DAYTONA BEACH, FL: A Chevrolet Corvette carrying a NASA ÒAstronautÓ is part of the pre-race festivities at Daytona International Speedway, giving a plug to the Kennedy Space Center attraction. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL: A Chevrolet Corvette carrying a NASA ÒAstronautÓ is part of the pre-race festivities at Daytona International Speedway, giving a plug to the Kennedy Space Center attraction. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)
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March 30 – Today in Jayski’s NASCAR history

March 30, 2020 at 6:14 AM

March 30, 2012

      • Happy Hour practice for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway is over after 90 schedule minutes, the top five fastest, slowest, notes:
        #24-Gordon 97.028
        #51-Busch 95.937
        #2-Keselowski 95.728
        #39-Newman 95.550
        #30-Stremme 95.463
        slowest: #32-Schrader 93.079 & #93-Kvapil 92.906
        See fastest speeds, best ten-lap averages, laps run and more on the Martinsville Happy Hour Practice Speeds (pdf), no average speeds all laps and NOT changing back to the old way, just posting the pdf’s.(3-30-2012)
      • Go-or-Go Homers practice for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
        the final practice rank for the go-or-go homers (drivers not in the top 35 of 2011 owners points)
        These drivers would make the race if things stay the same:
        #30-David Stremme, 5th
        #83-Landon Cassill, 6th
        #26-Josh Wise#, 7th
        #23-Scott Riggs, 9th
        #74-Reed Sorenson, 11th
        #98-Michael McDowell, 13th
        #87-Joe Nemechek, 15th
        #52-Scott Speed, 22nd
        These drivers would miss the race if things stay the same:
        #49-J.J. Yeley, 31st
        #19-Mike Bliss, 36th
        #37-Tony Raines, 41st
        (3-30-2012)
      • Joe Falk to take over #33 team: Hermie Sadler will race in Sunday’s “Goody’s Fast Relief 500” at Martinsville Speedway, driving a #33 Chevrolet fielded – officially – by Richard Childress Racing. The Virginia native has confirmed, however, that the #33 team will soon belong to former Sprint Cup Series owner Joe Falk, who will make his return to the sport in two weeks at Texas Motor Speedway. “I had been talking to Richard about driving the #33 at some point this year,” said Sadler on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio’s Sirius XM Speedway. “And in the last week to 10 days, Richard made a deal with Joe Falk& to purchase the team and its (owner) points. Joe is a big NASCAR fan who has done pretty well in the car business. A lot of people know him, he’s been around the sport forever.” Sadler called this week’s entry “a collaborative effort” between RCR and Falk, as part of a transition that will see Falk assume ownership of the car at Texas Motor Speedway on April 14. “This is technically an RCR effort this week,” he said. “It’s an older Richard Childress car with a Childress engine under the hood. Richard entered the car this weekend because of (NASCAR rules concerning) entry blanks and when they have to be submitted. After they filed the entry, conversations began between him and Joe about making the transition official in time for Texas.” Falk was listed as co-owner of the Hillman Racing #40 Toyota that Michael Waltrip attempted to qualify for this year’s Daytona 500, and sources say the #33 entry may be housed at the Hillman Racing shop in Mooresville, NC.(Godfather Motorsports)(3-30-2012)
      • Qualifying Order for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway is posted. 46 cars/drivers are listed.
        The first of the drivers scheduled to go out is #3-Sadler, slowest in practice.
        The final driver scheduled to go out is #24-Gordon, who was fastest in first practice.
        Qualifying order is set by the first practice session, with slowest driver going out by speed and the fastest going out last. The non-top 35 drivers are now mixed in with the top-35 in owners points, slowest to fastest.
        See the full qualifying order on the Martinsville Qualifying Page.(3-30-2012)
      • Kahne gets new spotter: Kasey Kahne will have a new voice on his radio this weekend as Shannon McGlamery takes over spotting duties for the #5 Hendrick Motorsports driver. Kole Kahne, Kasey’s cousin, has been the driver’s longtime spotter. But after Kahne was involved in an accident two weeks ago at Bristol, his spotter came under question. A source familiar with the situation said Kahne wanted to try something new. McGlamery has served as a spotter for Jeff Gordon and as a mechanic at Hendrick.(Fox Sports)(3-30-2012)
      • Go-or-Go Homers practice for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
        the practice rank for the go-or-go homers (drivers not in the top 35 of 2011 owners points)
        These drivers would make the race if things stay the same:
        #98-Michael McDowell, 24th fastest overall
        #87-Joe Nemechek, 28th
        #23-Scott Riggs, 29th
        #74-Reed Sorenson, 33rd
        #26-Josh Wise#, 34th
        #30-David Stremme, 35th
        #49-J.J. Yeley, 39th
        #52-Scott Speed, 41st
        These drivers would miss the race if things stay the same:
        #19-Mike Bliss, 43rd
        #83-Landon Cassill, 44th
        #37-Tony Raines, 45th
        (3-30-2012)
      • Friday practice for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway is over after 90 scheduled minutes. The top five fastest, slowest, notes:
        #24-Gordon 97.048
        #18-Busch 96.959
        #11-Hamlin 96.835
        #88-Earnhardt, Jr 96.686
        #39-Newman 96.376
        slowest: #37-Raines 93.506 & #33-Sadler 92.299. No speed: #52-Speed
        notes: This practice sets the qualifying order, scheduled for 11:40am/et Saturday on SPEED.
        See fastest speeds. laps run and more on the Martinsville Practice 1 Speeds (pdf).(3-30-2012)
      • Hamilton Means to make debut at Martinsville: UPDATE: 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)
        UPDATE: After overcoming numerous obstacles and setbacks, Hamilton Means Racing is poised to make its series debut at the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 this weekend at Martinsville Speedway with driver Scott Speed behind the wheel. The team will run the #52 Crusader Staffing Toyota. After months of preparation HMR has everything in place and is ready to get their car on the track. The team will run Toyotas purchased from Michael Waltrip Racing and is leasing engines from Mark Smith at Pro Motor Engines (PME). The #52 will be a late entry for this weekend’s event so it will not accrue any driver or owner points. Co-owner Dell Hamilton’s company Crusader Staffing will be the primary sponsor while the team seeks new partnerships and sponsors.(Everest Marketing Group)(3-30-2012)
      • Vickers will drive #55 at road course races: Michael Waltrip Racing announced that it has added two more events to Brian Vickers’ 2012 Sprint Cup schedule in the #55 Toyota Camry. Vickers, who led 125 laps and finished fifth in his debut with MWR at Bristol Motor Speedway two weeks ago, will pilot the #55 at Infineon Raceway on June 24 and Watkins Glen International on Aug. 12. “Brian did such an amazing job at Bristol that we wanted to reward him with more races,” said co-owner Michael Waltrip who will drive the #55 in four races. “It has as much to do with how he interacted with (crew chief) Rodney Childers and the crew as what he did on the race track. They really enjoyed his input and his professional approach, and he was a great teammate to Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer. Those guys were really impressed with how he engaged with them and managed his race car. Brian is a great young driver who is hungry to show what he can do. In my mind, he earned these extra races with his approach and attitude, and I’m so happy we were able to offer them. Brian’s contribution to the team has continued the momentum Rodney and Mark Martin created pushing the #55 up to eighth in owner points.”(MWR)(3-30-2012)
      • Hornish Jr. scheduled to make two Cup starts: Sam Hornish Jr. is scheduled to make two Sprint Cup Series starts for Penske Racing at Kansas in April and Talladega in October. SKF will be the sponsor. See an image of the scheme on the #12 Team Schemes page.(3-30-2012)
      • New engines for Penske: There will be new power in the Penske Dodges when they hit the track for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. Both the #2 Miller Lite Charger (Brad Keselowski) and the #22 Shell Pennzoil Charger (A.J. Allmendinger) will be running with SRT Motorsports newly updated R6P8 racing engine. “We are excited to launch our new “closed deck” engine block with Penske Racing Engines for the Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville this weekend,” said Dave Bailey, SRT Motorsports Engineering. “We are very pleased with the performance and durability of our previous ‘open deck’ block, but are introducing design changes to help improve head gasket life and future capability for power increases. The post machining and processing time at Penske’s engine shop will be significantly reduced. We will also take advantage of weight improvements that come along with the base block material changing to “compacted graphite iron” similar to the other manufacturers. We worked closely with NASCAR to ensure the changes are compliant and have competitive parity.”(Allpar.com)(3-30-2012)
      • Penske, Shell partner with Common Ground Alliance: The #22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge will feature the 811 logo during the month of April, on National 811 Day, and during the final race of the season. Shell has teamed up with the Common Ground Alliance for the fourth consecutive season to raise awareness for 811, the national “Call Before You Dig” hotline. Like last year, the #22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge will carry the 811 logo during National Safe Digging Month in April. Due to the program’s success in previous seasons, the partnership will expand this year, with new Shell-Pennzoil driver AJ Allmendinger featuring the logo on his car during the Watkins Glen race, as part of National 811 Day on August 11. The logo will also run on the car during the final race of the season in Homestead, FL. Every digging project requires a call to 811 – even small projects like planting trees or shrubs. The quick and easy call will connect you with a local One Call Center operator who will record information about your dig location and notify the underground facility operators so they can mark the approximate location of underground utilities and pipelines. Once the lines are marked, you can begin to dig, but always dig with care.(Shell PR)(3-30-2012)
      • Career start #400 for Harvick: #29-Kevin Harvick will mark a milestone in his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career this weekend as he makes his 400th start in Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway. Since his first NSCS start on Feb. 25, 2001, at Rockingham Speedway, Harvick has earned 18 wins, 88 top-five finishes, 177 top-10 finishes and five pole awards.(RCR)(3-30-2012)
      • HendrickCars.com on #5: Hendrickcars.com, which returns as a primary partner with the #5-Kasey Kahne Chevy this weekend at Martinsville Speedway, will open its first physical retail location on Monday, April 2, in Charlotte, N.C. The dealership, located at 9029 South Boulevard, brings the online inventory of Hendrickcars.com to the offline shopper in a retail facility. Hendrickcars.com offers 20,000 new and used vehicles, including trucks, SUVs, commercial vehicles and motorcycles. Hendrickcars.com also features classic cars, available for purchase, from Rick Hendrick’s personal collection. A second Hendrickcars.com physical location will open later this month in Hickory, N.C.(Hendrick Motorsports), see an image of the car on the #5 team paint schemes page.(3-30-2012)
      • Postponed Daytona 500 Champion’s Event Rescheduled for April 11, 2012: 2012 Daytona 500 Champion Matt Kenseth and Roush Fenway Racing team owner Jack Roush will return to the “World Center of Racing” for a special fan forum and lunch event to celebrate their victory in the 54th “Great American Race.” Doors open at 10:45 a.m. Fans can have their photos taken with the #17 Best Buy Ford, which is currently on display in the Daytona International Speedway Ticket and Tours building. Lunch will be available for guests as well. The fan forum Q&A; session will begin at 11:30 a.m., during which time Kenseth and Roush will discuss what it’s like to win their second Daytona 500 and hoist the Harley J. Earl trophy in Gatorade Victory Lane. In addition to the lunch and Q&A;, guests will get a tour of Daytona International Speedway. Tickets to the Champion’s Breakfast originally scheduled for February 27, 2012, will be honored for the Champion’s Lunch on April 11. Tickets are also available for $40 by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.(DIS)(3-30-2012)
      • Pizza Ranch to Sponsor Iowa Victory Lane Through 2013: Pizza Ranch, the popular Midwest pizza and chicken buffet restaurant, has renewed its sponsorship of Pizza Ranch Victory Lane and will continue to deliver a winning pizza to every driver who visits it at Iowa Speedway through the 2013 season. “We are extremely proud of the fact that we have helped create a tradition at Iowa Speedway,” said Cody Pierce, vice president of marketing for Pizza Ranch. “Everyone knows there will be pizza after the race. From fans and teams to drivers and series officials, everyone enjoys this delivery after the race.” Pizza Ranch Victory Lane lets a fan get right in the celebration with the winning team, which is located in the middle of the Casey’s General Store Fan Walk. Fan walk tickets are free for season ticket holders, and it also allows some of the best access to your favorite drivers in all of motorsports.(Iowa Speedway)(3-30-2012)
      • Koch loses sponsor: UPDATE: Many Nationwide Series drivers will do almost anything to get their sponsors more publicity. #41-Blake Koch and his sponsor were even willing to pay ESPN for exposure. But ESPN rejected the advertisement from Koch’s sponsor, the Rise Up and Register Campaign, which is designed to educate people about the importance of registering to vote in upcoming elections. Koch said the network rejected the advertisement, in part, because of his religious activism. A devout Christian, the 26-year-old driver often speaks at churches on race weekends, at numerous religious outreach events and on television shows. “Their whole campaign was to run that commercial on ESPN, and they wanted to get in front of the NASCAR fans,” Koch said about his sponsor in a phone interview Thursday. “They didn’t care about any other network. We found out Friday at Daytona (in February) that they weren’t going to air the commercials due to political and religious overtones, and they said particularly on (my) BlakeKoch.com website.” While the campaign’s website does not promote specific religions, it does include links to Koch’s site, which promotes his ministry and other religious programs. ESPN issued a statement Thursday, saying, “The spot did not meet our guidelines in regard to advocacy messaging. Blake Koch’s personal religious beliefs played no role in our evaluation.” The campaign, which Koch said is nonpartisan and not religion-based, has now decided to stop sponsoring the Rick Ware Racing car. Koch, who is 20th in the Nationwide Series standings, said he plans to continue to race.(Sporting News)(3-29-2012)
        UPDATE: Barry Bennett the Executive Director of “Rise Up and Register” has confirmed to RaceTalkRadio.com that they will honor the remainder of the 20 races they agreed to sponsor Blake Koch this season. “Rise Up and Register” will be back on the car at Texas Motor Speedway.(3-30-2012)
      • Kahne annouces plans to run Rockingham truck race: UPDATE more info: Kasey Kahne, who drives the #5 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, joined host Steve Byrnes on the set of NASCAR Race Hub for the first time in his career. The occasion: to announce that Kahne is set to pilot the #4 Turner Motorsports, Rockwell Tools-sponsored entry in the upcoming NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Rockingham Speedway on Sunday, April 15, a race that can be seen live on SPEED starting with NCWTS Set Up at 12:30pm/et. When asked if this is a one-race deal, Kahne responded “(Steve Turner; team owner) is open to doing more races. But as of right now, it’s one race with Turner and Rockwell Tools. I’m racing the Great Clips car on Friday night (April 13) in Texas, the Farmers Insurance Car (April 14) on Saturday night in Texas, then fly to The Rock.(SPEEDtv.com)(3-30-2012)
        UPDATE: Rockingham Speedway and Positec Tool Corp., a global company that manufactures and markets power tools and lawn and garden equipment, announced today that Positec’s Rockwell Tools brand will serve as the “Official Power Tool” of Rockingham Speedway and as the primary sponsor of the #4 Turner Motorsports entry driven by Kasey Kahne for the upcoming NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on April 15 in Rockingham, N.C. “As soon as I heard that NASCAR was adding the Rockingham truck race to the schedule, I wanted to run it,” said Kahne, who will compete for his fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win in five career starts. “I think it is great for the sport and the fans that we are going back to Rockingham. I’m looking forward to having Rockwell Tools on board for their first NASCAR truck race. Hopefully we can put on a good show for the fans.” Like the speedway itself, which shut down operations for several years, Positec acquired the Rockwell brand for power tools after it was taken off of the market in the mid-1980’s and re-introduced it back into the market in 2005. Today, the Rockwell brand of power tools and accessories is available at thousands of home improvement retailers in the United States and Canada.(Rockingham Speedway PR)(3-30-2011)

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