April 1, 2004
- Driver Survey:The Dallas Morning News asked questions to the Nextel Cup competitors who were asked to answer a set of 10 questions anonymously in order to get honest responses. Fifteen drivers didn’t respond or refused to participate, but 23 agreed to answer some of the questions. The only stipulation was they couldn’t vote for themselves or a teammate. The leaders of the survey:
BEST ACTIVE DRIVER
Matt Kenseth – 9
MOST INTELLIGENT DRIVER
Matt Kenseth – 7
MOST UNDERRATED DRIVER
Jamie McMurray – 4
MOST PROMISING ROOKIE
Kasey Kahne – 14
MOST OVERRATED DRIVER
Brian Vickers – 4
DRIVER WHO TREATS YOU FAIRLY
Mark Martin – 4
MOST AGGRESSIVE DRIVER
Ryan Newman – 4
MOST DANGEROUS DRIVER
Robby Gordon – 6
WORST TEMPER
Tony Stewart – 7
BEST DRIVER IN HISTORY
Dale Earnhardt Sr. – 10
Richard Petty – 7
(see the full lists at the Dallas Morning News – What do drivers think of other drivers?)(4-1-2004)
- Kulwicki Movie? UPDATE: hearing from some readers that there will be a Alan Kulwicki movie filming in Wisconsin soon. No actors mentioned and not sure when. Supposedly the name of the movie is “Dare to Dream”(3-31-2004)
UPDATE: been told that some filming will take place at Greenfield High School in Greenfield, WI on Friday, April 2nd. The school is where Kulwicki appeared in January of 1993 for a homecoming/victory celebration [see image above, that is from that appearance]. Flyers/Releases were handed out to the students. The film is called “Dare to Dream” by DDI Films LLC from Wisconsin. Some proceeds from the production will go to the Greenfield Education Foundation.
AND been told that on Thursday, April 1st members of the cast and crew of the Alan Kulwicki movie will be on hand at Slinger Super Speedway [in Slinger, Wisconsin] to shoot several scenes for the upcoming film. Kulwicki, a former Slinger track champion, was well known for his expert navigation of the world’s fastest quarter-mile oval.(4-1-2004)
- Thank You! The Pit Board Charity Donates to Jayski.com Fundraiser – No one knows better the power of the NASCAR fans and their ability to come together in support of a good cause than the Pit Board Charity. For three years, the PBC has provided a way for fans of Dale Jr. to unify in the name of charity. To date they have raised over $75,000 for various racing charities. This past weekend, in conjunction with the Bristol race, the Pit Board Charity organized a fundraiser to benefit the Jayski.com VJGC Computer Lab sponsorship drive. Fans of Dale Jr. raised $1388 to be donated toward the computer lab. For more information on the Dale Jr. Pit Board Charity, please visit www.8pbc.com.(4-1-2004)
- Rusty thinks Dale Jr’ cost him a win: At Texas Motor Speedway Thursday, while keeping a watchful eye on his Busch Series driver Billy “Catfish” Parker and the #66-Duraflame Dodge, Rusty Wallace weighed in on NASCAR’s fine and penalties handed down to Dale Earnhardt Jr. for intentionally spinning his car out at Bristol to get a caution flag. Wallace said “What he did by spinning that car out cost me a victory….I really think it did because I was right on that kids (Kurt Busch) quarter panel getting ready to get underneath him and…..the caution flags killed me personally but, it’s done and there’s nothing you can do about it. I guarantee if I would have done that I would have gotten fined probably a hundred grand and a hundred points, so in my eyes, and he knows it too he just got a token penalty. Wallace went on to say “obviously there had to be a penalty. I don’t think his fans want him to do that, but if you’re a Rusty supporter you’re gonna support me, and if you’re a Junior supporter you’re gonna support him no matter what. You know the money isn’t much to these big teams but when you take points that really hits home.”(PRN’s Garage Pass Radio Show)(4-1-2004)
- Labonte back to the Busch Series in 2005: Bobby Labonte says he and Joe Gibbs Racing are talking about running around 10 Busch Series races in 2005. Labonte says if they can land the right sponsor they’ll “dabble in that a little bit.”(PRN’s Garage Pass Radio Show), Labonte is running the Busch race at Texas this weekend in the #29 RCR Chevy – the PR in part Bobby Labonte will slide behind the wheel of Richard Childress Racing’s (RCR) NASCAR Busch Series entry sponsored by the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserves (ESGR) this week at Texas Motor Speedway in the first of a five-race program with an all-star lineup of drivers. The program’s driver lineup, announced in February at Daytona International Speedway, also includes Tony Stewart (California), Ricky Craven (Chicago), and RCR drivers Kerry Earnhardt (Dover-Sept) and Kevin Harvick (Homestead). ESGR is a Department of Defense agency whose mission is to gain and maintain employer support from all public and private employers for the men and women who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. ESGR operates through a network of more than 2,000 volunteers throughout 55 committees located in each state, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Europe. Labonte will drive the #29 ESGR Chevry with a paint scheme honoring the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. RCR’s #2 ACDelco Chevrolet, driven by Ron Hornaday, is carrying This week’s paint scheme will honor the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. the ESGR logo on the rear deck lid for the entire 2004 NASCAR Busch Series season. For more information about ESGR Employer Outreach Programs and ESGR volunteer opportunities, please call 800-336-4590 of visit our website at www.esgr.com.(RCR PR), see my 2004 Busch Series Paint Scheme page for images of the cars(4-1-2004)
- NASCAR Supports National Car Care Month: NASCAR recently announced a new marketing campaign that will support the automotive industry’s “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education initiative. The campaign, which will debut in April, includes TV, radio, and print creative. In addition to spreading the word on April being ‘National Car Care Month’, the campaign will promote the NASCAR Performance Network, a network of thousands of auto repair and collision shops available to car-crazy NASCAR fans. Creative ads are set to debut around the time of the April 4th Samsung Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (FOX, 1 p.m. EST). The campaign features some of NASCAR’s most popular crew chiefs, including Ryan Pemberton (No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet), Jimmy Fennig (No. 97 Rubbermaid/Irwin Ford) and Tommy Baldwin (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge) stepping into the consumer world and offering guidance with car repair.
The TV campaign is comprised of 3 different commercials. NASCAR crew chiefs relay automotive advice to everyone from a woman distraught over a relationship gone bad to a frustrated man in marriage counseling. The crew chiefs humorously advise them on their various issues by suggesting different forms of car care advice. Print and radio ads will follow the same theme of crew chiefs giving expert advice to everyday people on the importance of proper automotive care.
Working with the MAKOS agency out of Austin, the NASCAR campaign will reach key consumer broadcast audiences via in-race spots on national NBC and FOX broadcasts as well as the SPEED Channel, XM Radio and the Motor Racing Network (MRN); and in print, via publications including NASCAR Scene, NASCAR Illustrated, NASCAR preview and press guides, the NASCAR track and travel guides as well as select NASCAR souvenir race programs. Banners ads will also appear on NASCAR.com.
The NASCAR Performance Network is a new, nationwide branding and service initiative of NASCAR aimed at supporting the automotive industry’s call to “Be Car Care Aware” and the $62 billion of unperformed consumer maintenance each year.(NASCAR PR)(4-1-2004)
- #14 Gets Some Help: Several associate sponsors have been signed for this weekend for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway for the #14 A.J. Foyt Racing Dodge driven by Larry Foyt. Smith Chrysler-Dodge, located in Waxahachie, TX will be featured on the hood of the car. Ft. Worth Harley-Davidson will be on the car’s rear quarter panels while Texas Harley-Davidson will be on the car’s TV panel. Insurance Auto Auctions will be featured on the rear deck lid. IAA is a leading provider of automotive and specialty salvage services in the U.S. providing cost effective turnkey solutions to process and sell total-loss and recovered theft vehicles. Foyt is attempting to compete in his first race since the Subway 400 Feb. 22 at North Carolina Speedway where he finished 32nd. He returned to the cockpit of the A.J. Foyt Racing Dodge for the first time when he tested at TMS March 16-17. Team owner, A.J. Foyt will miss the first two days of action at TMS because he will be working with his Indy car team and grandson A.J. Foyt IV who is testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Saturday.(Foyt Racing PR)(4-1-2004)
- Blaney Back in Action: Dave Blaney will compete this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway in the #23 Dodge. Bill Davis, owner of the #23, has entered into a sponsorship agreement with Batesville Speedway. Mooney Starr, the owner and promoter of Batesville Speedway, has been a long-time supporter of local dirt track racing and felt this would be a unique way to help a longtime friend and also give something back to the local racing community. The #23 Bill Davis Racing entry will be sponsored by Batesville Speedway and also carry decals of it’s two primary events in 2004, the Alltel 100 for Modifieds and the Comp Cams Topless 100 for Late Model Stocks. Bad Boy Mowers of Batesville, AR will also lend support to Davis’ #23. Bad Boy Mowers, established in 1998, manufactures a zero turn radius commercial mower catering to experts in the commercial turf industry. Batesville Speedway is located in Locust Grove, Arkansas. It is a 3/8-mile, red clay oval nestled in the foot hills of the Ozark Mountains in North Central Arkansas. For more information on the event or sponsors, please visit www.batesvillespeedway.com or/and www.badboymowers.com.(BDR PR), also as reported recently, fans of Dave Blaney are pledging money to sponsor a car for Blaney at Michigan, more info on my #23 Team News and Links page; Current Amount ‘Pledged’: $60,936 as of 4/1.(4-1-2004)
- More Casting for the Earnhardt movie: J.K. Simmons and Elizabeth Mitchell have joined the cast of ESPN’s movie about NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt. The movie, titled “3” after the number of Earnhardt’s car, is set to begin filming April 14 in Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C., ESPN says. Barry Pepper is playing Earnhardt. Russell Mulcahy (“Highlander,” “Skin”) will direct the film, which will track Earnhardt’s life from the small town of Kannapolis, N.C., his rise through the NASCAR ranks and his lightning-rod status as both a hugely popular and widely reviled figure among the sport’s fans. Simmons, a regular on HBO’s “Oz” and the ABC series “The D.A.,” will play Dale’s father, Ralph Earnhardt, a driver in NASCAR’s early days who introduced his son to stock-car racing. Mitchell (“The Lyon’s Den”) will play Teresa, Dale Earnhardt’s wife. The movie is scheduled to premiere on ESPN in December.(Zap2It.com)(4-1-2004)
- Harvick Paint News UPDATE: Kevin Harvick is scheduled to run a #29 Ice Breakers Liquid Ice Chevy at Texas, the new mint item is billed as the future of instant breath freshening.(1-25-2004)
UPDATE: Childress, Harvick, Hershey Foods and GM Goodwrench to unveil first completely holographic race car. The #29 Ice Breakers Liquid Ice / GM Goodwrench Chevy will be driven by Kevin Harvick in Samsung/Radio Shack 500 Nextel Cup race on Sunday, April 4, 2004 and be unvieled at the track on Friday, April 2nd in the morning. In conjunction with the race car graphics, Hershey Foods is introducing new Ice Breakers Liquid Ice mints. The first intense, liquid-filled mints from Ice Breakers, Liquid Ice delivers instant mouth freshening and is designed for consumers with a need for breath-freshening speed (Keystone Marketing PR). See a diecast image of the car on my #29 Team Paint Schemes page.(4-1-2004)
- Back to the Future REVISED scheme: A special paint scheme will launch a nationwide campaign to “Keep It Genuine”, accentuating the importance of using genuine Ford and Lincoln Mercury Parts and Service to keep a vehicle performing at its best. The #21 Motorcraft Racing Ford Taurus will run the colors made famous by David Pearson during the 1970’s at Texas Motor Speedway for the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 weekend. According to Eddie Wood and his Uncle Leonard, the Wood Brothers “genuine” look was developed in the mid-1960’s to distinguish one team entry from another. On several occasions the Wood Brothers entered two or three cars in an event and used a combination of red and white paint schemes on the team cars. The crew chose the red top, white bottom and gold numbers as its primary paint scheme. Leonard Wood remembers that Cale Yarborough was the first Wood Brothers Racing driver to compete in those colors full-time, starting in 1967. The red, white and gold paint scheme went to victory lane 72 times with Yarborough, Parnelli Jones, Dan Gurney, Donnie Allison, A.J. Foyt, Pearson, and Neil Bonnett behind the wheel between 1967 and 1982. “Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealerships are known for the genuine Motorcraft parts and quality service Ford customers have come to depend on,” says Judi Moritz, the Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) Motorsports & Events Marketing Manager. “And what better way to launch the new FCSD “Keep It Genuine” campaign than to introduce it with a genuine Wood Brothers Racing paint scheme.”
The race at Texas precedes the national dealership introduction of the “Keep It Genuine” program on Monday, April 5. The “Keep It Genuine” initiative reinforces the importance of using genuine Ford and Lincoln Mercury Parts and Service to keep the vehicle performing at its best. Only Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealerships can provide factory-trained technicians and parts engineered specifically for the vehicle. By depending on the dealership to keep the vehicle genuine, owners can drive away with genuine peace of mind.(Motorcraft Racing PR), see the original image and the revised ‘red’ front image on my #21 Team Paint Schemes page.(3-26/4-1-2004)
- #41 to sport different colors at Texas: The #41 Target Dodge will be adorned with the unmistakable green and white of Fujifilm for the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. For the first time this season, Casey Mears will not be sporting the Target bullseye on the hood of the #41 Dodge. Instead, his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup car will carry the colors of sponsorship partner Fujifilm. Mears ran a Fujifilm car last season at Chicagoland Speedway. In addition to the special paint scheme, Mears will have the opportunity to fly the Fujifilm Blimp above the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway on Thursday. Fans will see the blimp soaring high over the Fort Worth area and Texas Motor Speedway throughout the race weekend. The Fujifilm Blimp is over 200-feet long and weighs close to 8 tons, making it the second largest blimp in the world. Powered by two Porsche 930/67/AL/3 6-cylinder, air-cooled, turbocharged engines, the blimp features two rotatable-ducted propellers that give it the ability to hover as well as take-off and land almost vertically. For more information on Fujifilm products, consumers can call 800-800-FUJI or access the Fujifilm USA Web site at www.fujifilm.com.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)(4-1-2004)
- Senator Burton? Seems sometimes that one can hardly turn around in the garage without bumping into a Republican who is seeking office or helping friends win an office in this election year. Of course George W. Bush set the trend with his visit to Daytona International Speedway in February. Then, last week, senate majority leader, Bill Frist worked the NASCAR crowd to get the vote out. With the political winds blowing through the NASCAR garage there’s little wonder that some within the sport are trying their hand at the game. The most serious contender in this category is NASCAR’s former director of operations, Kevin Triplett, who is now running for the 9th congressional district seat in his home state of Virginia. But it doesn’t end there. Now one of the drivers is showing interest in a career in politics, once he’s done driving. That driver is Ford Racing’s own Jeff Burton, who drives the #99 Roush prepared Taurus. In a shocking revelation Burton told www.teamfordracing.com, “I look forward to, in my fifties, being involved in politics. I intend to run for senator when I’m through racing.” While it is still too early to get a Burton for Senate lapel pin it would be interesting to see Burton shed his drivers suit for a three-piece suit in the future.(Ford Racing)(4-1-2004)
- Tracy Hines in the #6: The second leg of the Hungry Drivers program begins this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway when Tracy Hines takes the controls of the #6 Hellmann’s Dodge. Hines, an Indiana native and two time open-wheel champion, will make his first career NASCAR Busch series start in the O’Reilly 300. Hellmann’s mayonnaise will make its debut as the primary sponsor on the #6 Dodge in the O’Reilly 300. Hellmann’s mayonnaise will be featured as primary sponsor again at Richmond and Dover. Sponsored by Ragu pasta sauce, Shedd’s Spread Country Crock and Hellmann’s mayonnaise, car owner Tommy Baldwin Racing will place four up and coming “hungry” drivers behind the wheel of the #6 Hungry Drivers Dodge in 12 races throughout the 2004 NASCAR Busch Series season. Three drivers have been named including Paul Wolfe, Mark McFarland and Tracy Hines. A fourth driver is expected later in the season. Each driver will compete in three races; at the end of the season the driver who turns in the best performance will be in a prime position to secure a full Busch ride in 2005.(Bulldawg Marketing PR)(4-1-2004)
- New Driver to run a few races in the #36: Travis Geisler tested the #36 Chevrolet for DCT Motorsports yesterday [3/30] at Nashville Superspeedway. He is expected to run 5-8 races with the team later in the year. Steve Grissom will run the other races. The team is not entered this weekend at Texas, but plans on running 25-28 races this season.(BGNRacing.com)(4-1-2004)
- Busch wins the pole at Texas: #5-Kyle Busch snagged his second Busch series pole of the season and his career for Saturday’s O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. Busch turned a lap of 189.847mph. #60-Greg Biffle was second fastest at 189.827mph, followed by #37-David Green, #87-Joe Nemechek and last weeks race winner, #8-Martin Truex Jr.
Missing the race were six drivers: #51-Stan Boyd, #39-Brad Teague, #77-Donnie Neuenberger, #16-Justin Ashburn, #0-Blake Mallory and #52-Bruce Bechtel.(ThatsRacin.com)
Qualifying Results/Starting Lineups at ThatsRacin.com, BGNRacing.com or NASCAR.com.(4-1-2004) - Jon Wood Visits American Idol: During a long break in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule many of the drivers are spending their time off doing some fun activities. Jon Wood did just that when he had the opportunity to attend Fox’s “American Idol” on Tuesday night. Wood, along with his girlfriend and his sister, boarded a plane for California on Monday afternoon, attended the show on Tuesday night and returned to Charlotte, N.C., on a red-eye flight after the show. “I don’t get intrigued very often by anything on television, and I don’t really get into concerts and stuff like that, but there is so much hype around this that I have just been fascinated by it,” Wood said. “I have to thank Ford for helping me get tickets since it is a hard ticket to come by. “Tuesday night everybody sang and nobody got kicked off the show. I am rooting for George Huff, he’s my favorite. It is cool that they are making celebrities out of everyday people. I really enjoyed seeing Simon, Paula, Randy and everyone in person. I’m around famous racing people all the time and it is no big deal, but this was a different experience for me. It made me understand a race fan’s perspective when they see drivers in person when they are used to seeing them on tv every weekend. “It was a great trip and since I missed Valentine’s Day because I was in Daytona this really made up for it.”(Roush Racing PR)(4-1-2004)
- Park tests for Martinsville at LVMS Bullring: Steve Park completed 296 laps while testing his #62 Orleans Dodge at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 30. The team tested the same truck that will compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway April 17. “Steve wasn’t using the same line you would normally drive at the Bullring,” said Johnny Allen, the team’s crew chief. “He drove the track the shape of Martinsville. They aren’t the same size, but you are still able to learn a lot about the characteristics of the truck. We played with a lot of different scenarios to prepare for the next race. In all, it was a productive test. It is convenient to have the Bullring in our backyard. It cuts down on our travel time, which is our biggest disadvantage about being a Las Vegas-based team.” The Bullring is a 3/8-mile oval, while Martinsville Speedway is a half-mile oval. “I have extensive experience at Martinsville, so I was able to adjust my line to fit the configuration,” Park said. “They are both bullrings, but the Las Vegas Bullring doesn’t drive anything like Martinsville. Using the Martinsville line makes our test more valid. We specifically tried to simulate how we would be off the corner.” Park has completed 5,178 laps of competition in 11 starts at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. He has not competed in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Martinsville. In addition to the test, Park, who lives in Daytona, Florida, spent an extra day in Las Vegas to work with the team in the Orleans Racing shop. “Having Steve in the shop is a moral boost for the guys, especially right now when we are only racing once a month,” Allen said. “When he comes to town, he joins the guys for everything they do. He worked out with team this morning and attended our morning meeting. He does a good job of motivating them to work hard for the next race.” Park said: “It benefits me as much as it does the crew. I enjoy being in Las Vegas. I enjoy working on the truck. I enjoy spending time with the guys. I want to be a part of this team. That is what a team is. I’m not just the driver; I am a team member. I was at the gym with the guys at 6 o’clock this morning. I think it goes a long way. It shows them how committed I am to being a part of a good organization.” The next race of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is the Kroger 250 April 17 at Martinsville Speedway.(Orleans Racing PR)(4-1-2004)
- #15 Looking for Fabricators: Professional experienced Fabricators needed for Billy Ballew Motorsports, owner of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series #15 Chevrolet Silverado. Please contact Richie Wauters at (704) 664-7015 for more information.(4-1-2004)
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