During his remarks Wednesday night, France reflected on the outstanding competition the sport enjoyed in 2010 and expected to see that high-caliber of racing to continue once the green flag drops for the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 Feb. 20.
“NASCAR enters 2011 with positive momentum and a great sense of excitement and optimism,” said France. “We’re extremely excited for the launch of the season. Leading the season off with Daytona, Phoenix and Las Vegas, we believe our fans are in store for some of the best racing the sport has to offer.”
Other competitive enhancements announced Wednesday:
Pick a Series – Drivers in all three national series now must select the series where they’ll compete for a driver championship. Drivers still may compete in multiple series and help their teams win owner titles in series where they’re not competing for a driver title. The move helps spotlight young talent in the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
New Qualifying Procedure – The qualifying order will be set based upon slowest to fastest practice speeds.
Inclement Weather Qualifying – If bad weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by practice speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book.
Tire Rules Revision – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams now are allowed five sets of tires for practice and qualifying instead of six. They must return four of those sets to Goodyear in order to receive their race allotment, and may keep one set of practice/qualifying tires. Tire allotments for race weekends will vary according to historical performance data.
Closed Loop Fueling System – Introduced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, this goes into effect for all three national series in 2011. It combines a more efficient fueling system with the elimination of the catch-can man, considered the most “vulnerable” pit-crew member. Teams now will use six, rather than seven, over-the-wall pit-crew members.
Evolution Of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Car – NASCAR continues to work with the manufacturers and teams to enhance the look of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car. The cars have new fronts this season and the body makeover will continue to help appeal to fans and aid manufacturer identity.
(NASCAR)(1-26-2011)

Some additional notes about series changes:
• The last two spots of the Chase will go to the drivers with the most wins who aren't in the top 10 in the standings, but still ranked in the top 20. If there's a tie, the playoff spot goes to the driver with the most points.
• If no drivers have wins after the 10th position, the last two positions in the Chase will go to the 11th and 12th place drivers.
• The wild card drivers will receive no bonus points and will start with a base of 2,000 points. The previous Chase featured a 5,000-point base and 10 points per win to start the Chase.
• Any penalties will be adjusted for the new system.Last year some penalties were as high as 150 points.
• If qualifying gets rained out, drivers that make the race will be the same, based on the rule book (top 35, past champion, race winners, etc), but the starting positions will be deteremined by practice speeds.
• Points will not be given to owners that do not make the race, but NASCAR will keep track of attempts.
• There will be no changes to the top-35 rule.
• No mention was made of altering race start times.
(1-27-2011)

NASCAR looking to change qualifying rainout procedure: The days of the starting order being set by rank in points when qualifying is rained out might be coming to an end. Multiple sources said after Monday meetings with NASCAR that plans are in place to set the qualifying order based on practice speeds, and the starting order based on practice speeds if qualifying is rained out. The qualifying order currently is set by a draw, with the team whose owner has the most owner points picking first. Under the proposed plan, which is expected to be announced Wednesday by chairman Brian France, the only way the starting order will be based on points is if both practice and qualifying are rained out. The sources said NASCAR remains consistent with its plan to change the points structure to a 43-1 format, giving 43 points for first, 42 for second and one point less for each spot through last.(ESPN.com)(1-25-2011)

Nationwide Series scoring revealed: According to NASCAR officials, the only drivers who will receive points in Nationwide Series races will be those eligible for the series championship. Full-time Sprint Cup drivers running for that title are de facto ineligible. The top Nationwide driver, however, won’t receive first-place points unless he or she wins the race. In other words, if Justin Allgaier runs fourth behind Cup drivers Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick—as was the case in last year’s season-opening Nationwide race at Daytona International Speedway—Allgaier will receive fourth-place points and money. NASCAR announced Friday that drivers had to select the one championship they’ll seek before the start of the season, unlike in years past when they were eligible for championships in all series.(Sporting News)(1-23-2011)

Desite high speeds, no change in restrictor plate anticipated: Drivers cracked 198 mph in two-car drafts Saturday in the final day of a three-day test session at Daytona International Speedway, but NASCAR doesn’t plan to change the size of the restrictor plate when Sprint Cup Series teams return in February for Speedweeks. NASCAR officials seemed content with the speeds, similar to those posted a month ago during a Goodyear tire test on the newly paved 2.5-mile trioval. Teams used a restrictor plate with holes 29/32nds of an inch in diameter – 1/32nd of an inch smaller than what was used in the December test. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said he expects speeds in February to be higher than during the test.(SceneDaily)(1-22-2011)

Change in Sprint Cup qualifying? NASCAR is considering a new system that would change the order of qualifying. Instead of drawing for qualifying order as teams have done in previous seasons, the qualifying order would at least in part be determined by speed in the practice prior to qualifying. Teams in the Camping World Truck Series already use the system [a few times in 2010]. “It is a possibility. … We’re throwing a bunch of ideas around in the meetings with the teams,” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said Friday. “We want to finish all the meetings, get everybody’s input and then finalize some stuff.” The idea is to have the faster drivers, the ones who will challenge for the pole, qualify near the end of the session and add drama to the qualifying show. It is possible that the drivers not locked in the field because their teams are outside the top 35 in owner points will still be grouped together at the end of the session.(SceneDaily)(1-22-2011)

Some highlights from Friday's NASCAR Press Conference: NASCAR president Mike Helton and vice president of competition Robin Pemberton held a press conference at Daytona International Speedway on Friday. Some notes and highlights:
NASCAR president Mike Helton confirmed Friday that drivers will be allowed to race for only one championship this season. The rule is designed to prevent Sprint Cup drivers from dominating the second-tier Nationwide Series. Full-time Cup drivers have won the last five Nationwide titles. Helton also said NASCAR is leaning toward a simpler points system for all three of its national series. Helton says bonus points would be added to put an emphasis on winning races (ESPN).
Helton also indicated that a new points system is coming to the top three series. It likely will be one in which points are awarded one per position from with the winner getting 43 points and the last place driver just one. There likely will be bonus points offered to encourage drivers to race for wins and to keep championships from being decided by consistency alone. And there are expected to be provisions that allow drivers who don’t finish the regular season in the elite group but have won races to have a shot at being added to the Chase field. He said the goal is to make the points system easier to understand for casual fans as well as those more familiar with the sport.
The rookie of the year program also is expected to undergo some changes. With no rookie drivers signed up to run full-time in Cup this year, adjustments likely will be made to deal with a rookie like Trevor Bayne, who is signed to drive the Wood Brothers’ #21 Ford but only has 17 races scheduled this year.
Helton said starting times for Cup races, which were standardized last year, could see some changes. He said the times might need to be adjusted given the length of the NASCAR season. Last year, races started just after 1 pm, 3 pm. or 7:30 pm depending on the location of the track.
NASCAR appears to be on pace to switch from carburetors to fuel injection, but fuel injection won’t be used in points-paying Cup races this year. Cars will run on an ethanol blend fuel and a new fueling system that doesn’t require a traditional vent will be used.(RacinToday)
Helton also said the sanctioning body has not made a decision concerning possible changes to the championship point systems for the 2011 Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. He admitted, however, that the move is receiving serious consideration in an attempt to make those championships simpler for fans to understand. NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France is expected to announce the sanctioning body’s final decision next Wednesday (Sirius Speedway)(1-21-2011)

NASCAR Press Conference Scheduled Friday: NASCAR president Mike Helton will answer questions Friday about the new racing season and the nature of some of the changes the sanctioning body is considering. Helton and vice president of competition Robin Pemberton are scheduled to attend a noon press conference at Daytona International Speedway as part of NASCAR’s three-day preseason testing. No dramatic revelations are expected, but Helton probably will expand on changes officials are considering and some that are definitely in place. For the first time, drivers in NASCAR’s three major series have been required to choose the series in which they will pursue the championship, meaning full-time Sprint Cup drivers won’t be in the running for the Nationwide Series title. Another change involves pit road, where there will be six over-the-wall crewmen instead of seven. The catch-can position has been eliminated with the arrival of new self-venting fuel cans. Helton is expected to address those topics Friday in addition to questions about possible changes in the Sprint Cup point system and possible modifications to the Chase for the Sprint Cup format, although key information about Chase changes is not expected to be released until next week.(SPEED)(1-21-2011)

How would had points looked in 2010 using 'simplier' method?: Tom Bowles from Sports Illustrated redid the 2010 points, using the possible new and simplier points system that NASCAR may go to according to an AP report. Here is the final top 12:
#48-Jimmie Johnson: 388
#29-Kevin Harvick: 387
#11-Denny Hamlin: 386
#99-Carl Edwards: 340
#17-Matt Kenseth: 314
#16-Greg Biffle: 293
#14-Tony Stewart: 287
#24-Jeff Gordon: 279 (+1 spot over current system)
#33-Clint Bowyer: 272 (+1)
#18-Kyle Busch: 267 (-2)
#2-Kurt Busch: 265
#31-Jeff Burton: 232
But what about the bonus points, you're asking? That hasn't been divulged by NASCAR either, but let's pretend it's one point for leading a lap, two extra for leading the most and a three-point bonus for winning. So that would mean the max a driver could score per race is 48, leaving a possible 47-point swing between first and last place.(see full article at the Sports Illustrated)(1-19-2011)

NASCAR may scrap points system? UPDATE: NASCAR is considering scrapping the points system it has used since 1975 in favor of a simpler method that awards points per finishing position. The overhauling of the system is one of a handful of changes NASCAR is considering implementing before the season begins next month. Series officials have been detailing their ideas in individual meetings with teams. The sanctioning body wants to go to a scoring system that would award 43 points to the race winner, and one point less for each ensuing position down to one point for the 43rd-place finisher. NASCAR is also shying away from wholesale changes to its Chase for the Sprint Cup championship format. Teams have been told NASCAR is leaning toward keeping it a 12-driver field, with one caveat: The top 10 drivers following the 26th race of the season would qualify for the Chase, while the remaining two spots would go to the drivers with the most wins who are not already eligible for the Chase. Preseason testing begins Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, and NASCAR president Mike Helton and vice president of competition Robin Pemberton are scheduled to discuss some of the changes planned for 2011. But the major announcements aren't scheduled until next week when France makes a presentation during Charlotte Motor Speedway's annual media tour. NASCAR is still debating how to award bonuses under a straight points system, and ideas being considered are for anywhere from one to three points being given to lap leaders and race winners.(in part from the Associated Press)(1-17-2011)
UPDATE: Ramsey Poston, NASCAR managing director of corporate communications, said the sanctioning body has bounced several new competition ideas around to drivers and car owners in a recent series of town hall meetings. "NASCAR executives, including chairman and CEO Brian France, are in the process of meeting with drivers and team owners," Poston said in a phone interview Monday night. "In those meetings we have discussed a number of ideas for potential changes for the coming season, none of which have been finalized at this point." NASCAR president Mike Helton and vice president of competition Robin Pemberton will address 2011 rule changes in a news conference scheduled Friday at Daytona International Speedway. "We need to balance stories from past and look to the future to make things better," Speedway president Joie Chitwood III said from his home Monday night.
Darrell Waltrip won three Cup championships during his driving career, all with the current points system [but no Chase]. Contacted at his home near Nashville, Tenn., Monday night, he said changing the points would have little effect on who wins the championship. "If you run the numbers, I guarantee you it comes out the same," said Waltrip, now a racing analyst for Fox Sports. "It's all perception. I've said all along, when we can't explain it, so the people at home can understand it, it needs to be addressed. If you look at the history, 90% of the time, the championship comes down to two guys, sometimes three." Chitwood said he hopes to see the change because it would make the points system easier for fans to understand. "We can never stop improving our sport, whether it is what we do at the track or what NASCAR does to manage competition," Chitwood said.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(1-18-2011)

NASCAR goes to smaller plate at Daytona: NASCAR reportedly will down-size restrictor plate holes for next week’s Sprint Cup Goodyear tire test at Daytona International Speedway. The new size will be 29/32 of an inch. The old size was 30/32 of an inch. The result will be less power and, presumably, slower speeds. The track surface at Daytona was repaved since last year’s summer race. In earlier tests [January], the new surface, which is smoother and stickier, produced higher speeds [197mph].(RaceToday)(1-13-2011)

Drivers must choose which series to run for championship: Drivers in NASCAR's three national series will have to elect a single championship to chase in 2011, eliminating the ability of drivers such as Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards and Paul Menard -- who were full-time double-dippers in 2010 -- to chase two championships at once. NASCAR has scheduled a "competition update" on Jan. 21 with NASCAR president Mike Helton and vice president for competition Robin Pemberton as part of the "Preseason Thunder" Sprint Cup test session at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp declined to comment on the change in 2011 license applications Monday except to say, "I'm sure we can answer all your questions at our competition update." But when Kenny Wallace picked up his 2011 NASCAR competition, membership and license application last Saturday while taking a break from a Grand-Am Rolex Series test at Daytona, he knew at least one rumor was true. Wallace stopped on his way to the U.S. Post Office on Monday to tear open his license application and read the news. "The brand-new license forms that are out, there's a box and in it, it states that you have to mark -- put an X -- what championship you're running for," Wallace said, quoting his application. "A driver will only be permitted to earn driver championship points in one (1) of the following three series: NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide or NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Please select the series in which you would like to accumulate driver championship points. Choose one."(NASCAR.com)(1-11-2011)

France, teams to meet in coming weeks: NASCAR executives, including chairman Brian France, will meet with team owners, drivers and key team officials over the next several weeks to talk about significant issues facing the sport. The meetings will be done by team organization instead of during one big meeting with all Cup or Nationwide teams, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston confirmed. Over the past couple of years, NASCAR has increased its use of “town hall” style meetings to discuss potential changes to the sport. Last year, it opted for smaller team forums by meeting separately with each organization. The meetings are designed to get feedback and help NASCAR officials make decisions. “The old theory was that when you’re at the races with them all the time, we had the communication lines wide open,” France said about the team forums last January. “That’s true, but it’s too busy now to assume that we can have all the communications and get all the issues they want to get resolved with us at the track. So we just changed it around where we’re having these meetings. … In the town hall meetings, a lot of people didn’t want to speak up when there were 12 other drivers or something like that and they didn’t feel comfortable.” NASCAR typically does not make public what it plans to discuss with the teams. But last summer, executives of several teams met separately from NASCAR to talk about potential solutions to cost containment issues such as the number of people that travel on race weekends and the current ban on testing at tracks that have NASCAR national touring series events.(Sporting News)(1-11-2011)

NASCAR Reinstates Paul Chodora: NASCAR has reinstated crew member Paul Chodora upon his successful completion of NASCAR’s Road to Recovery Program following his Feb. 19, 2009 suspension for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.(NASCAR)(1-10-2011)

NASCAR promotes Jim O'Connell: As its corporate marketing division continues to set new standards for creativity and client service in a sport with the most active sponsorship, NASCAR announced that Vice President Jim O’Connell has been promoted to Chief Sales Officer. The promotion is effective immediately. Despite the prolonged recessionary environment, in 2010, O’Connell’s team renewed 75% of its partner agreements and increased NASCAR official partner revenue 10 percent. Two new partner categories were created: cause-related marketing with DRIVE4COPD becoming the official healthcare initiative of NASCAR, and “Green,” highlighted by a landmark sponsorship agreement with American Ethanol led by Growth Energy, the largest NASCAR sponsorship since Sprint entered the sport in 2004. O’Connell joined NASCAR in 2006 as Vice President of Corporate Marketing, overseeing the division of NASCAR that attracts and maintains corporate interest in the sport. His new title will be Vice President and Chief Sales Officer.With the largest events drawing the most loyal, sponsor-conscious fans in sports, NASCAR has relationships with more major corporations than any other sport.(NASCAR)(1-10-2011)

NASCAR Promotes Davidson: NASCAR announced that Blake Davidson has been promoted to vice president of licensing and consumer products. Davidson, who has been with NASCAR for more than 15 years, is responsible for developing and leading the sanctioning body's entire licensing and merchandising strategy. Davidson manages NASCAR's traditional and non-traditional licensing, which includes NASCAR's publishing, retail and business development efforts, as well as its international merchandising efforts. In 2010, Davidson was instrumental in the creation of the ground-breaking new licensing structure now known as NASCAR Team Properties (NTP). In addition to leading the charge with NASCAR's 200-plus licensees, Davidson has also played an important role with the creation and the development of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.(NASCAR)(1-5-2011)