March 28, 2005
- McDonald’s to sponsor Elliott UPDATE and Evernham too: hearing that McDonald’s will sponsor the #91 [#98?] Dodge and Bill Elliott at Michigan in June and California in September.(3-17-2005)
UPDATE: McDonald’s announced the company has entered into a partnership agreement with Evernham Motorsports in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. The agreement calls for McDonald’s to be an associate sponsor on the #9 Evernham Motorsports Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger driven by 2004 Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year Kasey Kahne and the #91 Evernham Motorsports Dodge Charger that will be driven by [1988] NASCAR champion Bill Elliott at selected Nextel Cup events. The agreement includes a two-race McDonald’s primary sponsorship on Elliott’s car. The Bill Elliott Racing entry will carry the McDonald’s paint scheme at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (June 19) and California Speedway in Fontana (Sept. 5). Kahne, 24, said that he welcomes the new partnership and is looking forward to being affiliated with McDonald’s. McDonald’s motorsports programs also include primary sponsorships in the Champ Car World Series with the Newman/Haas team and driver Sebastian Bourdais and in the NASCAR Busch Series with Team Rensi Motorsports and [#35] driver Jason Keller. More info on McDonalds, see www.mcdonalds.com.(McDonald’s Racing)(3-28-2005)
- 10,000 fans show up at Martin’s dealership, full-time Trucks in 2006: More than 10,000 NASCAR fans descended on star driver Mark Martin’s hometown over the weekend as he hosted defending Nextel Cup champ Kurt Busch and circuit veteran Rusty Wallace at his new Ford dealership. The fans lined up with pieces of Martin’s #6 memorabilia hoping for a signature. When he saw the size of the crowd — some fans came from as far as California, Louisiana and Wisconsin — Martin said he was a bit apprehensive. The event, called Mark Martin Days, was on Friday and Saturday. Next season, Martin said he will join the Craftsman Truck Series for a full schedule and spend more time in Batesville. “I think that’s the most important thing, that people realize just how hard I work for the success,” Martin said. “It hasn’t come easy and I’ve had a lot of competition. I’ve had to work harder than most to be there.”(Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP)(3-28-2005)
- The Dodge ‘Vacuum’ Nose UPDATEs: Dodge officials have been in negotiations with NASCAR officials, apparently over aerodynamic issues. Dodge has a new nose and tail this season, and the nose has been controversial because of its tendency to suck up trash on the track and lead to engine overheating.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-14-2005)
UPDATE: Jeff Hammond of FoxSports: “Dodge is concerned about it [Nose], and they’ve had some conversations with NASCAR. But Dodge designed the nose and presented it to NASCAR in a certain form. If NASCAR allows a change, the benefits of cooling the engine block can’t also give teams another benefit with downforce or drag. I think NASCAR will be a little reluctant to make any changes as long as Chargers run tape on the nose. If Dodge went to NASCAR and said, “Hey guys, we’re overheating, and we need a little tweak”, NASCAR might be more willing to make a change if there’s no tape covering the opening. But more than likely, I think that NASCAR would say, “You should have thought about that ahead of time.” As long as teams can open up that front end and add more air to the engine, it’s going to be hard for NASCAR to give Dodge much leeway.”(FoxSports)(3-28-2005)
AND The Dodge Charger nose has been in the news recently because it seems to pick up trash off of the track, blocking the air flow to the radiator. Speculation has it that Dodge has gone to NASCAR and ask for modifications on the nose. At Nashville Superspeedway this past weekend, Ray Evernham said that as far as he knows, Dodge has neither ask for — or have been offered any concessions from NASCAR concerning any modifications of the Dodge Charger nose. “We’ve talked to them about a possible replacement of the trash screen and nothing else,” said Evernham.(Insider Racing News)(3-28-2005)
- Rudd to 2nd: #21-Ricky Rudd is expected to make his 55th start at Bristol, placing him second in all-time starts there behind Richard Petty, who had 60. Dave Marcis had 54, followed by Darrell Waltrip and Terry Labonte at 52.(NASCAR Stat Services)(3-28-2005)
- Bonus Points: #48-Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers after four races wiht 30 Bonus Points scored. How does a driver get bonus points? By leading a lap of a race [one time bonus of 5 points] and leading the most laps in a race [in the event of a tie, both drivers get the bonus points. The drivers with the most bonus points?
#48-Jimmie Johnson, 30 points – lead a lap in all four races and led the most laps in two races, 1st in Drivers Points
#16-Greg Biffle, 15, 2nd in drivers points
#12-Ryan Newman, 15 , 6th
#45-Kyle Petty, 15, 24th
#01-Joe Nemechek, 15, 29th
Johnson is the only driver to have led at least one lap in every race in 2005.(NASCAR Stat Services)(3-28-2005)
- New Book Ranks Drivers: Speed wins races, but in racing it’s not the only determination of ranking drivers. Now, a new book by Unicoi writer Jeff Birchfield uses three statistical categories to rank some of the top names in racing. Titled “The Fast Crowd: 2004-05 Statistical Ranking of Racing’s Top Drivers,” the 64-page book identifies the Top 30 in the Nextel Cup Series. “Unlike baseball where there have frequently been statistical buffs, they’ve been rare in stock-car racing,” Birchfield explained. “However, for those of who enjoy research and statistics, it is a labor of love.” He said he thought about doing such a book for the past three or four years. In fact, he did a Top 10 ranking about 10 years ago for Inside Track magazine. Birchfield based his rankings on three categories — race wins over the past three seasons, a driver’s winning percentage with his current or most recent team and the percentage of times he has finished in the Top 10 over the course of his career. Still, he noted, statististics in racing require a little more work than such sports statistics as passing yards in football or batting percentages in baseball. “It’s just a tougher sport to do statistics work,” he said. He took some of his information from such sources as the 2004 NASCAR Media Guide and the NASCAR Preview and Press Guides available on news stands as well as old racing newspapers, magazines and track programs. Birchfield has been writing sports for 12 years, including stints in the sports sections of the Elizabethton Star and his current employer, the Johnson City Press. In addition, he operated the sports publication Sports Talk and has written freelance sports articles for Richard Petty Stock Car Magazine, Winston Cup Illustrated [Now NASCAR Illustrated] and FasTrack, a racing newspaper. He worked on his most recent endeavor in partnership with photographer Dave Boyd, who provided all the photographs in the book. Birchfield and Boyd worked together at the Elizabethton Star and, most recently, with the Johnson City Press. The majority of the book’s photographs originated at Bristol Motor Speedway. Birchfield said he sat down with Boyd and they sorted through photographs to choose the ones for publication. Birchfield plans to launch a non-traditional book tour to promote the book. An acquaintance suggested to Birchfield that he promote the book at area flea markets. “Flea markets always seem to be located near race tracks,” Birchfield said. In addition, he is working with smaller track promoters to sell the book. Birchfield and his wife, Sheila, are the parents of two children, Adam, a third grade student at Unicoi Elementary School, and 4-year-old daughter, Laura. The book is available for $9, plus shipping and handling, by writing to: Fast Crowd, P.O. Box 1294, Johnson City, TN 37605. Copies are also available for purchase at the office of The Erwin Record.(Erwin Record)(3-28-2005)
- DNF’s – Martin has the streak: #6-Mark Martin has been running at the finish in 26 consecutive races, the longest current streak. #18-Bobby Labonte and #7-Robby Gorodn have the most DNF’s with 3 in 4 races. There are the only three active drivers with five or more races at Bristol that have not posted a DNF there. #29-Kevin Harvick has been running at the finish in all eight of his races at Bristol. #48-Jimmie Johnson and #12-Ryan Newman have each been running at the finish in all six of their races there.(NASCAR Stat Services)(3-28-2005)
- National Guard Diversity Team Continues: Drive for Diversity announced that the Army National Guard will once again be the primary advertiser for driver Morty Buckles and Belnavis Racing in the 2005 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series (NDWS). Buckles will run the #54 Ford Late Model Stock Car at several NDWS tracks this season, including Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.(dBusinessNews)(3-28-2005)
- Top 10 Stuff: #20-Tony Stewart has ranked in the top-10 of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings for 49 consecutive races (since Dover – September 2003), the longest current streak. #97-Kurt Busch, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #6-Mark Martin, #20-Tony Stewart and #2-Rusty Wallace have each ranked in the top 10 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings after every race in 2005.(NASCAR Stat Services)(3-28-2005)
- Testing at Martinsville: Advance Auto Parts 500 Schedule UPDATED
March 28: rained out.
March 29: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #15-Michael Waltrip, #5-Kyle Busch, #25-Brian Vickers, #11-Jason Leffler, #21-Ricky Rudd, #14-John Andretti, #22-Scott Wimmer, #17-Matt Kenseth, #49-Ken Schrader, #32-Bobby Hamilton.
March 30: #5-Kyle Busch, #21-Ricky Rudd
The main fan gate is open at no charge for fans to watch.(Martinsville Speedway)(3-21/28-2005) - Miller and the RCR, problems? folks at BGNRacing.com has been told that trouble is already brewing for Brandon Miller, driver of the #21 RCR Chevrolet. Miller made his debut in the 21 (his series debut was last year in Kansas) in Atlanta and closed out the day in 32nd. Moving to Nashville, he qualified 28th and finished 25th.(3-28-2005)
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