March 23, 2006
- Penalties/Fines/Suspensions from Atlanta Infractions: NASCAR announced today that penalties have been issued to two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams, as a result of rule violations this past weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Rodney Childers, crew chief for the #10 Valvoline Dodge driven by Scott Riggs, has been fined $10,000 for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-W (improperly attached weight) of the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup rule book. The violation was discovered during practice.
Larry Hyder, crew chief for the #21 Little Debbie’s Ford driven by Ken Schrader, has been fined $1,000 for violating Sections 12-4-A; 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment that do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-3.2.3A (unapproved side window). The violation was discovered during pre-qualifying inspection.
Additionally, Thomas Harris, a member of the #66 Best Buy race team, has been fined $5,000 and indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing/unauthorized duplication of a NASCAR Annual Credential). (NASCAR PR)(3-23-2006)
- Food City to help sponsor #4 car at Bristol: Morgan-McClure Motorsports announced that Food City will again partner with the Abingdon, VA-based team for this weekend’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The associate sponsorship marks the fifth consecutive event at Bristol in which the supermarket chain has adorned the sides of #4 Aero Exhaust Chevy driven by Scott Wimmer. Steve Smith, President and CEO of Food City, Quotes: “Food City is excited to again partner with our friends and neighbors at Morgan-McClure Motorsports. We look forward to seeing the Food City colors flying around Bristol Motor Speedway and nothing would make us happier than to have Scott Wimmer join us in Victory Lane.” Larry McClure, President of Morgan-McClure Motorsports, Quotes: “We’re very excited to have Food City partner with our race team for the Food City 500. Food City has contributed a great deal to the racing community over the years and with Morgan-McClure and Food City both being local companies; it is a privilege for us to include them in our racing program.”(Morgan-McClure Motorsports PR)(2-23-2006)
- Rookie News and Notes: Reed Sorenson was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the March 20 Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sorenson finished 10th, his first top-10 finish in six NEXTEL Cup Series starts and took top rookie honors for the first time this season. The finish was the best effort of Sorenson’s NEXTEL Cup career. His previous best effort came February 26 at California Speedway where he logged a 21st-place finish. A different driver has claimed the honor in each of the first four NEXTEL Cup Series races in 2006. A Raybestos Rookie has finished in the top 10 in all four NEXTEL Cup Series races this season. Clint Bowyer holds a five-point advantage over J.J. Yeley (43-38) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the March 26 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Bowyer is the only Raybestos Rookie that ranks in the top 10 in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings. He is currently 10th entering the Bristol event, 19 behind ninth-place Dale Jarrett. A Raybestos Rookie has finished in the top-10 in three of the last four Food City 500 races at Bristol: Kvapil, Greg Biffle (fifth in 2003) and Jimmie Johnson (seventh in 2002). The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in the Food City 500 came in 1979 when Dale Earnhardt scored his first career win.(Raybestos PR), see more notes, standings on my ROTY Page.(3-23-2006)
- Menards/Energizer on the #7 Hood: This is the first time this season that Menards/Energizer will be primary sponsors of the #7 Chevy of Robby Gordon. Menards, dedicated to service and quality, is a steadily growing home super center currently adding locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Jim Beam, Harrah’s and CarLoan.com will act as associate sponsors this weekend.(Robby Gordon Motorsports PR)(3-23-2006)
- Sharpie Scheme back UPDATE: This weekend at the Bristol Motor Speedway marks the first of five races for Jamie McMurray behind the wheel of the black and red #26 Sharpie Ford Fusion.(Roush Racing PR)(3-22-2006)
UPDATE: Sharpie welcomes Jamie McMurray to the family this Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. McMurray will take the wheel of the #26 Sharpie ‘MINI’ Ford Fusion for the first time on Sunday, March 26 during the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race, the Food City 500. McMurray will drive the special Sharpie MINI paint scheme that will be featured at five races in 2006 [both Bristol’s, Chicago, New Hampshire in July and ]. Emblazoned with new Sharpie MINI marker, the look highlights a 16-color, “pint-sized” marker series with a clip. In tribute to its latest innovation, Sharpie also renamed its spring NASCAR Busch Series event at BMS the Sharpie MINI 300. The Sharpie MINI 300, slated for Saturday, March 25, now includes 50 additional laps of Bristol action. The race was formerly known as the Sharpie Professional 250. Sharpie MINI markers are available in 16-colors: black, red, blue, green, orange, berry, lime, aqua, purple, plum, navy, burgundy, turquoise, tangerine, magenta and lilac. The suggested retail price for 4-, 8-, and 12-packs is $5.93, $11.73, and $17.78, respectively. Single Sharpie Minis are also available with a lanyard option for the suggested retail price of $1.99. Sharpie markers are available at office supply stores and other retailers nationwide. For more information, go to sharpie.com.(Sharpie PR)(3-23-2006)
- Mears Tested at Caraway: #42-Casey Mears, crew chief Donnie Wingo and the Texaco/Havoline team tested at Caraway Speedway last week and on Wednesday in preparation for the Food City 500 at Bristol and next week’s race at Martinsville.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)(3-23-2006)
- Kingsport mayor to give Martin key to the city: Kingsport Mayor Dennis Phillips will present the key to the Model City to NASCAR driver Mark Martin today – officially proclaimed “Mark Martin Day” by the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen earlier this week. The key to the city presentation will come during a larger ceremony this afternoon as Food City honors Martin, driver of Roush Racing’s #6 Ford Fusion, sponsored by AAA. It marks the first time Kingsport has given a key to the city to a NASCAR driver, said Kingsport Community Relations Officer Dave Light. Key to the city presentations are not common in Kingsport, he said. Allison David, marketing events coordinator for Food City, said the practice has been a yearly event for Family Race Night events in Bristol each August. “Both Bristol, Tennessee, and Bristol, Virginia, have done it every year for whomever we honor,” David said. “We’re excited that Kingsport is participating and that Mayor Phillips himself is going to make the presentation.” Food City suggested Martin for the honor because he is retiring this year, David said. Light said the keys given out by Kingsport are ordered special made by the city, and they are basically 6-inch metal skeleton keys with the city seal on them. “It makes a nice keepsake and memento,” Light said. “They’re normally given to non-residents who through their activities and contributions – philanthropic or business or political or whatever – have benefited the city and its citizens. Mark Martin races very cleanly and represents very good principles of good sportsmanship and good citizenship. He is well-liked and can serve as a good role model for the young people of our region.”(Kingsport Times-News)(3-23-2006)
- American Idol star visits DEI: “American Idol” Bo Bice and his band, Sugarland Money, paid a visit to Dale Earnhardt, Inc. on Tuesday afternoon to check out where their favorite race team builds the cars for their favorite drivers. They were en route to a gig in Spartanburg, SC on Wednesday night. Having just left Columbia, SC earlier in the day with Charlotte radio interviews on tap for Wednesday morning, Bice and his band realized DEI in Mooresville was a doable stop on the way. They pulled up in their tour bus and took a behind-the-scenes view of our facility. Joining in the tour was Taylor Earnhardt, herself. She and Bice had their picture taken by a #8 car with a large photo of her dad, Dale, in the background. She offered interesting insights about the buildings and different aspects of DEI. During his tour, Bice was easily recognized by most of the employees. He gladly stopped, talked to everyone, posed for pictures and signed autographs. Even some fans who were outside the large glass doors of the Interior Showroom recognized Bice and got his attention. During his tour, Bice and the band stopped into the #8 Budweiser shop. There, Brian Cram (Shop Foreman) talked to them in more depth about race cars, how much they weigh and how many cars the team works on at one time. He even put Bice in the primary car for the upcoming Martinsville Speedway.(DEI PR)(3-23-2006)
- Robertson to Drive for MacDonald in Bristol: An agreement reached between Jerry Robertson and MacDonald Motorsports will see Robertson driving in the Busch race on March 25th at Bristol. This one-race deal puts the Arvada, CO competitor behind the wheel of the #72 Chevrolet Monte Carlo with sponsorship from Furniture Row’s Denver Mattress Company.(Jerry Robertson Racing PR)(3-23-2006)
- BHR2 Changes Name, Plans Busch Races Later This Year: BHR2 will now be known as Curry Racing as Ray Montgomery has joined forces with Julius Curry, who played three games for the Detriot Lions in 2003. The team plans to field entries in the Craftsman Truck Series on a part-time basis for Chase Montgomery with plans to run Busch Series events later in the season.(NASCAR Scene)(3-23-2006)
- Waltrip to Field Toyota in Busch in 2007: Michael Waltrip confirmed March 17 that Michael Waltrip Racing will field at least one full-time Toyota team in the Busch Series in 2007. “I’m not going to drive them all, but I’m going to have a team or two [in every race],” Waltrip said. Aaron’s will remain as the sponsor.(NASCAR Scene)(3-23-2006)
- Park to the #59? UPDATE: hearing Steve Park will drive the #59 Harris Trucking Truck at Atlanta and it could be a Ford…not a Dodge.(3-6-2006)
UPDATE 1: from the steve-park.com site: “I am really excited to drive for Jim Harris and the #59 Ford in Atlanta. I am thrilled to get behind the wheel in Atlanta, which is the fastest track on the schedule. I am still working with my sponsors in reaching a full-time deal for the remainder of this season and beyond.”(Steve-park.com)(3-7-2006)
UPDATE 2: The #59 HT Motorsports team announced two changes heading into the third event of the Truck Series, the John Deere 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 17th. Steve Park will take over driving duties for the team and the race shop is busy putting the finishing touches on a Ford F-150, rather than the Dodge Ram they have entered in events since their inception. So far, the team still plans to field Dodge Ram trucks at racetracks less than a mile and a half in length. The Ford trucks will be built for the intermediate and superspeedway racetracks.(HT Motorsports PR)(3-10-2006)
UPDATE 3: Steve Park has announced that he will be back behind the wheel of the #59 Harris Trucking Truck at Martinsville on April 1. (steve-park.com)(3-23-2006)
- Footballers start Race Team: Football hall of famer Gale Sayers and World Champion MVP Ray Lewis, along with entrepreneur Mark Bloomquist, have formed The Milestone Company. The operation will run both cars and trucks under its new name: S&L Racing. The team will be headquartered in North Carolina. S&L Racing’s mission is to develop a winning race team that provides opportunities for minorities and women in the sport. To achieve their objective, S&L Racing will start from scratch, working their way up to the Nextel Cup Series. The team plans to start racing this season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The Milestone Company will work with NASCAR, other racing teams and organizations, and corporations to assist in providing opportunities for those looking to make a career out of racing. For more information on S&L Racing, contact the team at 336-389-1700.(FoxSports/Newswire/S&L Racing)(3-23-2006)
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997