March 21, 2011
- Bristol overnight TV Ratings down: NASCAR on Fox posted a 3.9/9 Sunday for racing from Bristol. There are two relevant comparisons to last year. Yesterday’s race was the fourth Sprint Cup points race of the season, and compared to last year’s fourth race yesterday’s 3.9/9 is down -19% versus a 4.8/11 for racing from Atlanta. The other comparison is to last year’s Bristol race, which was the fifth race of the season and also followed a bye week. Yesterday’s 3.9/9 is down -7% compared to last year’s Bristol race. The effect of last week’s early season bye week, which is always damaging, was even worse than expected this year. Sunday’s 3.9/9 is -26% lower than the 5.3/11 that FOX earned for the Las Vegas race that preceded the bye. Last year FOX came out of the bye week with a 4.2/9 for Bristol, which was just -12% lower than the 4.8/11 posted in Atlanta two weeks earlier. Competition from the NCAA Tournament does not appear to have been a major driver of the decline. Although the Tournament was generally stronger this weekend, the two windows that faced the Bristol race were up only +4% over last year (5.8/13 vs. 5.6/13). Despite this week’s decline NASCAR is still pacing ahead of last year for the season-to-date. FOX has averaged a 5.7/12 for its first four races, up +10% over last season’s 5.2/11. See past TV Ratings, and 4-year comparison chart on the 2011 TV Ratings page.(3-21-2011)
- The Entry List for the Auto Club 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway is posted, 43 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including:
Not in top 35 of owners points:
#09-Bill Elliott (1988 Champ)(26th in 2011 owners pts/4 attempts)
#13-Casey Mears (35/4)
#32-Mike Skinner (33/4)
#36-Dave Blaney (36/4)
#46-J.J. Yeley (41/4)
#60-Landon Cassill (44/4)
#66-Michael McDowell (45/4)
#87-Joe Nemechek (42/4)
In the event that all practices and qualifying are all rained out or cancelled:
the eight who would make it [8]: #’s 09,32,13,36,46,87,60,66
missing the race would be [0]: #’s no driver would miss the race
See the full entry list at my Jayski’s Auto Club Entry List.(3-21-2011) - McClure at the track: Larry McClure was back at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday saying hello to some old friends. For two-plus decades, the Southwest Virginia car dealer was the chief figure behind Morgan-McClure Motorsports [#4 Kodak Chevy], one of the top teams in NASCAR racing. Then in 2009, it all came crashing down. McClure was convicted of federal income tax fraud for not reporting $269,000 obtained for the use of cars in the ARCA Series. In addition, he had to repay nearly $60,000 to former team sponsor Eastman Kodak for falsifying an invoice. After serving an 18-month jail sentence, McClure is now back at work, running one of his family’s car dealerships. However, the Morgan-McClure race shop, which the #4 Sprint Cup car once raced out of, now has just enough activity to keep the lights on. “I’m just selling cars and running the dealership up at St. Paul,” he said. “We’re not doing anything at the race shop, but have just a few people to keep the shop going.” Over the past couple of years, different Nationwide and Truck Series teams have talked to McClure’s business partners about renting the old race shop, but no agreement has been reached. McClure takes it all in stride. During his incarceration, there was plenty of time to reflect on his days in the Cup Series, which started in 1982 after he and business partner Tim Morgan purchased a race car from G.C. Spencer.(Johnson City Press)(3-21-2011)
- Special sponsor for the #78 at Texas: Furniture Row Racing will carry the “Farm American” theme on the #78 Chevy that Regan Smith drivers at Texas Motor Speedway. Agro Liquid Fertilizer will sponsor the message.(FoxSports)(3-21-2011)
- Prelude to the Dream in June: The seventh annual Prelude to the Dream all-star dirt Late Model race at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio is slated for June 8, 2011 and just as last year’s event benefitted four of the nation’s top children’s hospitals, the 2011 edition will do the same. BUT it the event has no sponsor and may NOT be held if a sponsor is not found. The Prelude to the Dream is a Dirt Late Model all-star race featuring over 2 dozen NASCAR stars. Tickets go on sale April 4th. For past years results, see my Prelude to the Dream page.(3-21-2011)
- Busch’s one behind Labonte’s in wins: With #18-Kyle Busch’s win at Bristol, he and brother #22-Kurt Busch are one win behind Terry Labonte [ 22 wins, 2 championships] and #47-Bobby Labonte [21 wins, 1 champ]. Kyle now has 20 wins [the only driver to have at least 20 wins in all three national series] and Kurt has 22. Kurt has a championship while Kyle does not. The Labonte’s are 5th in rank of brothers with wins at 43 wins, the Busch’s have 42 and are 6th. Bobby and Donnie Allison have the most wins of a brother tandem with 94 [Bobby 84, some historians and Bobby say 85; and Donnie had 10 wins] with Darrell (84) and Michael Waltrip (4) the 2nd most at 88. See the list on my All Time Winners page, full of all kinds of winners stats.(3-21-2011)
- Bud Boy Buggies debuts on the #2 in California: Bad Boy Buggies will make their NASCAR debut this weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. as they join Kevin Harvick Inc. and Elliott Sadler for the NASCAR Nationwide Series fifth race of 2011. Bad Boy Buggies is a leader in utility vehicles for hunting and outdoor lifestyles. The company pioneered the category of electrically powered 4×4 vehicles, ideal for hunting and outdoor recreation due to their silent, odorless operation and environmentally friendly, emissions-free drive trains.(KHI)(3-21-2011)
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997