March 23, 2015
- Entry List for the STP 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway is posted, 46 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including: #25-Chase Elliott (making his Cup debut), #30-Hornaday, #32-Bliss, #33-Kennedy, #44-TBA, #83-DeBenedetto. MWR has not announced who will be in the #55, but Moffitt is expected to drive.
Drivers who need to be in the top-36 in speed and have no provisional available to them (lowest in owners points): #44-TBA (48th in owner points), #30-Hornaday (46th), #25-Elliott (none)
Drivers who would miss the race if qualifying is canceled (least race attempts): #44-TBA (4 attempts, 46th owner pts), #30-Hornaday (2, 48th) #25-Elliott (none)
See the full entry list at my Jayski.com’s Entry List page
- NASCAR explains calls at end of race: Kurt Busch appeared set to earn his first Sprint Cup victory of the season before a caution with less than two laps remaining in the scheduled 200-lap race ended up foiling those plans Sunday at Auto Club Speedway. The debris caution came out for what NASCAR said was a piece of metal between turns 3 and 4. Busch, no doubt in frustration of seeing a potential Auto Club 400 win slip away, radioed to his team: “WWE,” a reference to the popular wresting shows and staged results.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director Richard Buck said Sunday afternoon that the officials in race control had enough confirmation from their officials in the area that there was a piece of metal on the track. Because drivers tend to use the entire width of the speedway surface at this track, any piece of metal on the track surface typically results in a caution, Buck said. Buck said the piece of debris was hit by another car after he had called for the caution. “If there’s any question whatsoever, we’re going to throw the caution,” Buck said. “There was a lot of paper flying around today, a lot of paper trash and plastic bags and those kinds of things. We got definite confirmation that it was debris and it looked like a piece of metal. It’s strictly a process that we go through [to call a caution]. We don’t have any favorites. We try to keep every emotion out of it. .. We feel very, very confident about our actions.”
On the last lap, Greg Biffle spun on the frontstretch. NASCAR opted to let the race play out instead of ending the race under caution, and Biffle was able to drive away before the leaders had circled the 2-mile track. At Daytona earlier this year, NASCAR threw the caution on the final lap in order to get safety vehicles on to the track and tend to the drivers involved. “Safety is No. 1; we always make our best effort to let it race back and we had a well over a mile [remaining],” Buck said. “The leaders were coming off of [Turn] 2. We had multiple people watching. … Biffle got it started back up and got it turned around and headed off. We had two folks in the flagstand that were right there on top of it. We had a bird’s-eye view from their perspective that there was no debris right there so we could let it come back to a natural finish.”(ESPN.com)(3-23-2015)
- Furniture Row Racing looking for sponsorship, ability to expand: Ever since its formation in 2005, Furniture Row Racing has been a self-sponsored team, with the name of owner Barney Visser’s business on the fenders of the team’s black #78 Chevy. But that could be about to change. In an exclusive interview with FOXSports.com, team General Manager Joe Garone said the team is actively looking for a primary sponsor for next year, with the eventual goal of becoming a multi-car team. “I think there’s a misconception that we’re sponsored and we’re really not,” Garone told FOXSports.com. “Our owner owns a company that sponsors the car, but we really would like to find a partner to come on board with us to be a part of the program. I think it will enhance our team and make it more competitive.” Asked if Furniture Row wants to become a multi-car team, Garone said, “Ultimately, absolutely. We’d like to bring some sponsorship on the 78 car and then, obviously, full sponsorship on a second program.” Garone said the Denver-based team would benefit from having a second car.(FoxSports)(3-23-2015)
- Truex, Jr. ties last year’s top 10s: #78-Martin Truex Jr. finished eighth at Auto Club Speedway Sunday. By scoring a fifth straight top-10 finish, Truex, Jr. equaled a career best for consecutive top 10s. The five top 10s to start the season equals the number of top 10s Truex had all of last year, his first season with Furniture Row Racing.(Furniture Row Racing)(3-23-2015)
- Auto Club Race and Commercial Breakdown: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday’s race. Began recording the times at the Invocation of the race at 3:30 PM, and stopped at the waving of the checkered flag at 6:50 PM (all times are EST). Fox was the broadcast team for this event.
Total number of commercials: 108
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 60
Number of traditional commercials (not split-screen): 101
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 56
Number of ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials during race broadcast (split-screen): 7
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 6
Number of times Fox utilized ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials during this broadcast: 1
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast (including company logos ‘floating’ in corners of the screen): 88
Total amount of time these brief promos take during broadcast: app. 4 min.
Start time to record race/commercial periods: 3:30 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 6:50 PM
Total minutes of complete race broadcast: 200
Minutes of race broadcast: 151
Minutes of traditional commercials (not split-screen): 49
Minutes of ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials (split-screen): 3
Number of missed restarts: 0
Number of ‘mystery cautions’ (debris not shown): 3
Total race brdcst time 151 Total comm. brdcst time 49
See full reports, sponsor links, much more details at CawsnJaws.com.(3-23-2015)
- Entry list: There are 36 trucks on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. A few notes:
Cole Custer is in the #00 for JR Motorsports;
Gray Gaulding is in the #7 for Red Horse Racing;
John Hunter Nemechek is in the #8;
Joey Logano is in the #29 for BKR;
Tommy Regan is in the #35 for WinTron Racing;
Jake Griffin is expected in the #63, though it is listed as TBA;
The #74 is TBA;
Charles Buchanan, Jr. is in the #87;
David Gilliland is in the #92;
(3-23-2015)
See the complete list on the Martinsville entry list page.
- Gaulding, NTS part ways as he joins Red Horse UPDATE: NTS Motorsports announces that Gray Gaulding and Gray Gaulding Racing have parted ways with the team, effective immediately. NTS Motorsports, which was founded by Bob Newberry in Bakersfield, California, competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour, in addition to developing young talent in the ARCA Racing Series and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. NTS Motorsports first partnered with Gaulding and GGR in 2014, with the 17-year-old Colonial Heights, Virginia native competing full time in the NKNPSE, in addition to participating in nine NCWTS races and two NKNPSW events. “I am very appreciative of Gray [Gaulding] and everything that Gray Gaulding Racing did to help NTS Motorsports during their time with us,” said team owner Bob Newberry. “I wish them nothing but good luck in the future.”(NTS Motorsports)
AND: Gaulding is entered for Martinsville in the #7 Toyota for Red Horse Racing.(3-23-2015)
UPDATE: This morning during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in Clemmons, N.C. Gray Gaulding announced he will reunite with Toyota Racing in partnership with Red Horse Racing in the NASCAR Camping Word Truck Series and Precision Performance Motorsports for the remaining NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule. Gaulding, a second year member of the NASCAR Next class, announced that he will compete for Red Horse Racing in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway and is working on adding additional races in the #7 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Toyota Tundra. Butch Hylton will serve as crew chief of the No. 7 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Toyota Tundra, Hylton has multiple wins in the NCWTS including sweeping both races in 2010 at Martinsville Speedway. Gaulding is currently third in the NKNPSE championship point standings and will race the remaining 13-race schedule in the #20 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Toyota Camry for Precision Performance Motorsports out of Yorktown, Virginia.(See an image of the truck on the #7 Team Paint Schemes page)(White Gaulding Partners)(3-23-2015)
- GMS hopes to help grow area with relocation: GMS Racing, operating at 310 Aviation Drive adjacent to the Statesville Regional Airport in Statesville, N.C., is being officially welcomed to the area by the Statesville Regional Development group on Tuesday, March 24th. Before the 2015 season, GMS Racing relocated to the 150,000 plus square-foot, three building complex, where they occupy a 51,000 square foot race shop just south of downtown Statesville. The facility is home to GMS Racing’s #23 and #33 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams and their #23 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards program. For the first time in its existence, GMS Racing will operate two full-time NCWTS teams and an ARCA Racing Series program. The organization’s relocation into the Statesville facility from Charlotte is vital to develop GMS Racing into a championship-caliber team in professional motorsports circuits. GMS Racing wants to play a significant role in helping to grow Statesville, and will soon be joined on Aviation Drive by Brad Keselowski Racing at the Statesville Regional Airport. In partnering with the Statesville Regional Development group, GMS Racing’s relocation contributes to Statesville’s growth by adding to the motorsports environment in the area. GMS Racing’s main building sits adjacent to two additional buildings, also owned by the organization, that are currently available for rent which feature prime location and suitable layouts for motorsport operations.(GMS Racing)(3-23-2015)
- New sponsor for Cobb: Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing (JJCR) announces two new sponsors for this week’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. Ron’s Sports Cards RonsSportsCards.com is a Witherbee, New York based, online specialty sports cards and memorabilia business and will appear on the #10 Chevrolet Silverado’s TV Panel. HuntinatorHuntinator.com is an online apparel brand representing all things outdoors, for men and women. Jennifer Jo Cobb will wear items from the Huntinator women’s line during the weekend of the race. Driven2Honor, a charity to honor female service members will be the primary sponsor. Cobb is currently 16th in the standings and will compete in her 100th NCWTS race later this year. Her fans are celebrating the accomplishment on social media with #JJC100.(JJCR)(3-23-2015)
- Martinsville to install tire barriers: After a full track evaluation by NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation (ISC), Martinsville Speedway will add to its existing barrier system in advance of the STP 500 weekend March 27-29. Tire pack barriers will be installed on the inside wall at the end of the backstretch, prior to the entrance of pit road. “We are committed to the continued safety of the drivers and our fans,” said Clay Campbell, Martinsville Speedway President. “We will continue to collaborate with ISC and NASCAR for additional safety enhancements deemed necessary.”(Martinsville Speedway)(3-23-2015)
- Sad News – Earl Baltes: Earl Baltes, the founder and longtime promoter of Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, passed away this morning at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. He was 93. He is survived by Berneice, his wife of 67 years; daughter, Starr, and her husband, Joe Schmitmeyer; son, Terry, and his wife, Dee; beloved sister, Susie Barga, and six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Baltes built Eldora in 1954, first as a quarter-mile before shaping the track into its popular high-banked, half-mile oval configuration in 1958. Since then, it has become the premier dirt track in the United States. Under Baltes, the facility began hosting the highly successful Famous World 100 for Dirt Late Models, now the largest dirt race in the world, and the Dirt Late Model Dream, the richest dirt late model race in the world. A fan of sprint car racing, Baltes took great pride in his fabled Kings Royal Weekend for World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and many United States Auto Club (USAC) events, including the Four Crown Nationals. Races at Eldora were shown on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” with Keith Jackson and Al Michaels as broadcasters. ESPN, CBS and TNN also televised events that helped put Eldora on the map. Despite the track’s growing popularity, Baltes kept ticket prices affordable and concessions costs low, which continued to attract fans from around the world. In 2001, Baltes posted a remarkable $1 million payout to the winner of the “Eldora Million” Dirt Late Model race and followed that with the “Mopar Million” in 2003, which had a purse of $1 million and paid $200,000 to the winner of a non-winged sprint car race. He was inducted into many Halls of Fame, including National Sprint Car, National Dirt Late Model, USAC, Dayton Auto Racing Fans and Hoosier Auto Racing Fans, and was named USAC Race Organizer of the Year in 1984 and 1997. He was named Auto Racing Promoter of the Year in 1993, and fellow iconic promoter H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler recognized him with the Charlotte Motor Speedway Promoter of the Year Award in 2001. The state of Ohio named Route 118 “Earl Baltes Highway” from Ansonia to the south to St. Henry to the north. In 2004, Baltes began to think about selling Eldora. Despite several suitors, he reached out to a driver whose style he had always admired, three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion and former Eldora driver Tony Stewart. The sale was completed in the fall of 2004.(Eldora Speedway)(3-23-2015)
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