March 20, 2013
- New sponsor for Stewart debuts at Auto Club: Rush Truck Centers makes its sponsorship debut during this weekend’s Auto Club 400 where the premier solutions provider to the commercial vehicle industry will serve as the primary sponsor for the #14 Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team and driver/owner Tony Stewart. It’s the first of three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in which Stewart will carry the colors of Rush Truck Centers in the capacity of primary sponsor for the #14 team. Rush Truck Centers is the United States’ largest network of commercial vehicle dealerships, representing industry-leading truck and bus manufacturers (SHR), see images of the scheme on the #14 Team Schemes page.(3-20-2013)
- added the #32 OxyWater, #14 Rush Truck Stops, #24 CroMax Pro, #11 FedEx / March of Dimes, #18 Snickers Bites and #22 AAA schemes.
- 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 at Auto Club the Auto Club Race Info page – Chassis selection area.
- Bass Pro Sports returns to the #1 car: Bass Pro Shops will make their first appearance of the season on the #1 Chevy of Jamie McMurray. The Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats paint scheme on the #1 at Auto Club Speedway will be the first of two races in 2013 (EGR), see my #1 Team Schemes page for images of the car.(3-20-2013)
- Stenhouse Jr. to have NOS as sponsor: NOS Energy Drink will sponsor Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s #17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway this coming weekend. Six winners of the #IMNOSome Twitter campaign will be featured on the #17 decklid this weekend. Stenhouse on Auto Club: “We are bringing the same car that we tested with at Las Vegas. We had a lot of speed during the test so I feel confident going into this weekend. NOS Energy Drink sponsored me last year and stepped up to the Cup Series this year so it would be great to get a solid finish in their paint scheme this weekend. We’ve been strong at other mile-and-a-half tracks so I feel we should have a strong showing in our #17 NOS Energy Drink Ford this weekend.”(RFR), see an image of the scheme on the #17 Team Schemes page.(3-20-2013)
- Cassill to sue BK Racing: Landon Cassill is suing BK Racing over what he alleges is $205,000 in unpaid winnings and other fees owed to him for racing for the team last year. Cassill also is asking for an unspecified amount of money for not being told until mid-January that he would not drive for the team in 2013. The lawsuit was filed last month in North Carolina Superior Court in Charlotte against BK Racing, which bought the assets of Red Bull Racing just prior to the 2012 season, and principal owner Ron Devine. Adam Ross, a Charlotte attorney representing BK Racing, said that there is a dispute over what is owed to Cassill but would not go into specifics. The team has until mid-May to file a legal response to the lawsuit.(Sporting News)(3-20-2013)
- Bowyer to make a stop in Kansas: Before #15 Clint Bowyer travels to Auto Club Speedway for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race, Bowyer spent a few days in his hometown of Emporia, Kan. opening the new Clint Bowyer Autoplex. Bowyer partnered with Davis-Moore Auto Group to purchase the Toyota dealership, formerly called Emporia Motors, where he once worked as a paint-less dent repair specialist and detailer. The Clint Bowyer Autoplex, 2815 U.S. Highway 50 in Emporia, is across the street from the Clint Bowyer Community Building. Davis-Moore Auto Group, out of Wichita, Kan., will run the day-to-day operations, while Bowyer focuses on his duties at Michael Waltrip Racing as the driver of the #15 5-Hour Energy Toyota.(MWR)(3-20-2013)
- Auto Club Speedway Tire Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same tire codes at Fontana this weekend . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that these teams ran at this track last season . . . this right-side tire code has been run at Fontana since 2011, while this left-side tire code was introduced at this track in 2012 . . . 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, set limits and more on the Auto Club Race Info page – Goodyear section.(3-20-2013)
- Papis to run UARA race at Hickory: Max Papis has filed an entry with former Cup driver Lee Faulk’s late model team for the 2nd UARA-STARS Late Model Stock Tour race of the season this weekend at Hickory Motor Speedway. Since it’s been a while between starts for him, he plans on running 3 races with Faulk to help refresh him before racing for RCR in the NASCAR Nationwide Series later this year. Tickets are still available and spectator gates open at 4:30 pm with fans having the chance to meet Max during the on-track autograph session at 6:20pm. Other notable drivers who will be racing include NASCAR K&N Pro Series drivers Ben Rhodes and Brandon Jones along with Michael Leavine, driving for Leavine Family Racing, the same team that fields cars for Scott Speed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.(UARA-STARS PR)(3-20-2013)
- Honorary Starter named for Auto Club 400: One of Mexico’s most acclaimed and popular actresses, Kate del Castillo, will serve as Honorary Starter for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, March 24. As Honorary Starter, del Castillo will wave the green flag to get the Auto Club 400 underway. Del Castillo will soon star, alongside popular leading men Carlos Ponce and Christian Meier, in “Arranque de Pasion, La Historia de Ela,” an original webnovela produced exclusively for Univision’s online and mobile properties. A NASCAR-themed drama debuting on Univision.com/ArranqueDePasion on April 1, 2013 at midnight ET, “Arranque de Pasion, La Historia de Ela” is a co-production between Univision Studios and Kate del Castillo Productions, Inc., in association with NASCAR. To see del Castillo get the Auto Club 400 underway at Auto Club Speedway or to purchase tickets to race weekend call 800-944-RACE (7223), log on to www.autoclubspeedway.com or visit the Auto Club Speedway Ticket Office.(ACS)(3-20-2013)
- Mark Burnett And Roma Downey Named Martinsville Co-Grand Marshals: Four-time Emmy Award-winning producer Mark Burnett and his wife, actress Roma Downey, who together co-produced the hit cable miniseries The Bible, will serve as Co-Grand Marshals for the STP Gas Booster 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 7. Burnett and Downey, who also stars in the miniseries as Mother Mary, will give the starting command, “Drivers start your engines,” in addition to being introduced at the drivers’ meeting and participating in pre-race ceremonies. “It is an incredible honor for us to host Mark and Roma. They are two exceptional talents who are known worldwide for their work,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell. “We are delighted and proud to be able to share a bit of our world with them for the STP Gas Booster 500.” Tickets for the STP Gas Booster 500 on Sunday, April 7, the Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday, April 6 are on sale and can be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway)(3-20-2013)
- NASCAR promoter lobbies for tens of millions in tax breaks: International Speedway Corp. and NASCAR promoter just won an extension of a lucrative tax break from the federal government. The company says interest among its most avid fans is at a five-year high. And it has signed a new television deal with Fox Sports valued at more than $2.4 billion over eight years – a 36% jump over its current TV-rights deal. ISC is lobbying the state Legislature for a package of tax breaks that could save it close to $100 million during the next 30 years. ISC says the tax breaks would help persuade it to go forward with a sweeping renovation and expansion of Daytona International Speedway, home of the storied Daytona 500 and other racing events. The company’s tentative plans call for everything from the installation of escalators, concourses and wider seats in the grandstand itself to a mixed-use commercial development just across the street. Adding pressure to get a deal done, ISC executives say the amount of money they ultimately decide to invest in the project is directly tied to whether the Legislature gives the company its tax breaks. “It’s definitely going to affect whether or not it [the project] gets approved or at what size or scope,” said Joie Chitwood III, an ISC vice president and the president of Daytona International Speedway. The legislation (HB 1049, SB 1394) was initially written by ISC lobbyists. It is being sponsored in the Legislature by a pair of Volusia County Republicans: Sen. Dorothy Hukill of Port Orange and Rep. David Santiago of Deltona.(Orlando Sentinel)(3-20-2013)
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