March 19, 2008
- Lowe’s Motor Speedway and UPS to Honor Dale Jarrett at All-Star Race: Dale Jarrett will finally “race” the truck and Lowe’s Motor Speedway is offering a special two-day ticket package for just $44 so fans can be on hand Saturday night, May 17, when Jarrett’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered Tour” culminates at the Sprint All-Star Race. Those are just two of several events and promotions that officials from UPS and Lowe’s Motor Speedway announced Wednesday in preparation for the 1999 Sprint Cup champion’s final career start. Jarrett unveiled the #44 UPS Toyota Camry he will drive in the Sprint All-Star Race which features a special paint scheme that pays tribute to several of the North Carolina native’s career accomplishments. The unveiling marked the first time Jarrett viewed the metallic-gold design which unites the past with the present. The car displays design elements from both Jarrett’s current #44 UPS Camry as well as the #88 Quality Care entry that he drove during the 1999 championship season.
But, before Jarrett straps into the #44 UPS Toyota Camry for the final time, he’ll do something fans have eagerly anticipated, he’s going to “race” the truck. After Jarrett is introduced prior to the Sprint All-Star Race, he will step into the UPS Race Truck from the UPS ad campaign and take one lucky fan for a ride around the 1.5-mile superspeedway. In honor of Jarrett and in appreciation of the fans who have supported him, Lowe’s Motor Speedway officials have created “DJ’s Deal,” a special Friday-Saturday (May 16-17) All-Star Weekend ticket package for only $44. The “DJ’s Deal” package and tickets for all May events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, including the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the May 25 Coca-Cola 600, can be purchased by calling 1-800-455-FANS or online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.(LMS PR), see images of the car on my #44 Team Schemes page.(3-19-2008)
- Raines to attempt to make Martinsville in the #08: EM Motorsports owner John Carter announced that Tony Raines would pilot the #08-Rhino’s Energy Drink Dodge Charger in the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 on March 30, at Martinsville Speedway. Raines is a veteran of six Sprint Cup Series starts at Martinsville. Raines’ best finish at the historic half-mile track was a 10th place finish in last October’s Subway 500. Raines qualifies well at the track with an average starting position of 17.3 in his 6 races. EM Motorsports is based in Toccoa, Georgia and is led by owner John Carter, Crew Chief Charles Swing and Marketing VP Doug Barron.(EM Motorsports PR) Carl Long attempted to make the Daytona 500 with the team and Burney Lamar had made a few attempts. Long had been scheduled to run at Bristol, but the team didn’t make an attempt there.(3-19-2008)
- No Roush Points swap: Roush Fenway Racing spokesman tells me that Roush Fenway Racing has no plans of swapping points from the #17 Matt Kenseth team to the #26 Jamie McMurray team, who is 36th in onwers points and nees to race his way into the race at Martinsville.(3-19-2008)
- No Petty Racing points swap for Martinsville: Petty Enterprises officials say they will not ask NASCAR to approve a points swap between drivers Bobby Labonte and Kyle Petty. That means that Petty will need to qualify based on speed for the March 30 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. The team could have swapped points between the drivers, helping get both into the field. Petty is outside the top 35 in owners points this season, with the locked-in field being set based on this season’s points starting with the Goody’s Orange Cool 500. Since Labonte is the 2000 Cup series champion, he would have been eligible for the past champions provisional as the most recent past champion outside the top 35. Instead, the team is not requesting a change, leaving Labonte 18th in points and Petty 40th.(SceneDaily)(3-19-2008)
- Johnson tests at The Rock: #48-Jimmie Johnson tested at Rockingham Speedway on Tuesday, March 18th.
AND It has been a long time since the Rockingham Speedway garage was filled with over 40 cars and team transporters. This Friday and Saturday, March 21st and 22nd, the Rockingham Speedway is hosting an open test session for the Carolina 500 [ARCA Series] and 42 teams have already signed up to participate. Fans will be admitted into the grandstands and infield for free to watch the two-day test session. Grandstand and infield gates will open at 9:00am/et both days, the same time cars will roll onto the track each morning. The test will end at 5:00pm/et. The ARCA RE/MAX Series teams will be testing for next month’s Carolina 500 on May 4th the first race at “The Rock” since Andy Hillenburg purchased the track and reopened it last fall. Some of the drivers expected for the open test are: Scott Speed, Bobby Gerhart, Bryan Silas, Mario Gosselin, Joey Lagano, Marc Davis, Austin Dillon, Matt Carter, Gabi DiCarlo along with many others. For more information about the open test or to order tickets for the ARCA RE/MAX Series Carolina 500 on May 4th and the Hooter’s Pro Cup American 200 on November 1st, contact the speedway at (910) 205-8800 or visit their website at www.rockinghamspeedway.com.(3-19-2008)
- Miller named Wypall Wipers “Crew Chief of the Race” in Bristol: Scott Miller, crew chief of the #31 AT&T Mobility Chevy driven by Jeff Burton, was named the Wypall Wipers “Crew Chief of the Race” for his team’s first place finish in Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Although Burton only led two laps throughout the entire race, it was the “final” two propelling him to his first career victory at Bristol. Miller will receive a $1,000 check as a result of his leadership and successful strategy calls during the most critical moments of the race. At both Bristol races this season, not only does the winning crew chief receive $1,000, but a $1,000 bonus is awarded to the winning pit crew as well. The #31 AT&T crew received a $1,000 check during the post-race ceremonies in Victory Lane. The 2008 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Challenge is a season-long contest that will determine the best crew chiefs in the Sprint Cup garage. Following each Cup race, a panel will vote to determine which crew chief demonstrated the most outstanding strategy and leadership during the race. It isn’t necessarily the crew chief that goes to victory lane, but the crew chief who made the biggest difference to his team. Representatives from Wypall Wipers, together with FOX/Speed television analyst Jeff Hammond, and three of NASCAR’s top crew chiefs who represent Wypall, make up the panel of judges. The crew chiefs include Todd Berrier of the Richard Childress Racing #29 Shell Pennzoil Chevy team, Bob Osborne of the Roush Fenway Racing #99 Office Depot Ford team, and Kenny Francis of the Gillett Evernham Motorsports #9 Budweiser Dodge team. In addition to the $1,000 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly top wins will be honored as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at the season finale in Homestead, FL. For more information, log onto www.Wypall.com.(Wypall PR)(3-19-2008)
- Fuel Cell Problems at JGR? #11-Denny Hamlin says a potential flaw in the design of the fuel cells at Joe Gibbs Racing may have contributed to Sunday’s loss at Bristol Motor Speedway. Hamlin was leading on the green-white-checkered restart, but his car stalled because not enough fuel reached the engine. That allowed #31-Jeff Burton to blow past Hamlin for his first win at the half-mile track and set up a 1-2-3 finish for Richard Childress Racing. Hamlin, who got his car going after gas swashed into the engine in the corners of the track, finished sixth. It wasn’t the first time this has happened. “Anytime we get low on fuel, especially with a banked race track like Bristol, all of our fuel drains in the cell to where we don’t get any in the engine,” Hamlin said Tuesday. “Once we do take off all we’re using is fuel in the lines. There’s a bubble in there and the car stalls.” Hamlin said team owner Joe Gibbs met with engineers all day Monday looking for answers. He said officials are also looking into why the gearbox in his car failed the previous week at Atlanta and the one in teammate Kyle Busch’s car failed with him in the lead at Bristol. “He blew the top seal out of his,” Hamlin said. “Mine blew the bottom seal. As far as knowing exactly what’s causing it, I don’t know yet. Between steering boxes and fuel, it’s aging me pretty bad.” Hamlin said there are several ways to design a fuel cell. One is so that it always works well with low fuel; another is where under green-flag conditions a car can “suck out the gas to where there’s only one drop left.”(ESPN.com)(3-19-2008)
- Said Driving for Rensi at Mexico & Canada: Team Rensi Motorsports announced the signing of Boris Said to pilot the #25 No Fear Energy / Smithfield Foods Ford for the two Nationwide Series international races — in Mexico City and Montreal. Frank Stoddard will work with Said and Team Rensi Motorsports for both Nationwide Series events.(Team Rensi PR)(3-19-2008)
- Stremme Driving #64 at Nashville…And Beyond: UPDATE: David Stremme will be behind the wheel of the #64 instead of Chase Austin, who’d been scheduled to make his 2008 debut. The plan had been to spread the ride between Stremme, Austin and Max Papis, who would run the road courses. The team’s sponsor, Atreus Homes and Communities, though, is pleased with the way the team is running with Stremme and that led to the change. Austin remains employed by Rusty Wallace Racing, but there are currently no plans to campaign him in the Nationwide Series this season.(ESPN.com)(3-19-2008)
UPDATE: Chase Austin, originally slated to make his first start of 2008 this weekend, remains a part of the team’s 2008 plans and will compete in the #64 later in the season. “We feel that right now, having David in the #64 allows us to keep up the momentum we’ve built. With that said, this is by no means a reflection on Chase. He’s a great kid and he’s still a big part of our 2008 plans. He’ll still be in the #64 this year, as will Max Papis; we’ve just changed Chase’s schedule a bit to allow the #64 team to capitalize on their momentum.” said Rusty Wallace.(RWI PR)(3-19-2008)
- Krisiloff Back in the #41 for Ganassi: Kyle Krisiloff will pilot the #41 Polaroid Dodge this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, and also a few more races later this month. CGRFS reached an agreement that would allow Krisiloff to drive the #41 NNS Dodge in order to get him added track time. Krisiloff’s first start for CGRFS came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this month.(CGRFS PR)(3-19-2008)
- Willie Allen Driving for Sadler Hamilton at Nashville: Bobby Hamilton Jr announced that 2007 Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year Willie Allen will pilot the #95 Dodge for Sadler Hamilton Racing during select Nationwide Series events in 2008. Hamilton Jr recently became a co-owner of the Nashville based team that celebrates it’s 25th anniversary this season. Allen, a Nashville native, will compete in this weekends Pepsi 300 at the Nashville Superspeedway. Current plans have Allen driving in the Nationwide Series events at Memphis, Nashville and Talladega. “My goals for this year are to run four or five Nationwide races with Willie as our driver,” said Sadler-Hamilton Racing co-owner Bobby Hamilton Jr. “I sat down with our crew chief Danny Gill and looked at available drivers and Willie was a great fit for our project. Next year, we hope to run 15-25 Nationwide races and a full Camping World East schedule.”(Sadler Hamilton PR)(3-19-2008)
- New crew chief for Shelby Howard? Hearing that Lance Hooper is out as crew chief for the #13-Thorsport Racing Chevy with driver Shelby Howard and that Chris Rice has been hired as replacement.(3-19-2008)
- Allen enters Nashville Nationwide race with Sadler Hamilton Racing: Bobby Hamilton Jr. has announced that 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year Willie Allen will pilot the #95 Dodge for Sadler Hamilton Racing during select NASCAR Nationwide Series events in 2008. Hamilton Jr. recently became a co-owner of the Nashville based team that celebrates it’s 25th anniversary this season. Allen, a Nashville native, will compete in this weekend’s Pepsi 300 at the Nashville Superspeedway. Current plans have Allen driving in the Nationwide Series events at Memphis, Nashville and Talladega.(Willie Allen PR)(3-19-2008)
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