March 31, 2008
- JR Motorsports being sued over accident: A local [Florida] family is sueing JR Motorsports and #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. following a rear end crash by a tractor trailer. In November 2006, Michael Harris and his son, 21 year old Chris, were driving in their pick up truck headed south on Interstate 95 in St. John’s County [FL]. Harris was several cars in front of a Champion tractor trailer. Traffic started to back up and slow down on the interstate. Harris’ lawyer, Charles Sorenson, says he slowed down to, going about 15 miles per hour and then pulling on to the shoulder. The only problem, Sorenson says is the semi didn’t slow down with everyone else. Sorenson says the impact was so severe, the bolts in the pickup’s seat, which hold it down to the floor, were broken. Both father and son were wearing seatbelts, but both went to the hospital. Both are still being treated for neck and back injuries. According to the lawsuit, JR Motorsports is the owner of the tractor trailer. The owner of JR Motorsports belongs to NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Sorenson says Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will most likely be deposed in the case. JR Motorsport’s team told First Coast News it has received the lawsuit, but will not make any other comment at this time. The driver of the semi, Ricky Mace, is also being sued.(First Coast News)(3-31-2008)
- Martinsville overnight TV Ratings same as 2007: NASCAR on Fox tallied a 4.9/10 yesterday for racing from Martinsville. Yesterday’s 4.9/10 is flat with last year’s Martinsville rating [4.9/11], but in this case that’s good news given the dramatically tougher competition faced by this year’s race. Yesterday’s race came against a pair of NCAA Regional Finals, including the strong Davidson-Kansas game, while last year’s race aired on the Final Four weekend and faced no NCAA basketball. By matching last year’s rating, FOX maintains its streak of seven straight NASCAR events this year that have been at least flat with last year in the metered markets (this excludes the Fontana race because of rain). Los Angeles has emerged as the surprise market of the year for NASCAR. Yesterday’s race earned a 2.8/7 in LA, a +65% gain over last year’s 1.7/5. For the season-to-date, Sprint Cup racing on FOX is averaging a 6.2/12, including Fontana, a +5% bump over last season’s 5.9/12.(Fox PR), for TV ratings news so far in 2008, see my 2008 TV Ratings page.(3-31-2008)
- Sad News – Max Helton…services: Max Helton, who 20 years ago helped begin a Christian ministry in the NASCAR garage that grew into the Motor Racing Outreach organization, died Sunday afternoon at his home in Huntersville, N.C. Mr. Helton was diagnosed with brain cancer in August. He is survived by his wife, Jean, along with four daughters and nine grandchildren. Funeral arrangements had not been finalized Sunday night. Mr. Helton was working at a church in Glendora, Calif., in 1988 when he met Darrell and Stevie Waltrip at a race in Riverside, Calif. Helton told the Waltrips that he felt he was being called to lead a racing ministry. The Waltrips, along with Lake Speed and Bobby Hillin Jr. and their wives, were looking for a spiritual leader for a Bible study group they had formed. Within a year, Mr. Helton had moved his family to North Carolina to begin MRO, which conducts chapel services at the track each weekend and also provides counseling and support services to people in racing. Helton led Bible study and counseling sessions at dozens of NASCAR drivers’ homes and race team shops before leaving the organization in 2002. Since then, Mr. Helton had formed World-Span, an organization to serve the spiritual needs of racing series around the world. Before his illness, Mr. Helton traveled extensively, helping spread his message of “personal evangelism” and teaching others to serve as spiritual leaders and teachers. “A lot of lives and a lot of things have changed in our sport because of Max.Helton,” Darrell Waltrip said.(Charlotte Observer)(3-31-2008)
Services: A memorial service is planned for Wednesday, April 2 at 3pm at Grace Covenant Four-Square Church. (17301 Statesville Rd, Cornelius, NC 28031 – Exit 25 off of I-77). There will be a visitation and viewing on Tuesday evening, April 1, from 7-9 pm at Raymer Funeral Home,(16901 Old Statesville Rd, Huntersville, NC 28078 (704) 892-9669) located at Hwy 73 and Old Statesville Road in Huntersville.) The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorials contributions may be sent to: Worldspan Ministries, P.O. Box 681117, Charlotte, NC 28216.(MRO Site)(3-31-2008)
- Race and Commercial Breakdown of the Goody’s Cool Orange 500:
Total number of commercials: 118
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 65
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 41
Total number of companies or entities advertised in brief promos or crawlers: 33
Start time to record race/commercial periods: 2:00 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 5:52 PM
Total minutes: 232
Minutes of race broadcast: 178
Minutes of commercials: 54
Number of missed restarts: 0
Total race brdcst time 178 Total comm. brdcst time 54
See full report and stats at CawsnJaws.com.(3-31-2008)
- Photographer honored at Martinsville: T. Taylor Warren, a longtime racing photographer and Martinsville resident, was honored Sunday during pre-race ceremonies of the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Warren, 83, received the H. Clay Earles Award, given in honor of the Martinsville Speedway founder to recognize individuals who have made an impact on the sport of NASCAR through their life’s work. During post-race ceremonies in Victory Lane, track officials had Warren pose with winner Denny Hamlin so the moment could be commemorated on film, something the photographer has done countless times in his career. Warren covered his first race in 1948, a midget-car event held in Milwaukee, Wis. Since that time, he’s become a fixture at racetracks across the country, well known for his timely shots of on-track action as well as pit-road scenes. Warren has photographed all 50 runnings of the Daytona 500, and he has been the official photographer for Goody’s Headache Powders for 31 years, dating back to the product’s first association with NASCAR. Warren was working at Martinsville Speedway over the weekend, something he’s done at virtually every race since 1952. As usual, he was clad in a photojournalist’s vest loaded with equipment that has become a virtual trademark of the legendary photographer. During pre-race ceremonies, Warren also received the Doug Agee Award, given annually at the speedway to a person or persons who most embodies the value and spirit of Agee, a pioneer of racing promotions. He was a longtime employee of Goody’s. Karen Parker, business development and partnerships director at the Martinsville Speedway, also received the Doug Agee Award. Though Warren is perhaps best known for a 1959 finish-line photo that helped decide the winner of the first Daytona 500, he was hesitant to claim one picture as the best of his career. Warren gave no indication he has retirement plans.(Martinsville Bulletin)(3-31-2008)
- NASCAR to return to Australia? Marcus Marshall, a driver in Australia’s V8 Supercar Series, said Saturday that countryman Marcus Ambrose’s success in NASCAR has boosted the sport’s popularity in the country, and sparked rumors that a dormant 1½-mile track might get active again. The track hasn’t been used for about eight years, he said. “It was pretty popular and now there are rumors at the moment of it opening up again, so that kind of fits with NASCAR maybe looking to be more international and Australia as a place to maybe take a round of one of their affiliated championships.” Queensland, Australia, is already a destination of the Indy Racing League.(ESPN.com/AP)(3-31-2008)
- RFR working on driver contracts: Greg Biffle’s contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing is nearly complete, and the team is working on extensions for David Ragan and Carl Edwards. Using Biffle’s words from earlier in the week, Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith said that the contract with Biffle is 90% along. He said the fact that Biffle is running second in points has not accelerated the deal. “We wanted to get it done over the winter,” Smith said Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. “We like to get them done so they don’t become a distraction of the team in terms of the race season.” The contracts for Edwards and Ragan, as well as those with the companies sponsoring [AAA announced they would leave at the end of 2008] their cars, end after the season is over. Smith indicated that the team would like to sign the sponsor and driver at the same time. He said the team also is working with a sponsor to finalize the Biffle deal. “For us, there’s a money equation that has to be met,” Smith said. “The sponsor has to pay [a certain amount] in order for us to pay the driver and so forth. We close all of that out at the same time.” Smith doesn’t anticipate having trouble finding sponsorship for Edwards. His organization currently is looking for sponsorship for the two Yates Racing cars. “It’s pretty early,” Smith said about the sponsor search. “Carl Edwards, even in this down economy, he’s the hottest property in the garage. We’ve got all the sponsorship we can handle for him. David, and Travis [Kvapil] and David Gilliland, they’re all in the mix. We’re hoping the economic climate improves here shortly and typically May and June are big months for significant prospects to come forward for us. We’re about to find out if that’s true.”(SceneDaily)(3-31-2008)
- Nationwide Series Live from Texas on ESPN2: After a weekend off, the Nationwide Series returns to action this weekend and ESPN2 will have live, flag-to-flag coverage of the 300-mile race from Texas Motor Speedway Saturday, April 5, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. The telecast is presented by Star Motorcycles. ESPN2 is the home of the Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lead announcer for ESPN2’s coverage, joined in the booth for analysis by Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN DISH Tech Center. Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by Jarrett and Brad Daugherty in the ESPN pit studio. The race will be simulcast on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature broadband sports network, and on ESPN Deportes, the domestic Spanish-language network. The event also will be simulcast on ESPN MobileTV.(ESPN PR)(3-31-2008)
- Hornish Testing at Carolina Motorsports Park: Hearing that Sam Hornish is tested the #12 Nationwide car Monday at Carolina Motorsports Park.(3-31-2008)
- Harvick Looking for Record Win at Texas: Kevin Harvick will look to become the first driver to win five races at Texas Motor Speedway when he races the #33 RoadLoans.com Chevy in the O’Reilly 300. In eight career Nationwide Series starts at the track, Harvick has compiled an outstanding record. He has four wins, four top-five and seven top-10 finishes. His worst finish is 11th in 2007. He has led a total of 440 laps and completed all 1522 laps attempted.(KHI PR)(3-31-2008)
- Busch Melee causes Oval Office Trip: Kyle Busch paid a visit to the NASCAR hauler after Saturday’s Kroger 250 Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway, where he wrecked Johnny Benson on the last lap while racing for second place. NASCAR officials also talked with several members of Benson’s crew, who angrily confronted Busch’s crew on pit road after the race. NASCAR officials said they are reviewing the actions of several members of Benson’s crew. After the race, Benson was angry that he got wrecked and fell from second place to 25th, while Busch was angry that Benson’s crewmembers were angry. “I just got spun out,” said Benson, who unlike Busch is racing for a series championship. “I went into the corner as hard as I’d been all day and doing everything we needed to do. The 51 (Kyle Busch) – you know I don’t know. It’s just a shame that it had to happen. It happens a lot within this series. It’s just a shame that nothing ever gets done about it.” Asked what he thought should be done, Benson added, “You have got to penalize people for wrecking people. That is what needs to be done.” “I hate it that we both spun out there. I was probably going to make it through there but then I got spun out, too, so I’ve got a reason to be upset,” said Busch, who held on to the NCTS points lead despite finishing 26th. “It started with me, obviously, but it’s pretty pathetic that pit crew guys want to fight when what happened is between the drivers,” Busch said. “That’s just unacceptable and stupid. My move was probably a pretty stupid move, people will call it, but, hey, I’m a racer. I’m going after another spot.”(Tom Jensen, TruckSeries.com)(3-31-2008)
- Hornaday to run Nationwide race at Texas: UPDATE Correction: Ron Hornaday, who drives for Kevin and DeLana Harvick, has found a late-career rejuvenation after signing with the team-owning couple in 2005. It propelled him to a Truck series championship last year, but he’ll be at Texas Motor Speedway this week to race in the Nationwide Series O’Reilly 300. Yet another benefit of driving for Harvick. Hornaday is scheduled to start five Nationwide races this year, and the O’Reilly 300 marks the first of the season. He is also scheduled to race in Mexico on April 20. While the Truck series remains his main focus, getting in a Nationwide car is something he calls the “perks” of driving for KHI. And Hornaday shares his boss’ philosophy about the Saturday races. “He has nothing to do on Saturday and that’s why he does it and I said, ‘Hey boss, remember me? I am kind of bored too,’” Hornaday said.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(3-30-2008)
UPDATE: According to a KHI representative, Ron Hornaday’s first Nationwide series start will be in the #33-KHI Chevy on Sunday, April 20th in the Corona 200 at Autodromo Hernanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. Hornaday is scheduled to run the #77-KHI Chevy in the Nationwide Series at Texas Motor Speedway in November.(KHI PR)(3-31-2008)
- Lawler finishes 17th in first-ever series race: Ryan Lawler has been racing and winning in late model stock cars for several years now. He has hopes and dreams of reaching NASCAR stardom and success. Lawler piloted the #07 Deals Auto Auction of Dallas Chevrolet for the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway finishing in 17th. Lawler is tentatively scheduled to race in the series again April 26th at Kansas Speedway.(SS Green Light Racing PR)(3-31-2008)
- Setzer takes an emotional Truck victory at Martinsville: For the first time since the late Bobby Hamilton won at Mansfield in 2005, Dennis Setzer [#18-Dodge] took Bobby Hamilton Racing back to Victory Lane. Setzer’s victory in the Kroger 250 on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway was his third at the .526-mile short track and the 18th of his Craftsman Truck Series career. Setzer won for the first time since taking the checkered flag at Mansfield on May 26, 2007. Hamilton, who posted 10 wins in the Truck Series before his death from cancer on Jan. 7, 2007, claimed his last victory at that same track on May 15, 2005. “I ran second to Bobby Hamilton the year he won the championship [2004],” Setzer said. “We raced really hard against each other, but off the track, we were the best of friends. I don’t think we ever had a harsh word for one another. I respected him a lot.”(nascar.com)(3-31-2008)
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