March 22, 2005
- Testing dates set at Lowe’s Motor Speedway: Lowe’s Motor Speedway has scheduled 35 hours of open testing for NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and NEXTEL Cup Series teams in preparation for the track’s slate of May races, including the May 21 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and the May 29 Coca-Cola 600.
The testing schedule:
April 26, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
May 3-4, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
May 9-10, NASCAR Busch Series, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Many of the bumps in the track’s racing surface were removed recently during an asphalt grinding process and the testing sessions mark the first, and only, opportunity for teams to experiment with the new surface prior to the May events. Lowe’s Motor Speedway’s frontstretch grandstand will be open free of charge during each testing session. Fans should enter through Gate 5A next to the ticket office on the second floor of Smith Tower.(LMS)(3-22-2005)
- #99 Almost Full of Sponsors: The #99 Roush Racing Ford has sponsors listed for all but the two New Hamphsire races. Scotts/Ortho, Office Depot will be the sponsor for most of the races, along with AAA [2 races at MIS and 1 at Indy], World Financial Group [3 races – Las Vegas and Tallagega – Oct and with Aegon at Pocono in June], Pennzoil at Dayotna in July and something called Renessaince at Kansas [possibly something to do with the Kansas City Renaissance Festival in Kansas City]. Some rumors for sponsors at New Hampshire include the Boston Red Sox and Intel.(Roush Racing site)(3-23-2005)
- So who to the #6 car in 2006? Carl Edwards, driver of the #99 Roush Racing Ford, is no longer is slated to replace Mark Martin [retires from Cup at end of 2005] in the No. 6 after this season. “It’s pretty obvious he’s found a home in the 99,” Smith says. “We’re going to have to fill the 6 with someone else, and we don’t know who that someone else might be.” Smith says they will look at current Roush truck series driver Ricky Craven, a former Cup veteran, for the ride. But he expects other drivers in the garage to be interested: “That’s a fantastic ride that’s going to be available.”(USA Today)(3-22-2005)
- Osborne Wins WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race: Carl Edwards didn’t think life could get any better after winning the Aaron’s 312 on Saturday afternoon. Little did he know that he would eclipse his shining moment the very next day. In stunning fashion, Edwards followed up his Busch Series triumph with a victory in the Golden Coral 500. His team, led by crew chief Bob Osborne, kept Edwards in the hunt all race long, setting the stage for a dramatic last lap pass over Jimmie Johnson for the win. Osborne’s performance earned him the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. The panel of voters, Rick Minter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, a WYPALL Wipers representative and Robbie Reiser, all agreed Osborne outshined the competition. “He (Osborne) made all of the right adjustments during the race,” said Minter. “He made the car its best when it mattered the most.” Osborne won $1000 for picking up the Crew Chief of the Race award. He is now tied with Alan Gustafson, Pete Rondeau and Doug Richert in the point standings for the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year. At the end of the season, the crew chief with the most weekly wins will receive $20,000.(WypAll Wipers)(3-22-2005)
- Sad News: Angela Broome “Angie” Skog, 36, passed away on Saturday, March 19, 2005 at her home. She was born on May 1, 1968 to Thomas Richard and Sarah Jenkins Broome of Concord. Angie was a graduate of West Charlotte High School, Class of ’85, and of UNC-Charlotte, Class of ’90, where she earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She worked with Ricky Rudd Racing team as office manager [and fanclub]. In addition to her parents, she is survived by her husband, David ‘Dave’ Vernon Skog; sister, Lisa B. Daniels and husband Michael of Randleman, NC; and niece, Jennifer Lynn Daniels. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, 2005 in the chapel of Raymer Funeral Home with Rev. Kyle Hite of Rocky River Presbyterian Church officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior and one hour following the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; Humane Society of Concord and Greater Cabarrus County, 244 Hwy 29 S, Concord, NC 28027; or Motor Racing Outreach, Smith Tower, Suite 405, 5555 Concord Pkwy S, Concord, NC 28027.(a guest book can be signed at the Charlotte Observer) and see a sticker Rudd had on his Atlanta car the Wood Brothers site.(3-22-2005)
- East Tennessee Trailers to sponsor Hermie in four races: East Tennessee Trailers will be the primary sponsor of the #66 Peak Performance Motorsports Ford driven by Hermie Sadler in four NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races in 2005, beginning with the Food City 500 on April 3, at Bristol Motor Speedway. ETT, a season-long associate of the Peak Performance #66, will also be primary sponsor for Darlington in May as well as the fall races at Talladega and Martinsville. In addition to carrying the East Tennessee Trailers colors at Bristol, the car will also carry the Autism Awareness ribbon to signify April as Autism Awareness Month. Jeff Stec, owner of Peak Performance Motorsports, agrees that the ETT association is a good fit. “As we continue to grow our team, it is important that we have quality marketing partners to help us get where we want to go. ETT understands the loyalty of NASCAR fans and we look forward to a good run for them.” Hermie Sadler will visit ETT’s new manufacturing plant in Oneida, Tennessee on Thursday, March 31 to meet with ETT employees and dealers. For more information on East Tennessee Trailer products and dealers, visit www.ettrailers.com.(PSE-3)(3-22-2005)
- Man Found Dead in RV at AMS: A man was found dead of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning Monday morning inside an RV at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Henry County police said today. Police Lt. Jason Bolton said the RV’s generator leaked, causing the deadly fumes to accumulate and kill B. Christopher Thompson, 37, of Ball Ground, GA. Thompson’s wife, Lori Thompson, 34, was airlifted to Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta. The hospital refused to give information on her condition Monday afternoon. Bolton said the couple spent the weekend in the 1996 Dolphin 535 mobile home while attending the Golden Corral 500 at the racetrack in Hampton. Friends staying in another mobile home found the couple about 10:30am/et Monday. The group had decided to return home Monday rather than fight the traffic Sunday night, Bolton said. Foul play is not suspected and an autopsy will be performed Tuesday.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(3-22-2005)
- Pattie Petty on A&E Special Presentation: Pattie Petty, wife of NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Kyle Petty, driver of the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge, will be one of four wives featured in A&E’s special presentation: SPORTS WIVES, premiering Wednesday, March 23, 9:00-11:00pm/et. The behind-the-scenes feature will profile Petty at the track and at home giving viewers a look at what it is like to be a wife of a professional athlete. The feature will also highlight Petty’s dedication to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, a charitable organization aimed at enriching the lives of children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Victory Junction was founded by the Petty’s in honor of their son Adam. The A&E Network spent time filming Petty during the later part of the 2004 season.(Williams Company)(3-22-2005)
- AAA Salutes Edwards: “On behalf of the six AAA clubs in The Auto Club Group, I want to offer warm congratulations to Carl Edwards on the occasion of his first victory in a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race,” Charles Podowski, president/CEO of The Auto Club Group said today. “Carl’s dramatic finish in the Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday is a tribute to his driving skill and persistence and the excellent support he receives from his Roush Racing Teammates. The Auto Club Group is proud to be one of Carl’s primary sponsors for this year’s NEXTEL Cup season,” Podowski said. The Auto Club Group has signed on to be the primary sponsor of Edwards’ AAA Car #99 Ford Taurus in three NEXTEL Cup races this year and as an associate sponsor in the 35 other events. This is Edwards’ first full year on the NEXTEL Cup circuit. Edwards will be making his first appearance under The Auto Club Group’s principal sponsorship in the June 19 NEXTEL Cup race at Michigan International Speedway. He will also compete with representatives of Michigan news media in a simulator race on Thursday, June (Yahoo Finance)(3-22-2005)
- Goodyear Tire Testing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway UPDATE: Joe Nemechek and the #01 U.S. Army team will participate in a Goodyear tire test Monday, March 21st at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Nemechek will be the first NEXTEL Cup driver to circle the speedway since engineers used a combination of Global Positioning System technology and three-dimensional laser mapping to smooth the 1.5-mile racing surface.(LMS)(3-19-2005)
UPDATE: After several laps at Lowe’s Motor Speedway during a Goodyear tire test Monday, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series veteran Joe Nemechek believes track officials have achieved their goal of creating more side-by-side racing at the legendary 1.5-mile superspeedway. In preparation for the May races including the May 29 Coca-Cola 600 and May 21 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, engineers recently used a combination of Global Positioning System technology and three-dimensional laser mapping to smooth the track’s asphalt surface. “It’s going to make for more side-by-side racing,” Nemechek said after climbing from his #01 U.S. Army Chevrolet. “The grinding has added so much more grip, and it’s not just around the bottom. It’s from the bottom to the wall, and that’s a very good thing when you are trying to race around the high groove. I’ve been running right around the bottom, trying to do the same thing every lap to give Goodyear some feedback,” Nemechek continued. “But I’ve slid up a little bit and there is still a lot of grip. It might even be faster up high.” With his Chevrolet in race trim, Nemechek consistently ran lap times close to Ryan Newman’s 188.877-mph track qualifying record.(LMS)(3-22-2005)
- Dyno Testing at Atlanta: NASCAR got its first good look at chassis dyno numbers of engines under the new RPM-limiting rules. The Jimmie Johnson, Dave Blaney, Michael Waltrip, Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray cars were tested.(Winston Salem Journal), no results or who was the best mentioned.(3-22-2005)
- May be too late to get back in top-10 by race 26 for some: For a number of top drivers, this year’s championship may already be out of reach – if historical precedent means anything. If a team isn’t in the top-20 by this point of the season, it may be all over but the shouting, judging by statistics over the last 30 years. Since 1975 only 28 drivers have worked their way back into the top 10 by the 26-race mark after falling below 20th in the standings in the opening month of the season. That stat has to be worrisome for NASCAR top-dogs who are currently not in the top-20, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. (26th), Michael Waltrip (27th), Kasey Kahne (28th), Matt Kenseth (31st) and Bobby Labonte (37th).(Winston Salem Journal)(3-22-2005)
- Sam Bass Gibson guitar at Nashville: Capitol Records Nashville Artist Jamie O’Neal unveiled the Sam Bass Designed Gibson Les Paul Guitar Trophy for the Pepsi 300 recently. The coveted trophy will be awarded to the winner of the Pepsi 300 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, March 26. O’Neal will perform at the Pepsi 300 in a post race concert. The long-running tradition of awarding the guitar in Victory Circle goes back to the Nashville Fairground’s Speedway. Opening in 2001, Nashville Superspeedway signed an exclusive agreement with Gibson Guitar and NASCAR Official Artist Sam Bass. Tickets for the PFG Lester 150 ARCA RE/MAX Series race and the Pepsi 300 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, March 26 are on sale now by calling toll-free 1-866-RACE-TIX or online at www.nashvillesuperspeedway.com. All race tickets include two races, all the pre race festivities, and the post race Capitol Concert Series. For more information on Sam Bass, please visit www.sambass.com.(3-22-2005)
- Curb Agajanian Motorsports to run 12 races UPDATE 2: Mike Curb and Cary Agajanian, owners of #43 Curb Agajanian Motorsports Dodge, announced today that a twelve-race schedule with Busch Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year Contender A.J. Fike, NASCAR Busch Series Champion Jeff Green, and Channellock, Inc. has been finalized for the 2005 NASCAR Busch Series season. Fike will begin his campaign for the 2005 Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award in a Channellock backed Dodge at Daytona. Jeff Green will pilot the Channellock entry for both Busch Series events at Bristol Motor Speedway. The #43 will sport the familiar Channellock Blue at the Busch Series events held at Daytona, California, Bristol, Texas, Lowe’s, Talladega and Chicago. Curb Agajanian Motorsports will be making further announcements on their additional partners for the remainder of the year.(Curb/Agajanian PR via BGNRacing.com)(2-3-2005)
UPDATE: hearing Harold Holly, current #32 PPI Motorsports crew chief, will be the crew chief for Green at Bristol. Holly and Green teamed up for the Busch Series championship in 2000.(3-21-2005)
UPDATE 2: been told Holly will NOT crew chief the #43 Dodge at Nashville and that Charles Wright will be on the box, replacing Joe Shear who went to the #1 Team Yellow car.(3-22-2005)
- FitzBradshaw Racing and St. Jude announcement: FitzBradshaw Racing and St. Jude to hold press conference to announce details of newly formed partnership on Saturday, March 26 at Nashville Superspeedway. The relationship between FitzBradshaw and St. Jude began in October 2004 when FitzBradshaw owner Armando Fitz visited the hospital while in town to attend the Busch Series Sam’s Town 250, which benefits St. Jude. In January 2005, FitzBradshaw co-owner Mimi Fitz visited the hospital along with FitzBradshaw sponsors and the idea for a partnership developed. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, based in Memphis, Tennessee, is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude covers all costs for medical care not covered by insurance, regardless of a family’s ability to pay, and families without insurance are never asked to pay.(3-22-2005)
- #63 News: Justin Allgaier will drive the #63 Mittler Brothers Ford for their limited schedule in the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.(PR)(3-22-2005)
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