March 17, 2006
- Hamilton Taking Time Off from 2006 Season for Health Reasons: 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton regretfully is stepping out of his #18 Fastenal Dodge for the 2006 season effective after the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway due to health reasons. Hamilton has been diagnosed with cancer in the right side of his neck and will be replaced for the season by his son Bobby Hamilton Jr. “Nobody wants to go through this and the word cancer is a stout word to hear,” Hamilton said. “But I will be starting my treatment right after the race in Atlanta so I have to take care of me for awhile. The hardest thing I’ve done is stepping out of this truck, but I will be back by Homestead or by Daytona bext year. When I told Dodge and Fastenal that I had to do this, they were right on board with me. It says a lot for companies of this magnitude to stay with our program during such a difficult time. We have a huge family at BHR and their support will enable our program to continue to be a success.”(NASCAR PR)(3-17-2006)
- Busch in a Charger: it was reported on NASCAR Live that Kurt Busch is in the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger and his teammate #12-Ryan Newman is still running a Dodge Intrepid as is #43-Bobby Labonte.(Speed Channel’s NASCAR Live)(3-17-2006)
- Michael Waltrip Racing News UPDATE 4 Burger King and Bill Elliott: Toyota is using the same entry philosophy [they used in the Truck Series] as they enter NASCAR’s top series – new teams. Michael Waltrip Racing is working hand in hand with Toyota developing the 2007 Camry. With the quality people we have on board, we will be a key technical partner in all areas of the building process. We are even developing our own 2006 Dodge cars. The reason for this is three fold. First, to run a five-race 2006 schedule, which will be announced Friday afternoon [March 10th] of the Las Vegas race weekend next month. At that time, we will also announce a driver and sponsor combination. Secondly, to assist Toyota in understanding where the cars that are on track today are aerodynamically. And lastly, to help MWR’s employees to stay current with the competition. This group will be much better prepared to race in 2007 because of this plan. Waltrip Racing World is gaining more and more momentum. On February 6, 2006, we finalized zoning approval for the entire 11-acre campus. We plan to begin demolition and renovations by March 1, 2006. Everyone we talk to about our fan friendly, interactive entertainment based concept believes it will be a hit. Race tracks, baseball stadiums –heck, all sports venues have become interactive. Now, the first race shop will be. Our real estate partner, Noah Lazes, has been busy visiting other race shops, Daytona USA, Basketball arenas, etc., making sure our project is the latest and greatest in the world of sports-themed destinations. Bobby Kennedy, MWR’s V.P. of Competition [but still working with DW’s Truck Series team], along with Larry Carter, MWR and former Penske Racing [#2] crew chief, have been equally as busy making sure every detail is in order for the team to produce the fastest race cars possible out of our facility. We are blessed that Larry recently helped in the design of Roger Penske’s new Penske Racing shop. His experience and knowledge of the project ensures me our team will need nothing when we move in.(NAPA Site)(2-28-2006)
UPDATE: been asked what happened to this announcement? no idea….have not seen nor heard a thing, the link has been removed from the articles list, but the old article is still there.(3-14-2006)
UPDATE 2: been told the announcement could be within the next week or two.(3-15-2006)
UPDATE 3: look for the announcement to come Friday, March 17th at Atlanta Motor Speedway, hearing Burger King could be a sponsor in some part.(3-16-2006)
UPDATE 4 – Burger King and Bill Elliott: Beginning this year, Burger King said it will become a primary sponsor of Michael Waltrip Racing’s (MWR) #00 Chevy [not Dodge or Ford] driven by Bill Elliott. Elements of the promotion are to include a specially designed #00 paint scheme, in-store activities and driver appearances. The five Nextel Cup races the company is to sponsor this year are at Chicagoland, July 9; New Hampshire, July 16; Indianapolis, Aug. 6; California, Sept. 3; and Homestead, Nov. 9. Waltrip was among the first owners to announce plans to work with Toyota starting in 2007, during its first foray into NASCAR Nextel Cup Series racing.(South Flordia Business Journal)
MORE: Michael Waltrip Racing announced Friday that it will team with Burger King and NASCAR champion Bill Elliott for a five-race schedule this season. Elliott will pilot the #00 Burger King Chevrolet at Chicago, New Hampshire, Indianapolis, California and Homestead. Waltrip said the team plans to expand to a full-time NEXTEL Cup venture next season, running Toyotas. Waltrip said sponsorship and driver plans for next year were still up in the air. But for now, he’s thrilled to have a veteran like Elliott behind the wheel. Burger King also announced donations to both the Speedway Children’s Charities and the National Motorsports Press Association. Waltrip quotes of the day: (On fielding Chevrolets for his team despite driving Dodges himself) “I’m like Switzerland, I can drive anything. Chevrolet is the car to beat. They’ve won two of the first three races. When we were planning this project, in order to lure Mr. Elliott, we wanted to get the best car he could drive. Right now that appears to be Chevrolet. I’ll stay in a Dodge, I suppose, but I am going to be in a Toyota truck later this year, and I’ve got a call in to Ford.”(AMS Pit Notes)(3-17-2006) - BDR/Lester plan full 2007 season: Bill Lester’s #23 Waste Management Team is scheduled to compete at Atlanta Motor Speedway, at Michigan Speedway in June and at California Speedway in September. More races are expected to be added to the 2006 schedule as additional sponsorship and Lester’s commitments in the Craftsman Truck Series permits, with an eye on the entire NEXTEL Cup schedule in 2007. Atlanta’s Championship Group handles program management and business development, and is expected to announce additional program details over the coming months.(Bill Davis Racing)(3-17-2006)
- Kahne wins pole at Atlanta: #9-Kasey Kahne won the Budweiser Pole for the Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a lap of 192.553mph for his first pole of 2006 and 7th of his career. #12-Ryan Newman just missed the pole by .002 seconds/.013mph, and missed his 7th straight pole at Atlanta, but will start on the outside pole/2nd. #31-Jeff Burton will start 3rd, followed by #43-Bobby Labonte and #18-J.J. Yeley. The big news was that #23-Bill Lester qualified for the race, the first African-American to make a Cup race since Willy T. Ribbs in June 1986 at Michigan, Lester was the fastest of the drivers not on the top-35 teams in owners points [Desperados?] and will start 19th. #96-Terry Labonte made the race using a past champions provisional [for the 3rd time in 4 races]. #25-Vickers blew an engine after his first lap and will have to fall to the rear of the field before the start of the race. Missing the race were: #32-Kvapil, #13-Sacks, #74-Cope, #34-Chaffin, #37-Skinner, #92-Blount, #51-Garvey, #78-KWallace and #95-Barrett. See the qualifying results/starting lineup on Jayski’s Atlanta Starting Lineup/Qualifying Page.(3-17-2006)
- Kyle and Stewart talk..again: Behind the Hauler Talk with Kyle Busch, #5 Kellogg’s Chevy: Atlanta Motor Speedway:
WHAT’S THE SITUATION BETWEEN YOU AND TONY STEWART RIGHT NOW?
“I called him this week. We talked a little bit on the phone. It was a good conversation. A civil one. We just both talked about what I aggravated him with last week at Las Vegas and we both decided to elect on moving along and coming here to Atlanta and seeing how we can race out the rest of the year.”
WELL, WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM?
“It’s like he said. It wasn’t quite 80 laps to go. It was more like 65. But I was holding him up a little bit. I was trying to preserve my race car and my position on the race track for the last pit stop. A lot of these guys say you don’t race until after the last pit stop, but you’d rather come into the pits third for the last pit stop and have a chance to get out leading than come in eighth and only be able to get out third. So I was trying to preserve my position a little bit and try to get a better spot for my guys to have an easier job on pit road.”
DID TONY STEWART GIVE YOU ANY ADVICE THAT WAS HELPFUL?
“Oh, just trying to discuss how to race and how you race the race track. You’ll see this weekend that this place definitely won’t be anywhere near what Las Vegas was. At this place, you’ve got so many different grooves. You can run all over this place. The race track is old and aged. You have to race the race track here. It’s worse than Darlington almost. It’s a pretty bad place where you’re not going to see a whole lot of side-by-side and bumper-tagging.”
DOES TONY STEWART UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU’RE COMING FROM?
“He did and he didn’t. He had a sense of yeah, okay that makes sense. But still, I don’t care. He’s in his race car trying to run his race and I’m in my race car trying to run my race. Sometimes, conflicts connect and you have that.”
DID YOU COME AROUND TO HIS WAY OF THINKING OR DO YOU STILL BELIEVE THAT YOU WERE IN THE RIGHT?
“There are a bunch of different scenerios. If you look at a 400 lap say at Dover, you’re going to let people go for probably 300 laps or so and then in the last 100, you’re not because you’ve got to plan yourself for your last pit stop. And then you’ve got to get out of the last pit stop and race to the end. It’s different situations everywhere you go. I saw his point, but I also saw my point as well.”
DO YOU THINK YOU DID ANYTHING WRONG?
“To answer your question in the fullest extent, I didn’t do anything wrong. I was just racing my own race; racing my own race car.”
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH TONY STEWART RIGHT NOW..ON THE TRACK?
“On the track? Probably not very good. But as far as off the race track, once he takes his helmet off, he’s a completely different person. You’re able to talk to him and be receptive of him. It’s good to be able to have that relationship off the race track, I guess.”(in part from the GM Racing PR)(3-17-2006) - Lester gets assoc sponsor for 3 races: Valvoline, with its 110-year history of firsts in motorsports, is seeking a new first – a historic partnership in NASCAR Nextel Cup competition with driver Bill Lester. Valvoline will be an associate sponsor on Lester’s #23 Dodge Charger for three races – Atlanta (March), Michigan (June) and California (September). The car will carry Valvoline’s legendary red, white and blue decal on the B-pillar and Lester will sport the colors on his uniform.(Clear!Blue PR)(3-17-2006)
- Special scheme for Yeley at Atlanta: The Interstate Batteries Chevy will be sporting new colors for the first time this season in Atlanta. Husqvarna will be featured as the primary sponsor of J.J. Yeley’s #18 Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Chevy.(Joe Gibbs Racing), see an image on my #18 Team Schemes page. The scheme is scheduled to run at two more not yet announced races.(3-17-2006)
- RCR Announcement UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing and #31 driver Jeff Burton have scheduled a press conference Friday, March 17 at Atlanta Motor Speedway to announce a new partnership for the 2006 season.(RCR PR)(3-15-2006)
UPDATE: Holiday Inn is expected to join a growing list of Atlanta companies that sponsor cars and drivers in NASCAR. Richard Childress Racing and driver Jeff Burton will be backed by Holiday Inn in as many as 10 Busch Series races this season, according to team officials. The team has scheduled a press conference today at Atlanta Motor Speedway to reveal details of its new sponsorship.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(3-17-2006) - Irwin 2006 debut at Atlanta IMAGE: Atlanta will mark #26-Jamie McMurray’s first run in the IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford. The weekend will showcase a special IRWIN paint scheme featuring the IRWIN Vise-Grip.(Roush Racing)(3-14-2006)
IMAGE: added an image on my #26 Team Schemes page.(3-17-2006) - Atlanta Goodyear Facts: This is the first time Goodyear has brought this combination of left- and right-side tires to the race track . . . all three NASCAR series — Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck — will run the same tire codes this weekend . . . Atlanta is the only track at which teams are currently scheduled to run this exact combination this season. Estimated Pit Window: Every 60-65 laps, based on fuel mileage.(Goodyear PR), see more notes, codes and facts on my Atlanta Race Info page.(3-17-2006)
- Atlanta Rookie Notes: #11-Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hamlin finished 10th, taking top rookie honors for the first time this season. A different driver has claimed the honor in each of the first three races. Hamlin scored his best finish of the 2006 season. He racked up the fourth top-10 finish of his 10-race NEXTEL Cup Series career. A rookie has finished in the top 10 in all three NEXTEL Cup Series races this season. #07-Clint Bowyer holds a seven-point advantage over Hamlin and #18-J.J. Yeley (35-28) in the rookie standings entering Atlanta.
Bowyer is the only rookie that ranks in the top 10 in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings. He is currently seventh entering the Atlanta event, 14 behind sixth-place Kyle Busch and 151 behind leader Jimmie Johnson. DID YOU KNOW? Robby Gordon is the most recent rookie to win the pole for the 1997 spring race at Atlanta.(Raybestos PR), see more notes and the rookie standings on my 2006 Rookies page.(3-17-2006) - Newman going for a record: #12-Ryan Newman leads all active drivers with six Atlanta Motos Speedway poles, all of them coming in the past six races at the track. Buddy Baker, Newman’s mentor and coach, has a record seven AMS poles. In his eight appearances at AMS, Newman has qualified on the front row for seven of them. In October 2002, qualifying was canceled due to rain, placing Newman sixth on the starting grid. The current record for consecutive poles is held by David Pearson, who earned 11 straight pole positions at Charlotte Motor Speedway [now Lowe’s Motor Speedway] from 1973-1978. Newman’s average AMS start of 1.75 leads all drivers.(Penske Racing)(3-17-2006)
- Atlanta Qualifying Notes:
• Kasey Kahne won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Bud Pole for the Golden Corral 500, lapping Atlanta Motor Speedway in 28.792 seconds at 192.553 mph. Geoffrey Bodine holds track-qualifying record of 28.074 seconds, 197.478 mph, set Nov. 15, 1997, in the first qualifying session on the current track configuration. Bodine’s lap remains the fastest qualifying lap on a non-restrictor-plate track in NASCAR history.
• This is Kahne’s seventh career Bud Pole in 76 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races.
• This is his first Bud Pole and second top-10 start in 2006.
• This is Kahne’s first Bud Pole and third top-10 start in five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway – all in the past three races. He has three top five finishes here.
• Ryan Newman posted the second-quickest qualifying lap of 28.794 seconds, 192.540 mph – and will join Kahne on the front row for the Golden Corral 500. It is his ninth top-10 start in as many races at Atlanta – including eight front-row starts. Newman had scored six straight Bud Poles at Atlanta (March 2003 through October 2005). It is his first top-10 starting position since he started second at Homestead last fall.
• Kahne and Newman were the only drivers to break the 192 mph-mark.
• This is the second Bud Pole for Dodge in 2006. Chevrolet and Ford each have one Bud Pole this season.
• Jeff Burton (third) posted his fourth top-10 start of 2006, the only driver to do so. It is only his second top-10 start in 24 races at Atlanta. His previous best start here was 10th in this race in 1998. It was his best qualifying effort since he started second at Bristol in August 2005.
• Bobby Labonte (fourth) posted his 10th top-10 start in 27 races at Atlanta – but his first since he started 10th in this race in 2004. It is Labonte’s second top-10 start this season but his best start since he qualified fifth at Phoenix last November.
• J.J. Yeley (fifth) posted his second top-10 qualifying effort of 2006 – both top fives. He started 36th in his one previous race at Atlanta.
• Kevin Harvick (sixth) posted his first start better than 15th this season and his best since he started sixth at Pocono last July.(NASCAR Statistical Services)(3-17-2006) - Stock Car Fans – Ramblings – Atlanta:
Well, whatcha know! Somebody other than #12-Ryan Newman can take a Bud Pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway. #9-Kasey Kahne grabbed the top-spot tonight at AMS for Sunday’s Golden Corral 500 by all of .002 over the aforementioned Mr. Newman for his first pole since Richmond in May of last year and the 7th of his NEXTEL Cup career. We’ve had four different Bud Pole winners in four races….can we go for a field of 36 next February? [at the Bud Shootout].
#43-Bobby Labonte (4th) has his best starting spot since he lined up 4th at Phoenix last April. #29-Kevin Harvick (6th) has his best starting spot since he had the pole at Richmond last September. #41-Reed Sorenson (15th….and back with his homies this week) tied his career- best starting spot today. He also started 15th at Homestead last November.
#07-Clint Bowyer (16th) has his career-best starting spot for Sunday. His previous best was 20th last week at Las Vegas.
Welcome Bill Lester (19th). He makes his first NEXTEL Cup start on Sunday.
#15-Paul Menard (22nd) has his career-best starting spot this weekend as well. His previous best was 42nd at Watkins Glen last August.
#55-Michael Waltrip (24th) has his best starting spot since he lined up 19th at California last September.
STREAKIN….Jeff Burton has 4 Top-10 starts in a row.
Greg Biffle has 6 Top-10 starts in the last 7 races.
If you’ve been away from TV or the computer today you may have missed the announcement from former Cup driver (and current Truck Series driver) Bobby Hamilton. He’ll be stepping out of his ride after tonight for treatment of cancer in his neck and will be replaced by his son. We all wish Bobby the best and please remember to keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he undergoes treatment.(Stockcarfans.com)(3-17-2006) - Kertus Davis and MacDonald Motorsports Team Up for Atlanta: Kertus Davis and the #0 RaceGirl Chevrolet will team up with MacDonald Motorsports for the Nicorette 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. MacDonald Motorsports will be bringing some much-needed help, as well as sponsor GunBroker.com to the team.(Davis PR)(3-17-2006)
- RCR Announcement UPDATE 2: Richard Childress Racing and #31 driver Jeff Burton have scheduled a press conference Friday, March 17 at Atlanta Motor Speedway to announce a new partnership for the 2006 season.(RCR PR)(3-15-2006)
UPDATE: Holiday Inn is expected to join a growing list of Atlanta companies that sponsor cars and drivers in NASCAR. Richard Childress Racing and driver Jeff Burton will be backed by Holiday Inn in as many as 10 Busch Series races this season, according to team officials. The team has scheduled a press conference today at Atlanta Motor Speedway to reveal details of its new sponsorship.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(3-17-2006)
UPDATE 2: Richard Childress Racing announced the addition of Holiday Inn as sponsor of the #29 Busch Series car driven by Jeff Burton for a 10-race deal this season beginning with Richmond in May. Included on the 10-race schedule are Richmond (twice), Lowe’s, Dover, Chicago, Indianapolis, Michigan, Bristol, Kansas and Texas.(Atlanta Speedway PR)(3-17-2006) - Bodine gets the win: The third green-white-checkered this season, but with a different result. Todd Bodine driving the #30 Lumber LiquidatorsToyota beat Mark Martin to gain the victory in the John Deere 200 at Atlanta. This is victory #8 in the Truck Series for Bodine. A multi-truck wreck on the last lap caused several trucks to lose position. Rounding out the top five were #6-Mark Martin, #23-Johnny Benson, #21-Jon Wood, #9-Ted Musgrave.(3-172006)
- Bodine gets new sponsor: Germain Racing and Lumber Liquidators are pleased to announce their partnership for the remaining 23 races on the 2006 Truck Series schedule. The #30 Germain Racing Toyota Tundra will be sporting its familiar black and yellow paint scheme with new sponsor Lumber Liquidators for the John Deere 200 at Atlanta. Lumber Liquidators is the largest direct retailer in the United States specializing in hardwood flooring, and they will be the primary sponsor on the #30 Germain Racing Toyota Tundra.(Germain Motorsports PR)(3-17-2006)
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