March 21, 2007
- Rudd to run Pedigree scheme at Bristol: This weekend the Nextel Cup Series travels to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500 and it will mark a series of firsts for the #88 team. NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow will make its racing debut providing a true test as to how the newly redesigned body styles will handle the pressures of race day. Sunday will also mark the first time the #88 team has run a special paint scheme for the 2007 season. Instead of the normal Snickers Racing scheme, the team will be running a bright yellow Pedigree Brand Food for Dogs Ford Fusion.(elevationgrp/Snickers Racing PR), no images of the scheme..yet.(3-21-2007)
- Dodge Avenger to Debut at Bristol: The Dodge Avenger, which joins the Dodge Charger in Nextel Cup competition this season, makes its racing debut Sunday in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway – the first NASCAR Car of Tomorrow (COT) race. Preparing for NASCAR’s 16 COT races in 2007 has kept the candle burning at both ends for most Nextel Cup teams since the end of last season. The Avenger, Dodge’s racing version of the COT, has been tested at tracks throughout the country getting ready for the ultimate test in Thunder Valley, Tennessee this coming weekend. The all-new 2008 Dodge Avenger, the street-legal version of this great new race car, is a mid-size sedan combining bold, aggressive Dodge styling with innovative interior features, high-levels of safety and reliability, exhilarating performance and excellent fuel efficiency of 30mpg on the highway. Production of the all-new 2008 Dodge Avenger began at the Sterling Heights (Michigan) Assembly Plant in February and will start to arrive in dealer showrooms next month. “Dodge is ready for the challenge at Bristol, and we think the Dodge Avenger is the car to beat,” said Mike Accavitti, Director – Dodge Motorsports and SRT Marketing, Chrysler Group. “We believe that the Avenger can bring Dodge a championship in the future, and we can’t wait to start that campaign this weekend. And, for the first Dodge driver to win a COT race, we will donate an all-new Dodge Avenger to the charity of his choice,” Accavitti added.(Clear!Blue/Dodge Motorsports PR)(3-21-2007)
- Overnight TV Ratings for Atlanta: Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500 Nextel Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway earned a 4.7 overnight rating from Nielsen Media Research and a 10 share, Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Daily reports. The March 2006 Atlanta race was rained out on Sunday and carried on the FX cable station on a Monday, so comparison figures aren’t available.(SceneDaily.com), in 2005 the overnight ratings were 4.9/11 with a final of 5.5/13, in 2004 the overnight was 5.3.
see TV Ratings for the year, plus a TV Ratings Chart comparing 2005-2006-2007 on my TV Ratings page.(3-21-2007) - Bill France Jr. back home: Former NASCAR Chairman Bill France Jr. was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon and is resting at home, still under the care of his personal physician, NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said Tuesday. France was admitted to Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach, Fla., on March 14 and diagnosed with a virus.(ESPN.com)(3-21-2007)
- Sad News: Condolences to Kerry Earnhardt on the death of his stepfather Jackie Lynn Key last Thursday. Survivors include his wife, Latane Brown Key of the home; a daughter, Janene “J.J.” Key of Davidson; one son, Kerry Earnhardt and wife, Rene, of Mooresville; three sisters, Judy James and husband, Danny, of Kannapolis, Cathy Grooms and husband, Robert, of China Grove, and Bobbie Dudley of Yadkinville; a brother, Dennis Key and wife, Marce, of Kannapolis; and four grandchildren, Bobby Key, Jeffrey Key, Blade Compton and Kayla Earnhardt. Memorials may be sent to United Brotherhood of Christ, 345 Fry St., China Grove, NC 28023.(3-21-2007)
- Shooting suspect arrested; accused of firing into crowd at NASCAR event: A man suspected of opening fire on a crowd at California Speedway during NASCAR [Busch Series] races last month was arrested Monday by sheriff’s deputies. Ramon Luis Caraballos, 30, of San Bernardino was booked into Central Detention Center on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies said. Deputies from the Fontana station responded to a reported shooting at 8:17pm/pt, Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Speedway, 9300 Cherry Ave. The shooting occurred after a fight between Caraballos and another man. Deputies said Caraballos had been drinking and punched the man in the face. He then pulled out a knife and later got a gun from his car. He fired twice at the man and a crowd behind him, but no one was struck, deputies said. Investigators identified Caraballos as the suspect Monday and arrested him in San Bernardino. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Jodi Miller did not have any further information on the incident Tuesday evening. He was being held on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in lieu of $50,000 bail, according to the sheriff’s online log. A call to California Speedway on Tuesday was not returned.(San Bernardino County Sun)(3-21-2007)
- Stremme to run Energizer scheme at Bristol: The #40 Dodge of David Stremme will sport the Energizer e2 Lithium paint scheme this weekend in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The dynamic silver and blue paint scheme will feature Energizer e2 Lithium, the World’s Longest Lasting Battery in High Tech Devices, alongside the famous Energizer Bunny.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)(3-21-2007)
- Reiser back this weekend; #17 to run Arby’s scheme: Robbie Reiser will return to the track this weekend, after serving a four-race suspension. The past four races were the first Reiser had missed atop the pit box as #17-Matt Kenseth’s crew chief since 1999, a steak of 255 races. Kenseth will run the Arby’s paint scheme this weekend for the first and only time in the Nextel Cup Series in 2007.(Roush Racing PR)(3-21-2007)
- New sponsor for BAM Racing at Bristol: Bam Racing welcomes OBOVO.com to the #49 team as one of the organization’s primary sponsors this season beginning at Bristol Motor Speedway. OBOVO.com, recently re-named from WhatsOnline.com, is a proprietary metacrawler search engine that provides users with high quality Internet search results from multiple search engines simultaneously. Users can utilize a multitude of powerhouse websites for information, shopping and auctions directly from the site. OBOBVO.com also offers one of the most dynamic image and video search tools on the Internet. Look for OBOVO.com to adorn the hood of the BAM Racing Dodge at a number of races in 2007.(BAM Racing PR)(3-21-2007)
- Lepage in #37; Chaffin in #34 at Bristol: Kevin Lepage, who tested the Car of Tomorrow (COT) for Front Row Motorsports at Bristol while be driving the #37 COT at Bristol and Martinsville. John Andretti, who drove the #37 car the last three races in California, Vegas and Atlanta, will be back in the #37 car next month at Texas Motor Speedway. Race Week Media is still searching for sponsors for Bristol and Martinsville for the #37 team. Cahd Chaffin is scheduled to drive the #34 Front Row Motorsports Dodge at Bristol.(3-21-2007)
- Montoya Speaking Engagement in NYC on Wed and on TV: #42-Juan Montoya be the featured guest for an exclusive one-on-one interview on opening day of the 2007 World Congress of Sports in New York City this Wednesday. One of the largest gatherings of senior executives in sports business, the World Congress of Sports features panel discussion on critical topics with the sports industry’s most important leaders. Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig is the one-on-one guest for the closing day of the event.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)
AND Juan Pablo Montoya and the #42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge Charger will visit the set of ABC’s Good Morning America (GMA) Wednesday morning. Montoya and the car will be featured during the 8:30 a.m. segment of the morning show which had almost 5 million viewers last week. Montoya will stop by the set while in New York City for the World Congress of Sports hosted by the Sports Business Journal.(NASCAR)(3-21-2007) - NOS Energy Drink Joins SKI Motorsports as Associate Sponsor: The #30 Smith & Wesson/SKI Motorsports team, featuring driver Mike Bliss, announced that NOS Energy Drink, one of the fastest growing players in the energy drink market, has joined the organization as a major associate sponsor for 2007.(SKI Motorsports PR)(3-21-2007)
- Fitz Motorsports Sign Dumarey for Busch East: Fitz Motorsports announced an addition to their team of NASCAR Busch East Series drivers. Eighteen-year-old Maxime “Max” Dumarey of Belgium has signed a contract to drive and contend for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title in the 2007 NASCAR Busch East series.(Fitz Motorsports PR)(3-21-2007)
- Bliss to Drive 2 Races for Fitz: Fitz Motorsports will team up with driver Mike Bliss behind the wheel of the #22 Family Dollar/Supercuts Dodge for back-to-back races. Bliss will take the wheel starting this weekend at Bristol before heading off to Nashville in a few weeks.(Fitz Motorsports PR)(3-21-2007)
- Sharpie Introduces #8 Marker, Sharpie Scheme and more: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr, is making a bold statement on and off the track as he prepares for the Sharpie MINI 300 Busch Series race this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS). The new Sharpie/Dale Earnhardt, Inc. relationship will officially kick off Saturday when Dale Jr steps behind the wheel of the new DEI #8 Chevy, co-sponsored by Sharpie and Budweiser. Race fans will get a glimpse of the race when Sharpie introduces the first-ever Dale Jr #8 Sharpie marker, rolling out in stores now. Dale Jr will unveil the marker and new paint scheme Thursday, March 22, at 5 pm at the track’s Tower 8, where he will also sign Sharpie’s giant autograph wall. Dozens of children representing Speedway Children’s Charities will join him, lending their signatures and support to the Sharpie “Autographs for Action” campaign to benefit Speedway Children’s Charities with $10,000 in funds and supplies. The Sharpie MINI 300 is Dale Jr’s second Busch race this season. Dale Jr is a former winner at Bristol, going to Victory Lane in the 2004 Sharpie 500 Nextel Cup Series race. DEI and Dale Jr’s new Sharpie partnership also includes a bold new addition to the BMS landscape – a giant three-story billboard covering Tower 8 and featuring Dale Jr’s larger-than-life likeness. The banner, which also includes an image of the Sharpie #8 paint scheme and the new #8 marker, will be unveiled Thursday along with the #8 marker. It will become a permanent fixture at BMS throughout the 2007 race season. The Dale Earnhardt Jr #8 Sharpie marker is the only marker endorsed by Dale Jr. Available in black fine point and imprinted with his autograph and #8, it is rolling out now in select stores nationwide where office products are sold. Autographs for Action annually seeks one million autographs as part of its program to give away $1 million in funds and supplies for community groups, charitable organizations and schools nationwide (go to www.sharpie.com). Sharpie will donate $10,00 in funds and supplies to Speedway Children’s Charities as part of the Bristol autograph drive. Visit sharpie.com for more information.(Sanford PR), See and image of the car on my #8 Busch Paint Scheme Page(3-21-2007)
- Virginia’s Best Water to sponsor #40 at Martinsville: Wholesome Foods, Inc., producers of the popular Virginia’s Best Water, is stepping up its sponsorship of Key Motorsports and driver Mike Bliss in next week’s Kroger 250 Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. Already a product sponsor of Key Motorsports as the organization’s official bottled water supplier, Wholesome Foods will become the deck lid sponsor of the Bliss entry and the #40 Curtis Key Plumbing Chevy to further brand its popular Virginia’s Best Water.(Key Motorsports PR)(3-21-2007)
- Bliss to drive 2 Busch races for Fitz: Fitz Motorsports will team up with driver Mike Bliss behind the wheel of the #22 Family Dollar/Supercuts Dodge for back-to-back races. Bliss will take the wheel starting this weekend at Bristol before heading off to Nashville in a few weeks.(Fitz Motorsports PR)(3-21-2007)
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