March 28, 2012
- Bruton Smith say changes will be made at Bristol: After more than a week of studying requested fan input, Bruton Smith, Chairman and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, announced he has ordered the go-ahead to make changes to the track surface at Bristol Motor Speedway. “The race fans have spoken,” Smith said. “We had input that included a wide range of opinions. But the majority we heard from said they wanted to see changes made. As a result, I have ordered the equipment and work will begin within the next two weeks to allow time to have everything ready for August.” Smith said an announcement regarding the scope of the work will be made soon. “The question we wanted to answer as quickly as possible was ‘Is something going to be done?’ Smith said. “The answer to that is ‘yes.’ We will have the details in two weeks as to what that ‘something’ is.(BMS)(3-28-2012)
- Testing at Pocono: hearing that there will be two testing sessions at Pocono Raceway, which is being repaved before the Sprint Cup race in June. The confirmed Goodyear tire tests is scheduled for April 24th and 25th, 2012 with #1-McMurray (Chevy), #5-Kahne (Chevy), #2-Logano (Toyota), #43-Almirola and #22-Allmendinger. And supposedly teams will be able to test at Pocono on June 6th and 7th, the days before practices at the track on June 8th. The Sprint Cup Series race is scheduled for June 10th.(in part Goodyear PR)(3-28-2012)
- Tire testing at Michigan: Goodyear Tire Testing is scheduled at Michigan International Speedway on Tuesday April 3rd and Wednesday April 4, 2012. Drivers scheduled to test: #2-Brad Keselowski (Dodge), #17-Matt Kenseth (Ford), #42-Juan Pablo Montoya (Chevy) and #24-Jeff Gordon (Chevy). The Turn 1 grandstand seats will be open for fans free of charge on April 3-4.(MIS/Goodyear)(3-28-2012)
- Tire testing at Dover: Goodyear is scheduled to test Dover International Speedway’s concrete surface on April 17-18 with #9-Ambrose (Ford), #22-Allmendinger (Dodge), #29-Harvick (Chevy), #36-Blaney (Chevy), #39-Newman (Chevy), #51-Busch (Chevy) and #56-Truex Jr.(Toyota).(Goodyear PR)(3-28-2012)
- Tire testing at New Hampshire: Goodyear is scheduled to test New Hampshire Motor Speedway for May 8-9, 2012. Scheduled drivers to test are: #27-Menard (Chevy), #47-Labonte (Toyota), #78-Smith (Chevy), #88-Earnhardt Jr. (Chevy) and #99-Edwards (Ford).(Goodyear PR)(3-29-2012)
- Hamilton Means to make debut at Martinsville: from the Hamilton Means Facebook page: “Jimmy [Means] and the crew are putting the finishing touches on today then heading over to dyno the car and if all goes well we are off to the track for a late entry into the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 [at Martinsville Speedway]. Super excited to have Scott Speed driving for us and no doubt he can get it done!! Sorry for the late updates but once we have this first race behind us the others will go a little smoother. Ok I know I know I am using a different commercial but what company does that tag line belong to. ‘A little hint’, they were Jimmy’s [Means] sponsor [Alka Seltzer] when he drove in Cup.” The team will run the #52 Crusader Staffing Toyota with Scott Speed driving the car. The car will be a post entry which means it will be a late entry and will not accrue any drivers or owners points. See an rendering of what the car is expected to look like on the #52 Team Schemes page.(3-28-2012)
- Barney Hall returns to broadcast booth at Martinsville: As NASCAR returns to Martinsville Speedway this week, fans who tune in or log on to MotorRacingNetwork.com will hear a familiar voice describing the action. Barney Hall will be back behind the Motor Racing Network microphone as the March racing schedule comes to a close. The Hall of Fame broadcaster was under the weather last month and sidelined for Speedweeks at Daytona, missing the season-opening Daytona 500 for just the third time in the race’s 54-year history. He returns to the booth this weekend, rejoining Joe Moore to anchor the network’s coverage of Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series competition from the Martinsville half-mile.(Motor Racing Network)(3-28-2012)
- Ollie’s Bargain Outlet continues sponsorship of Blaney: Ollie’s Bargain Outlet will add a fourth race of primary sponsorship of Tommy Baldwin Racing’s #36 Chevy to the schedule. Dave Blaney will get behind the wheel of the # 36 Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Chevrolet for 500 laps at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, one of America’s largest retailers of closeouts, salvage and surplus merchandise, joined TBR for the 54th running of the Daytona 500 and returned to the #36 Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Chevy in Phoenix and Vegas. Due to customer support and good exposure during the three events, the Pennsylvania-based company expanded their program with TBR to include the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(3-28-2012)
- Kahne says knees are better: While #5-Kasey Kahne hasn’t had much to smile about this season, he can smile about two things: His left knee and his right knee. Kahne had arthroscopic surgery for a partial medial meniscus removal in his left knee about seven weeks ago in Charlotte. In April 2011, Kahne had the procedure done on his right meniscus. He also had surgery on both knees in December 2010 to repair a condition known as “plica syndrome,” the result of a buildup of tissue in the knees. “They’re really good,” Kahne said Tuesday during an appearance at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “I started running last week. I’m kind of slow-paced for what I’m used to. My right knee is perfect. It feels great. It’s the best it’s felt in two years and my left knee is not there yet, but it’s on its way.”(Scene Daily)(3-28-2012)
- Belkin sponsoring McMurray at Martinsville: The #1 Chevy will sport a new look this weekend at Martinsville Speedway with Belkin as the primary sponsor. McMurray will don green and white as Belkin makes its debut as a primary sponsor with EGR. Belkin, a recognized global leader in connectivity solutions, offers an extensive range of innovations designed to give computer and consumer electronics users seamless integration in their homes, cars and on the go.(Earnhardt-Ganassi), see an image of the car on the #1 team paint schemes page.(3-28-2012)
- Special scheme for Harvick at Martinsville: UPDATE: hearing that #29-Kevin Harvick will run a white and black Budweiser Prohibition scheme on the #29 Richard Childress Racing Chevy at Martinsville Speedway this weekend, see an image on the #29 Team Schemes page.(3-26-2012)
UPDATE: Anheuser-Busch and its family of wholesalers across the United States annually celebrate the repeal of Prohibition on April 7 – the day the Cullen-Harrison Act took effect in 1933, legalizing the sale of 3.2 percent alcohol by volume beer in the District of Columbia and the 20 states in which state laws did not prohibit its sale. Kevin Harvick and the #29 Budweiser is Back team will join in the celebration of this milestone in American brewing history by running a special paint scheme for this weekend’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. The “Budweiser is Back” black and white paint scheme pays homage to the post-Prohibition days of the early 20th century with the newspaper headline from 1933 announcing “Prohibition Ends at Last!” on the hood. The TV panel features the words of August A. Busch Jr. who proclaimed “Happy days are here again!” during a special radio broadcast on KMOX CBS Radio. In addition to the paint scheme, Harvick will don a special white firesuit for Sunday’s race at Martinsville. Instead of wearing standard baseball hats, Harvick and the #29 team will sport newsboy caps that were common in the early 20th century.(Elevation Group)(3-28-2012)
- Atlanta introducing new ticket specials for 2012: For spectators looking to enjoy a great racing event experience at a favorable cost, Atlanta Motor Speedway is rolling out new ticket specials for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 weekend, Aug. 31-Sept. 2. Two frontstretch Lower Petty or Lower Winners grandstand tickets will be offered for $99 while they last for the AdvoCare 500 on Sunday, Sept. 2. Fans will have a view of pit road and will see the high-speed racing action up close as the cars race down the frontstretch. Danica Patrick will make her Atlanta Motor Speedway debut this Labor Day weekend, and her fans can watch her race in both of her starts with the “Danica Deal.” In this package, customers will receive a ticket in the Lower Earnhardt Grandstand for Sunday’s AdvoCare 500 and a general admission ticket for Saturday’s Nationwide Series race. Included will be a limited-edition Danica Patrick hero card to commemorate her first start at the historic 1.54-mile speedway. Both of these specials are only available while they last for a limited time, so fans are encouraged to lock in their seats today for the biggest Labor Day party in the USA.(AMS)(3-28-2012)
- Reutimann ready to get on track at Martinsville: In the five weeks since the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series left Daytona, crew chief Jason Overstreet and the Ricky Benton Racing Enterprises BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors/fleetHQ/QMI #92 Chevrolet Silverado team have been hard at work prepping for this weekend’s Kroger 250 from Martinsville Speedway. The team spent this past Tuesday shaking the truck down with driver David Reutimann at The Little Rock half-mile at Rockingham Speedway.”The truck is good,” said Reutimann. “We have been getting some good laps (at The Little Rock). We have been trying some different things and seeing how the truck reacts. The key to being fast at Martinsville is to make sure the truck can carry speed through the center of the turn and that’s what we’ve been working on. Both driver and crew chief are confident in the team’s progress as they move past Daytona.(RBR Enterprises PR)(3-28-2012)
- Leffler aboard KBM’s #18 at Martinsville: Jason Leffler [#18 Dollar General Toyota] will climb aboard “007,” one of the most successful Tundras in KBM’s stable, at a track where the #18 team’s worst result in four starts is a third-place finish. This weekend will be Leffler’s first trip to “The Paperclip” since finishing eighth when the NASCAR Nationwide Series made a cameo appearance in 2006. The 36-year-old driver has three previous Truck Series starts at Martinsville, tallying a best finish of sixth in the April 2002 race, and three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, including a 12th-place finish in the April 2005 race.(Kyle Busch Motorsports PR)(3-28-2012)
- Crum to pilot the #07 for SS Green Light at Martinsville: Jake Crum will pilot the #07 Bandit Chippers Chevrolet in Saturday’s Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. Crum has an impressive history at Martinsville Speedway winning his first grandfather clock in one of the biggest wins of his career back in 2009 when he won the Bailey’s 300 to become the youngest driver in history to win one of the biggest late model races in the country. Butch Miller will be crew chief. Crum will also be raising awareness for the Chloe Duyck Memorial Fund via Hope 4 Tiny Hearts. Hope 4 Tiny Hearts is a non-profit organization supporting efforts to defeat congenital heart defects. One out of every 85 children will be born this year with a heart defect.(Jake Crum Racing PR)(3-28-2012)
- Jeb Burton set for debut at Martinsville: Following in both his father Ward Burton and his Uncle Jeff Burton’s footsteps in NASCAR, Jeb Burton will climb behind the wheel of his Hillman Racing #27 State Water Heater Chevy for the first time ever this weekend. “State Water Heaters and Ward Burton have been partners since 2007,” stated Jeff Storie, Senior Marketing Manager for State Water Heaters. “We realized early on that Ward has a natural connection with our wholesalers and contractors. Because of that connection, Ward is a great ambassador for the State brand. We’re thrilled that our 2012 partnership is moving back on the track with both Ward & Jeb. Crew chief Trip Bruce, who won the championship in the NCWTS in 2008 with driver Johnny Benson, will be atop the pit box as he was for Ward’s Daytona debut in the trucks and for the remaining five races that Jeb has slated to run with his sponsor State Water Heaters.(State Water Heaters PR)(3-28-2012)
- Davis making second trip to Martinsville: NASCAR Camping World Series driver Dusty Davis will return to the Martinsville Speedway this weekend to race in the Kroger 250, where last year Davis ran as high as five place prior to a late race incident. Davis will once again pilot the #15 Arrington Racing/Thunder Exhaust Toyota Tundra. After a strong thirteenth place finish at Daytona, Davis is currently in third place in Rookie of the Year points. Davis hopes to be able to secure sponsorship enabling him to run a full season and contend for the Rookie of the Year Championship.(Arrington Racing PR) Paint scheme for Martinsville is posted on the #15 NCWTS 2012 Paint Schemes page.](3-28-2012)
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