March 26, 2015
- NASCAR sends Fontana-used tires for further evaluation: NASCAR confirmed Wednesday that it sent some of the tires used by teams at Auto Club Speedway for further evaluation in a third-party review. The tires of #4-Kevin Harvick, #41-Kurt Busch, #27-Paul Menard and #31-Ryan Newman were taken after Sunday’s Auto Club 400 and brought to the R&D Center in Concord, N.C., as part of what NASCAR deems a “tire audit.” NASCAR wouldn’t confirm which tires were sent for more examination, nor where they were sent. Goodyear is uninvolved in the process. The decision to confiscate the tires for further scrutiny was made independent of the tire supplier and unrelated to durability. Goodyear occasionally keeps tires for further examination (such as with tire failures on the cars of Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. last October at Kansas Speedway). It was the second consecutive Sprint Cup race that NASCAR conducted a tire audit. After the March 15 race at Phoenix International Raceway, NASCAR checked the tires used by Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick and found nothing out of the ordinary. NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell told SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s NASCAR channel that the audits were “just something we like to do every once in a while.”(NBC Sports)(3-26-2015)
- Fox tested virtual reality system in Fontana: Fox Sports is exploring virtual reality with NextVR, a technology company that captures and delivers live and on-demand virtual reality experiences. The network tested the experience last weekend at Auto Club Speedway in California, where NextVR enabled the live streaming of the race in virtual reality. NextVR’s software application, which is embedded in a mobile phone that is then connected to a Samsung Gear VR headset, enables viewers to experience the event as if they were there. The footage was streamed to Fox Sports executives and producers working from the at-track television compound. Two cameras captured 180-degree and 360-degree views from an area on pit road and a second spot between the track and the pits. “NextVR has spent the last six years perfecting their VR technology, which made them the logical first choice for Fox Sports to partner with for this test,” said Mike Davies, Fox Sports senior vice president of field operation. “NextVR currently is one of the only companies with the ability to transmit live in VR, and their technology is built on a broadcast platform, making it infinitely scalable.”(Associated Press)(3-26-2015)
- New sponsors on the #51 at Martinsville: This weekend, the Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E) and Switch Hitch adorn the #51 Chevy driven by Justin Allgaier as co-primary sponsors. F.O.E is an international non-profit membership exclusive organization that gives back in the form of grants and hosts fundraisers to assist charities. F.O.E has over 800,000 members, with more than 1,300 in the women’s auxiliary. Switch Hitch was invented by Terry Brinkley after he experienced problems with traditional hitch balls. Switch Hitch is a tri-ball hitch system designed to quickly switch from one ball to another through a patented switching and locking mechanism.(HScott Motorsports), see an image of the car on the #51 team paint schemes page.(3-26-2015)
- TaxACT on the #10 at Martinsville: When Danica Patrick returns to make her fifth Sprint Cup start at Martinsville this weekend, her #10 Chevy SS will feature a much different look as it carries the colors of TaxACT, the official tax preparation service partner of Patrick and SHR. TaxACT is the maker of do-it-yourself digital tax filing solutions that help millions of Americans file their taxes. The company makes its on-track debut as a primary Sprint Cup sponsor with Patrick and SHR during the height of tax season as consumers are ready to file their annual income tax returns. TaxACT was the pioneer of free federal tax filing in 2005 and has continued to provide truly free federal tax return filing with no restrictions every year since.(Stewart-Haas Racing), see an image of the car on the #10 team paint schemes page.(3-26-2015)
- Widow Wax joins Front Row Motorsports: Widow Wax Products joins Front Row Motorsports as an official car detailing partner for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The Woodward, Okla.-based company works closely with paint manufacturers, and other OEM suppliers to develop some of the industry’s most advanced detailing products in the marketplace. Widow Wax is fully committed to manufacture these products with the environment in mind, as it strives to offer products that are safe for customers and the environment, manufactured and packaged at its 65,000-square-foot facility right here in the USA.(Front Row Motorsports)(3-26-2015)
- Logano participates in seat swap with Cruz Pedregon: Snap-on sponsored NHRA Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon and Snap-on sponsored Team Penske driver #22-Joey Logano swapped racing roles Wednesday when Pedregon got behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup Series car and Logano powered a Cobra Jet during the “Snap-on Seat Swap.” The event offered Pedregon the opportunity to “take turns” at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Logano runs down the quarter on the neighboring zMAX Dragway prior to this weekend’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. Pedregon, who comes from a family of drag racers, walked Logano through the car before heading to the pit to fire up the Cobra Jet and go through the steps of making a pass. Pedregon and Logano made several practice runs in a side-by-side Cobra Jet before the Daytona 500 winner took three drag racing runs on his own. The session ended at zMAX with Pedregon, a two-time Funny Car champion, making a solo run before lunch. Logano followed by walking Pedregon through the garage area at Charlotte Motor Speedway, giving him the rundown of a Sprint Cup Series car. Pedregon rode with Logano around the 1.5 mile oval, before making three solo runs.(Team Penske)(3-26-2015)
- Martinsville Speedway Notes & Facts – Thursday – history:
· Opened in September 1947 by H. Clay Earles, Martinsville, originally a dirt track, is one of the oldest continuously-operating race tracks in the United States.
· The first NASCAR-sanctioned race at Martinsville was on July 4, 1948.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was Sept. 25, 1949.
· The track was paved in 1955.
· The first 500-lap event at Martinsville was in 1956.
· Concrete corners were added atop asphalt in 1976.
(NASCAR)(3-26-2015)
- Earnhardt interested in running trucks, Custer auditioning for Xfinity ride: Kelley Earnhardt Miller appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Wednesday. Among other topics, she discussed JR Motorsports’ first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Earnhardt Miller, co-owner of JR Motorsports, said earlier this year that there were no plans at that time to field the organization’s Camping World Truck Series team for any races beyond the 10 currently in place with driver Cole Custer. On Wednesday she said that was still the case, but also said Sprint Cup Series Dale Earnhardt Jr. had broached the subject of driving the truck. “He’s definitely mentioned that that’s something he might be interested in,” Earnhardt Miller said. “I think he would want to see how the program is going to do, and make sure we have the resources and the capability to do that. Let Cole the team get off the ground first and see how that goes.” Earnhardt Miller, Earnhardt Jr. and Sprint Cup Series team owner Rick Hendrick share ownership of JRM. One of the organization’s three full-time XFINITY Series teams features multiple Sprint Cup drivers, Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne, behind the wheel for select events. Two other full-time teams feature drivers Chase Elliott and Regan Smith, who finished 1-2 in points, respectively, last season.”He (Earnhardt Jr.) and some others have expressed interest in running the truck,” Earnhardt Miller said. “We’ve actually gotten calls from other people saying ‘do you want to fill out the balance of your schedule and run it full time?’ “We really don’t want to do that. We want to focus on Cole. If the opportunity exists to put a couple of the Cup drivers in there to make our program stronger, (that’s) really why would we want to do that… “I won’t say it’s not going to happen but there aren’t any concrete plans for it to happen right now.”Custer, 17, made his NCWTS debut last season with Haas Racing Development and became the youngest winner in a NASCAR national series event when he won the UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In only nine starts, he scored six top-10s and two poles. Elliott, the defending XFINITY Series champion, will attempt to make his Sprint Cup Series debut in Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville. The 19-year-old is scheduled to step into the Hendrick Motorsports #24 Chevrolet in 2016, replacing four-time series champion Jeff Gordon. With Elliott already tabbed for the move to Sprint Cup next season, Custer could be auditioning for a full-time XFINITY Series ride with the organization. “Hopefully, that (truck effort) will roll into an XFINITY Series ride for Cole, depending on how he performs,” Earnhardt Miller said. It will be the first start of the season for Custer, who is limited to competing on road courses and tracks 1.1 miles or less in length due to his age.(NASCAR.com(3-26-2015)
- Demolition of Sprint Cup Tower at Daytona begins: The iconic Sprint Cup Tower that has hovered above Daytona International Speedway for almost three decades has begun its white-flag lap. A 490-foot crane – nicknamed “Big Red” – started picking off pieces of the signature structure Wednesday as the Speedway’s Daytona Rising project continued to pick up the pace after a brief layoff. For 27 years, the tower housed corporate gatherings, the media and NASCAR officials on race weekends. It provided a bird’s-eye view for some of the track’s greatest moments, including Dale Earnhardt’s lone Daytona 500 victory in 1998. The crane’s first pull was a utility shed on top of the roof. It later came back and grabbed a large support beam. The crane will lift at least 2.24 million pounds of steel – the equivalent of 684 Toyota Camry race cars – and make at least 130 pulls as part of a 30-day demolition project, superintendent Ken Stiles said. Once complete, the tower – built in 1988 as the Winston Tower – and the middle section of the frontstretch grandstands will be completely removed.(Daytona Beach News-Journal)(3-26-2015)
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