April 1, 2009
- Revised Post-Race Engine Tear-Down Procedures: In a move that should be more cost-saving to the industry and help enhance the inspection process, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will begin conducting its post-race engine tear-down at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. “Along with cost savings, this will provide our officials and teams with the means to analyze the engines in a more controlled setting,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “We have been moving towards doing this in the past, and as the stakes continue to rise in our sport, we believe it’s the most effective way of doing things.” As part of its post-race inspection, NASCAR typically tears down the engines of the event’s top-two finishers, in addition to a random car. The height and weight measurements, in addition to the shock and gear inspections, will still take place at the track following the race. Post-race inspection of the engines at the R&D Center will remain open for observation as it did at the race track. Should any violations be discovered during the tear-down process, forthcoming penalties will be handled just as they have before through the NASCAR competition department.(NASCAR PR)(4-1-2009)
- Valvoline/Sears scheme for McMurray UPDATE & IMAGE: This weekend #26-Jamie McMurray will pilot the #26 Valvoline/Sears Auto Center Ford in the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. This car is the same car that McMurray last raced at Texas in November 2008 which was the start of his streak of finishing third for the last three races of the 2008 season.(RFR PR)(4-1-2009)
UPDATE and IMAGE: As a means of celebrating its successful partnership with Sears Auto Center, Valvoline is sharing its scheduled primary paint scheme with Sears Auto Center on Jamie McMurray’s #26 Ford in Sunday’s Samsung 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The Sears Auto Center logo will be the primary display on the hood and rear-quarter panels of the #26 Ford, which is part of the Roush Fenway Racing team. The car look will be in the Valvoline blue, white and red colors. The Valvoline logo will be positioned on the hood, trunk decklid and rear bumper (TV panel). The Texas event will be the first of two Cup races that Valvoline and Sears Auto Center will share space on McMurray’s #26 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. The other Cup event will be the July 11 Saturday night race at Chicagoland Speedway. “Valvoline is proud of its partnerships and winning heritage with both Roush Fenway Racing and Sears Auto Center,” said Rob Clendening, Valvoline’s motorsports manager. “It’s a natural fit to have the three high-profile companies join forces with a slick looking paint scheme on the #26 Ford.”(DMF Communications/Valvoline PR), see an image of the scheme on the #26 Team Schemes page.(4-1-2009)
- #18 team to honor Labonte UPDATE & IMAGE: Kyle Busch’s #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota will feature a special paint scheme for the Samsung 500 in honor of Corpus Christi, TX native Bobby Labonte, who will be inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Labonte was behind the wheel of the #18 Interstate Batteries car for 10 years with team owner Joe Gibbs, which includes his 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship and 21 Sprint Cup career victories. Busch took over the #18 Toyota in 2008, which is sponsored by Interstate Batteries this weekend. The special paint scheme will be on display between 6-7 p.m. at the Speedway Club, with a photo opportunity with Busch, Labonte, CEO of Interstate Batteries Norm Miller and Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chairman/CEO Bruton Smith at 6:30pm. #96-Bobby Labonte and SMI Chairman Bruton Smith, who brought NASCAR back to Texas with the construction of Texas Motor Speedway, will be inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame on Wednesday, April 1 in The Speedway Club’s Grand Ballroom at Texas Motor Speedway. Labonte and Smith will be available for media interviews between 6-7 p.m. and the dinner ceremony will begin at 7:30pm. Proceeds of the event will benefit Happy Hill Farm, an academy and home for at-risk children.(TMS PR)(4-1-2009)
UPDATE and IMAGE: Kyle Busch will attempt to deliver something that has been high on the wish list for Interstate Batteries in their home state – a win at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) in Fort Worth, located approximately 30 miles from Interstate’s company headquarters in Dallas. Busch will look for that elusive Sprint Cup victory at TMS in Sunday’s Samsung 500 Sprint Cup race. To add to the nostalgia of the coming weekend for Busch and the #18 team, their Toyota will sport the retro green and bright-red paint scheme that is similar to the one used on Labonte’s car during his 2000 championship season. The scheme coincides with Labonte’s induction into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame on Wednesday evening, a ceremony that Busch and Miller will attend. Busch will also sport a logo in honor of Labonte’s induction on the rear decklid of his Interstate Batteries Toyota. While Interstate has gone to victory lane at 12 different racetracks in the last 17 years, including prestigious venues such as Daytona International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Interstate and its distributors and dealers desperately want to add Texas to that list.(True Commincations/JGR PR), see an image of the scheme amd tribute on the #18 Team Schemes page.(4-1-2009)
- Get well Mike Paz: lontime Daytona International Speedway and may other race track announcer, Mike Paz, was hospitalized on Saturday [3/28/2009] with a possible stroke. He is listed in guarded condition and thoughts and prayers go out to Paz and his family. Cards can be sent to Mike “Paz” Pazdyk c/o Strong Memorial Hospital, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY 14642.(nyirp.com)(4-1-2009)
- Bodine to have new car and motor at Texas: Todd Bodine and the unsponsored #64 Toyota head to Texas Motor Speedway with momentum and mechanics on their side. Aiding in their effort will be a newly-purchased Toyota with a new motor under the hood. After making Bristol by qualifying 16th and Martinsville thanks to Mother Nature, the Gunselman Gang hopes another great qualifying effort will get them in the show and, in turn, closer to their goal of completing a race. With a crew from SPEED TV scheduled to follow them this weekend, they have extra incentive to make the Samsung 500 qualifying field. Larry Gunselman, team owner: “We were supposed to have SPEED TV following us during practice, qualifying and pre-race last week in Martinsville. But when the weather pretty much cancelled everything but the race, they were nice enough to reschedule for this weekend in Texas. I’d like to thank them for that, too. This should be a good weekend to do that because we’re using a new car and will have a new motor for it, too. Its chassis No. 47 that we bought from Red Bull Racing and AJ Allmendinger won the Showdown with last year at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. So, this would be a great weekend for someone to get their name on the hood and quarter panels for both SPEED TV following us and because we are looking for a great racing weekend, too.”(Gunselman Motorsports)(4-1-2009)
- National Guard returns on the #24: #24-Jeff Gordon and his Hendrick Motorsports team have a chance to share their patriotism publicly this season by featuring National Guard community-related initiatives on the hood of the #24 Chevy in eight Sprint Cup Series events. The National Guard’s mission is to use the #24 car as a platform to help create awareness on some of the special programs it has to offer. These programs provide such incentives like job opportunities, valuable career training, college tuition, salary and benefits and the guidance needed to excel in life. This weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Gordon’s car will spotlight the National Guard’s GED Plus program. The GED Plus program courses take only three weeks and has a success rate of more than 93 percent. Soldiers enlisted under the program earn a monthly paycheck and have the opportunity to select from more than 200 Military Occupational Specialties in which they can become skilled. For more information, visit www.nationalguard.com/JeffGordon.(NASCAR.com)(4-1-2009)
- Guitar Hero Metallica returns at Texas: Guitar Hero Metallica will again partner with #8-Aric Almirola and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing for this weekend’s Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. The game, which was released on March 29, allows users to enter the world of Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo and experience the intensity and skill of one of the greatest bands of all time.(EGR PR), see an image of the scheme on my #8 Team Schemes page.(4-1-2009)
- Junior Johnson’s son to make racing debut: Robert Johnson, the son of Junior and Lisa Johnson, is scheduled to be make his racing debut April 4th driving a Late Model car on dirt at Friendship Speedway in Elkin, NC. Johnson’s team will be lead by his father and veteran NASCAR crew member Rock Harris. Sponsor’s for Johnson’s effort in 2009 will Carolina Carports and Junior Johnson Country Ham.(Robert and Junior Johnson PR)(4-1-2009)
- Sad News – Thom Tittle: Thomas Tittle, 63, passed away Sunday, March 29, 2009. Among many, his other passions were target pistol shooting and volunteering at Victory Junction Gang Camp. He worked at least one weekend or one week at camp every year since it opened in 2004. His hearing impairment made it difficult to work directly with the children so his duties were in the kitchen. Like everything Thom did in his life, he did it lovingly and to the best of his ability. It brought him great joy to help the camp help disabled and sick children get a chance to be “normal” and have a wonderful camp experience. If your heart has been touched by Thom and you would like to do something to truly honor him, consider making a donation to VJGC. 4500 Adam’s Way, Randleman, NC 27317 or www.victoryjunction.org. Kim and the family want to thank all of you for your cards, gifts, words of encouragement and prayers. It is Thom’s wishes not to have a funeral service; however, there will be a celebration of his life/open house at a later date. More at Akron Beacon Journal.(4-1-2009)
- Jeff Gordon’s Crew Grabs Tissot Pit Road Win in Martinsville: The pit crew for Sprint Cup points leader Jeff Gordon won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday’s NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway. The #24 crew took top honors in the Tissot weekly competition as a result of Gordon’s DuPont Chevrolet Impala SS spending the least amount of time on pit road — 233.463 seconds. The pit road performance was a factor in Gordon’s strong fourth-place finish in the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at the historic half-mile flat track. Gordon’s pit crew consists of: Clay Robinson (front-tire changer), Mike Houston (front tire carrier), Tim Ladyga (rear-tire changer), Jeff Knight (rear-tire carrier), Jeff Cook (jackman), Caleb Hurd (gasman), Jamie Frady (catch can) and Andy Kruep (eighth man). The pit crew coach is Greg Morin. For winning the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award, the No. 24 team will receive $5,000. The team with the most pit road wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will earn a $100,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the driver and over-the-wall crew members.(Tissot/DMF Communications PR)(4-1-2009)
- Chad Knaus Named Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in Martinsville: Chad Knaus, crew chief for the #48 Lowe’s Chevy driven by three-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, has been named the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. In addition to the $1,000 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly wins will be honored as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at the season finale in Homestead, Fla. The Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Challenge will continue throughout the 2009 season and spotlight the men behind the machines.(Wypall PR)(4-1-2009)
- Allgaier tests at “Little Rock”: #12-Justin Allgaier tested Tuesday at Little Rock with the Penske Nationwide team.(4-1-2009)
- Ballew charged with DUI at AMS: UPDATE Charges dropped: NASCAR team owner Billy Ballew was arrested for driving drunk at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Wednesday night. Ballew confirmed the arrest during a telephone interview Thursday. “There’s a lot of circumstances I don’t want to go into right now,” Ballew said. “I am 100 percent sure that it will be dropped.” Henry County police said a county sheriff’s department sergeant arrested Ballew at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday night. Ballew was booked into the county jail on a DUI charge and later released. Ballew said he was driving a sponsor from his condominium to the passenger’s motor home when “an irate cop” wearing a cap marked “security” stopped him. The condo and the mobile home, said Ballew, are both on racetrack property. Ballew said he refused to take a breathalyzer test, but acknowledged that he was carrying a mixed drink in the car when he was pulled over. “It was only one drink. I was not drunk,” Ballew said. “I was on Atlanta Motor Speedway property. I was not on the highway.” The NASCAR [Camping World] Truck Series team owner has enlisted an all-star lineup of drivers over the years. The list includes Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Geoffrey Bodine, John Andretti and Kyle Busch.(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(3-5-2009)
UPDATE: Henry County, Georgia has administratively dismissed DUI charges after independent investigation against NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team owner Billy Ballew. The charge relates to an incident that occurred March 4, 2009 on the grounds of Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Ballew is a native of Blairsville, Georgia and has owned a condo at Atlanta Motor Speedway since 1996. Billy Ballew Motorsports has made 263 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts since the team’s inception in1996, posting 12 wins, 36 top-five and 66 top-10 finishes.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(4-1-2009)
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