March 18, 2015
- Special Mountain Dew scheme at Bristol for Earnhardt Jr.: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. will run a special Mountain Dew DewShine scheme at Bristol Motor Speedway in April. The scheme was unveiled on Twitter Wednesday evening. The announcement was made at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville, TN, to promote the upcoming race at Bristol in April. See images of the scheme on the #88 Team Schemes page.(3-18-2015)
- Chassis selections for this weeks race: see the list of many teams [that report or post them] and what chassis were selected by the team to run in the Auto Club 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway on the Auto Club Race Info page – Chassis selection area.
- NASCAR issues inspection penalty UPDATE: NASCAR handed out one inspection penalty Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, with a second potential penalty under review. #7-Alex Bowman of Tommy Baldwin Racing will lose 15 minutes of practice time in the opening round of practice Friday at Auto Club Speedway. Bowman’s car did not make it out of the garage on time Sunday morning at PIR. Also, AJ Allmendinger’s #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet went through inspection four times and is under review for a possible penalty. A NASCAR official said “other issues” may have been responsible for the car’s inspection problems. A decision likely would come on Monday or Tuesday.(FoxSports)(3-15-2015)
UPDATE: NASCAR says no-harm, no-foul on the #47 JTG Daugherty Racing team following pre-race inspection issues at Phoenix International Raceway. On Sunday, the crew made four attempts to pass through the laser platform inspection station prior to the start of Sunday’s CampingWorld.com 500. Before the race, a NASCAR representative said the No. 47’s situation was “under further review” at the behest of Sprint Cup Series director Richard Buck. It was later determined that the wheel plate that sits inside the wheel bead and measure the toe of the rear, the forward and aft for offset and wheel base and rear end location for the truck arm crossmember was not tight enough to provide an accurate reading. Therefore, the #47 team and AJ Allmendinger will not be penalized practice time this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. NASCAR did confirm however, that the #7 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevy, which did not line up and get out of the garage in time and the #83 BK Racing Toyota, which did not pass inspection on the second attempt will be held for 15 minutes in first practice on Friday at Fontana.(Motorsport)(3-18-2015)
- #66 team withdraws from California: The #66 Premium Motorsports Chevy has withdrawn from the Sprint Cup race at Auto Club Speedway this weekend, team owner Jay Robinson confirmed on Wednesday. However, Robinson will attempt to qualify the #62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevy with Brendan Gaughan. “The #66 is not a sponsored team,” Robinson told Motorsport.com. “And if you’re not making races, then you’re not making money. Fortunately, we made the Daytona 500, so that carried us for a while. Every race is expensive and when you have to pay for tires, engines and personnel it’s hard to do.” Mike Wallace was scheduled to drive the #66 at Fontana. He finished 36th in the Daytona 500 and the team earned $313,883. But the team did not make it through inspection in time to qualify at Atlanta Motor Speedway and failed to qualify at Las Vegas. Tanner Berryhill attempted to qualify the car at Phoenix but was unsuccessful. Robinson would not speculate how long the #66 Chevy would remain on the sidelines. “You never know,” Robinson said. “If an opportunity comes up we might be at Martinsville, but as of now we won’t be taking the car to California.”(Motorsport)(3-18-2015)
- MWR responds to tire changer lawsuit: A former Michael Waltrip Racing tire changer claims he was fired from his $160,000-a-year job in August after he demanded to have surgery for an injury suffered on pit road, while the team states he was released because he stole a specially made gun on the day he asked for permission to talk to other race teams. Brandon Hopkins sued the team in January in North Carolina Superior Court in Charlotte, and Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) filed its response last week while also having the case moved to North Carolina Business Court. Hopkins claims he was fired the day before shoulder surgery in August for an injury he said he suffered after being hit while pitting Clint Bowyer’s car in 2013. He alleges he was told he was fired for what he characterized as unsubstantiated claims for stealing a pit-road gun, and he claims MWR retaliated against him by telling other teams that was the reason he was fired. He seeks unspecified damages. Hopkins, who began changing tires in 2005 and joined MWR in 2012, was making $160,000 per year, according to his contract that is part of the court file. His salary comprised of a base salary as an MWR employee ($50,000), an over-the-wall crew member salary ($97,000) and a fee to participate in the team’s training program ($13,000). The two-year deal, signed in September 2013, was for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
In its response to the lawsuit, MWR detailed the pit-gun incident. The pit gun, called a “clutch gun” that MWR says teams are spending hundreds of thousands and even “millions” of dollars to develop, requires MWR to have a dedicated engineer who works specifically to tailor the guns for each crew member. MWR alleges Hopkins, angry after a bad performance at Indianapolis in 2014, demanded to have the surgery for a torn labrum a week later but wanted to work the Pocono race. Hopkins didn’t use his assigned gun at Pocono but used a backup gun for one of the other pit-crew members. Pit-crew members are supposed to only use the guns assigned to them, and Hopkins wasn’t authorized to use that gun, MWR states in court documents. The team says in its response that it has footage of Hopkins taking that gun and putting it in his car, along with four or five sockets for that gun, the Monday after Pocono — about 35 minutes after he asked for permission to waive the non-compete clause in his contract so he could seek employment elsewhere. Later in the day, MWR alleges Hopkins printed out reports that showed the effectiveness of the guns as well as documents on pit-crew members and prospects. MWR also alleges that Hopkins’ backup gun went missing earlier in the season and was never located.
The sides also dispute whose decision it was to delay surgery after the injury was diagnosed in March 2014; Hopkins said he repeatedly asked to have the surgery but was encouraged to delay surgery until the team was eliminated from championship contention.(ESPN.com), see earlier information about the suit on the #15 team news page.(3-18-2015)
- Triplett named Tennessee tourist commissioner: Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced Tuesday that NASCAR aficionado Kevin Triplett will join his cabinet as Department of Tourist Development commissioner. Triplett, 49, is vice president of public affairs for Bristol Motor Speedway. Prior to joining BMS in 2005, he worked in various roles for NASCAR, ultimately serving as managing director of business operations, guiding the operation and administration of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series “Tourism is one of our state’s largest industries, providing $16.7 billion in direct economic impact, and Kevin brings a lot of energy and passion to the industry with decades of experience pulling together different stakeholders and constituencies,” Haslam said in a news release. From 1992 until 1994, Triplett represented General Motors Parts – GM Goodwrench and AC Delco – in NASCAR, specifically Richard Childress Racing and Ken Schrader Racing and their drivers, including Dale Earnhardt. His first day on the job is April 23 and replaces Susan Whitaker who announced her departure in December.(Tennessean)(3-18-2015)
- Scott returns to the #33: Brian Scott is making his second Sprint Cup Series start at the Fontana, Calif., track after making his debut last season in his fourth NSCS start. Scott will also be making his eighth NASCAR XFINITY Series start this weekend at the two-mile track. Whitetail Club returns as a primary sponsor for Brian Scott in 2015. Located in the mountains of McCall, Idaho, Whitetail Club is a private gated community that has a wide array of recreational amenities including golf, water skiing, hiking and snow skiing.(Circle Sport Racing)(3-18-2015)
- Auto Club Goodyear Tire Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series will run the same tire set-up at Fontana this week . . . while this is the first time these teams have run this left-side tire code (D-4636), they have run this right-side code (D-4408) at this track since 2011 . . . compared to what was run at Fontana last year, this left-side tire features a slight construction change, and a compound change to enhance grip . . . Goodyear held a tire test at Fontana last October 28-29 . . . teams and drivers participating in that test were the #6 Roush Fenway Ford with Trevor Bayne, #42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with Kyle Larson, #55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota with Brian Vickers and #78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet with Martin Truex Jr. . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Fontana . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.(Goodyear). See tire codes, pressures and more on the Auto Club Race Info – Goodyear section.(3-18-2015)
- Cope picks up Fontana associate sponsors: Derrike Cope Racing announces two associate sponsors for the Fontana Auto Club Speedway Xfinity NASCAR Race, both located in Southern California’s best kept secret, Crestline CA. Nestled inside the San Bernardino National Forest 4,000 feet high you will find Sleepy Hollow Cabins and Resorts which boasts the largest resort rentals in the area with romantic fireplaces and fully furnished kitchens all at great rates. Sleepy Hollow is located at 24033 Lake Drive and online at ThePlaceToRelax.com. Goodwin’s Market in Crestline has been family owned and operated since 1946. The store is located directly across the street from beautiful Lake Gregory. The store offers a variety of organic and natural foods, craft beers, and a full service deli with Boars Head Fine Meats, and their claim to fame, Tender Dry Aged Steaks. (Derrike Cope Racing)(3-18-2015)
- RSS gets an associate sponsor this week at California: CookieDoughNoMore.com will be aboard the #39 driven by Ryan Sieg this Saturday in the Drive4Clots.com at the Auto Club Speedway. CookieDoughNoMore offers schools, and any other organization that needs to do fundraising the ability to finally bring fundraising into the 21st Century.(RSS Racing)(3-18-2015)
- Texas World Speedway set to be closed for housing development: College Station and Bryan is growing everyday with more than 200,000 people living in the area… and counting. Texas World Speedway will shutdown in mid-June to make way for a multi-million dollar housing development. CEO Bill Mather is also the housing developer who will convert the 400 acre speedway into driveways and into what will be known as the “Southern Point” community. The $55 million dollar development will be constructed in five phases to include 1400 homes, a commercial development, nature trails, and space for a new elementary school. The development will be the first municipal utility district, or MUD, in College Station. Developers like Mather will absorb the costs of building the infrastructure, and bonds will be used to reimburse the developers quicker than waiting for the lots to be sold. Mather hopes to break ground shortly after the track closes in mid-June with the first homeowner possibly moving in by the Summer of 2016.(KBTX)(3-18-2015)
- Jesse Jones hot dogs out at Martinsville: When fans go to the concession stand at Martinsville Speedway next weekend seeking the “Famous Martinsville Speedway Hot Dog,” for the first time in nearly seven decades the red hots and chili will not be produced by Jesse Jones Southern Style Hot Dogs. Calling it a business decision, the track has elected to switch to Valleydale Hot Dogs, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, which is a primary sponsor on Richard Petty Motorsports #43 Sprint Cup car, driven by Aric Almirola. But according Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway, the new hot dog and chili will taste the same as the old standby.
“Does anybody think I’m crazy enough to change something so iconic and so cherished as the ‘Famous Martinsville Speedway Hot Dog?’ ” Campbell told NASCAR Talk. “We’re not in the habit of taking steps backward, we’re always going forward. The fans will still have the ‘Famous Martinsville Speedway Hot Dog’ and it’ll be just as good as it has been. I assure you that. We wouldn’t do anything to change that. Number one, my grandfather would come back to get me if I did, and Bill France Jr. would be after me. So we’re not changing it to where fans will notice any difference whatsoever. The color, taste and texture will still be the same.”
The move ends one of the longest-standing relationships between a speedway and vendor in NASCAR annals, said Jesse Jones motorsports marketing director Stephen Drummond. (NBC Sports)(3-18-2015)
- Eric Stonestreet to drive pace car in California: Auto Club Speedway announced that two-time Emmy Award winner Eric Stonestreet will be behind the wheel of the Official NASCAR 2014 Toyota Camry Pace Car as he leads the field of 43 stock cars before the start of the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday. As an Honorary Race Official, Stonestreet will be involved with pre-race ceremony activities including driver introductions and special NASCAR awards. He will be joined by Miss Sprint Cup, Latin Grammy nominated musical artist, El Dasa, and other dignitaries. Stonestreet is no stranger in playing a lead role, and as the official pace car driver he will lead the top NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers to the green flag to kick off the Auto Club 400. Stonestreet currently stars as Cameron Tucker on ABC’s comedy series, “Modern Family,” a role in which he earned two Emmy Awards in the “Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series” category. Most recently, Stonestreet starred in the thriller “The Loft” which was released by Open Road on January 30, 2015. Upcoming, Stonestreet will voice the character of ‘Duke’ in Illumination Entertainments’ “The Secret Lift of Pets” which is set to release in 2016.(Auto Club Speedway)(3-18-2015)
- Darlington Raceway recognized for community support: Darlington Raceway was recognized for its community support during a recent ice storm that took place in the Pee Dee area of South Carolina on Feb. 17. Darlington Raceway served as the staging area for over 200 trucks that were brought to the region by Duke Energy to assist in power restoration. Duke Energy is the main power supplier for Darlington County and surrounding areas.(Darlington Raceway)(3-18-2015)
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