April 1, 2014
- Under Armour enters NASCAR with Hendrick & MWR: The sporting goods company, Under Armour, has signed multiyear sponsorships with Hendrick Motorsports and Michael Waltrip Racing. It becomes the official apparel provider for both teams, outfitting everyone from the pit crew to the front office in Under Armour-branded apparel. The deals don’t include the teams’ drivers, and financial terms weren’t available. Last year, Under Armour signed a one-year, trial sponsorship with Hendrick Motorsports and outfitted the team’s pit crews. It opted to expand that deal this year with a three-year extension that will see it outfit not only the pit crews but the rest of Hendrick’s 500 employees. It provides everything from footwear and hats to polos and pullovers. It also has branding on Hendrick pit crew members’ fire suits (Under Armour does not produce fire suits) and on the team’s pit wall banners, haulers, pit box and pit toolbox. The deal doesn’t include Hendrick’s drivers – #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #24-Jeff Gordon, #48-Jimmie Johnson or #5-Kasey Kahne – but Under Armour does have rights to use their likeness as well as the likeness of their car and number, which it could use on apparel.
Under Armour signed with Michael Waltrip Racing because it saw similarities between its identity as an upstart brand that’s challenged established apparel companies and the team’s identity as a relatively new, gritty team that’s pushing its way into the upper echelon of NASCAR. Terms of the two-year sponsorship are similar to the deal with Hendrick. Under Armour will supply pit crew apparel and team and executive apparel and receive the same mix of pit assets it is getting from Hendrick. It also will become the presenting sponsor of a new athletic facility and gym that MWR built at its headquarters in Cornelius, N.C., which has been branded as the MWR Performance Center Presented by Under Armour. The deal is the first apparel sponsorship for MWR. The team previously bought its apparel from Oakley.(SportsBusiness Journal)(4-1-2014)
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Daytona 500 win available On DVD: On Tuesday, April 1, 2014, fans will be able to relive Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s second Daytona 500 win via a limited collector’s edition DVD, produced by NASCAR Productions. The DVD highlights the #88’s path to victory, overcoming obstacles such a long rain delay and a late caution flag to set up a frantic finish, ultimately resulting in Earnhardt Jr. hoisting the Harley J. Earl trophy in Victory Lane. The DVD will be available for purchase on the NASCAR.com Superstore.(4-1-2014)
- #44 to run Texas, has new crew chief: per Xxxtreme Motorsport Twitter, Xxxtreme is on the Texas (Entry) List. NASCAR will add it. And Joe Lax will be there new crew chief for the #44 Xxxtreme Motorsport crew chief for driver J.J. Yeley. Walter Giles had been the crew chief since mid-2013. The #44 Chevy is currently not listed on NASCAR Entry List for the Texas Sprint Cup Series race.(4-1-2014)
- Mears continues testing at Darlington Tuesday: A test session at Darlington Raceway featuring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Casey Mears will be FREE and open to the public today, April 1, from 1 pm – 9 pm. Mears, who drives the No. 13 GEICO Chevy SS for Germain Racing, had already turned laps around the track Too Tough To Tame on Monday and will do so again today for the fans. Darlington Raceway will open two sections of the Colvin Grandstand on the backstretch of the track for fans to watch the test throughout the afternoon and evening under the lights. The ticket office will remain open throughout the night to accommodate fans who wish to purchase a ticket for the April 11-12 Bojangles’ Southern 500 race weekend, which is just days away. Fans need to use the Gate 3 entrance to the track off of Highway 151. The parking lot is located next to the track’s administration building and certain sections of the Colvin Grandstands on the backstretch will be open for public viewing. Times of the test are subject to change. Tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 on Saturday, April 12 and Nationwide Series VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200 on Friday, April 11 are now on sale, visit www.DarlingtonRaceway.com or call 866-459-7223 for more information.(Darlington Raceway)(4-1-2014)
- TV Ratings for Martinsville down: Overnight ratings hit a season-low for NASCAR on FOX. Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup STP 500 from Martinsville earned a 3.8 overnight rating on FOX, down 5% from last year (4.0), and down a tick from 2012 (3.9). Excluding rainouts, the 3.8 is the lowest ever for the spring Martinsville race on FOX (2001, 2003-present). The 3.8 is also the lowest for any Sprint Cup telecast this season, falling below the previous mark of 4.0 set the previous week at Fontana. So far this season, all six NASCAR Sprint Cup races have had declines in overnights compared to last year. Despite the lower numbers, NASCAR was easily the top non-NCAA Tournament draw of the weekend on broadcast.(Sports Media Watch)(4-1-2014)
- Six winners in six races: When NASCAR tweaked its Sprint Cup Series points system again for the 2014 season, the hope was that the winner-take-all format in the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway would virtually guarantee an exciting finish to the season. And by changing the criteria for making the Chase for the Sprint Cup, it was thought that the racing might be a little more intense during the 26-race Sprint Cup regular season. But the results so far in 2014 — six different winners in six races, along with a host of great finishes — surely have exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. How rare is it to start a season with six different winners in the first six races? Going back to 1985, it’s only happened five times and the most recent occurrence was in 2003, more than a decade ago and the last year before the Chase format began. There’s ample reason to believe the streak of new winners might go on a while longer: Last year’s top two drivers, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are winless so far in 2014, as are six more of 2014’s top 12 finishers in points. Over the last three decades, the longest stretch of unique winners came in 2000, when the first repeat winner of that season was Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the 11th race. Since NASCAR went to a 36-race schedule in 2001, there has never been a season with more than 16 different winners in the first 26 races. In fact, in the 13 seasons that NASCAR has had a 36-race schedule, only five times have there been more than 16 winners during the entire year.(FoxSports)(4-1-2014)
- Top 10 Driver Ratings at Texas:
#20-Matt Kenseth…………107.2
#48-Jimmie Johnson……….106.4
#16-Greg Biffle………….101.8
#18-Kyle Busch…………..101.6
#14-Tony Stewart………….99.1
#99-Carl Edwards………….97.5
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr……..93.8
#11-Denny Hamlin………….93.3
#15-Clint Bowyer………….92.3
#24Jeff Gordon……………90.6
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races(18 total) among drivers at Texas Motor Speedway. Formula combining the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Maximum: 150 points per race.(NASCAR)(4-1-2014)
- Texas Motor Speedway News & Notes:
• Construction on Texas Motor Speedway began in 1995.
• The first NASCAR national series race at TMS was a NASCAR Nationwide Series event on April 5, 1997 – won by Mark Martin.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was on April 6, 1997 – won by Jeff Burton.
• The track underwent a repave between the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
• In 2011, the spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was moved from Sunday to Saturday night under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway.
• Texas Motor Speedway hosted its first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on November 6, 2005 – won by Carl Edwards.
• There have been 26 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway, one NSCS event from 1997 – 2004 and two races per year since 2005.
• 134 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas; 109 in more than one.
• Four drivers have made all 26 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway – Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton and Mark Martin.
• Jeremy Mayfield was the first Coors Light pole winner, in 1998 with a speed of 185.906 mph. The inaugural Coors Light pole at Texas Motor Speedway in 1997 was cancelled due to weather conditions.
• 19 drivers have Coors Light poles at Texas, led by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr. with two each.
• Two drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Texas Motor Speedway: Bobby Labonte (2003 and 2004) and Ryan Newman (2005 sweep).
• 17 different drivers have won at Texas Motor Speedway, led by Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson with three each.
• Seven drivers have multiple wins at Texas Motor Speedway: Carl Edwards (three), Jimmie Johnson (three), Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart each have two.
• Roush Fenway Racing leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in wins at Texas Motor Speedway with nine; followed by Hendrick Motorsports with five and Joe Gibbs Racing with four.
• Three of the 26 (11.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from the Coors Light Pole; Kasey Kahne (2006), Jimmie Johnson (2012) and Kyle Busch (2013).
• The third-place starting position is the most proficient starting spot in the field at Texas Motor Speedway, producing more wins than any other starting position in the field (five) – most recent: Jimmie Johnson last fall.
• Six of the 26 (23.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from the front row: three from the pole and three from second-place.
• 20 of the 26 (76.9%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.
• Four of the 26 (15.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Texas Motor Speedway is 31st, by Matt Kenseth in 2002.
• Jimmie Johnson leads the series in runner-up finishes at Texas Motor Speedway with five; followed by Matt Kenseth with four.
• Matt Kenseth leads the series in top-five finishes at Texas Motor Speedway with 13; followed by Jimmie Johnson with 10.
• Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson are tied for the series lead in top-10 finishes at Texas Motor Speedway with 16 each; followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 13.
• Jimmie Johnson leads active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Texas Motor Speedway with an 8..476. Johnson is the only active driver with an average starting position at Texas in the top 10.
• Two active drivers have a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series average finish in the top 10 at Texas: Matt Kenseth (8.3) and Jimmie Johnson (8.7).
• There have been three NSCS green-white-checkered finishes at Texas Motor Speedway: fall 2006 (334/339), spring 2008 (334/339), and fall 2012 (334/335).
• Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions twice in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway; the inaugural event in 1997 and spring 2007. The race has never been rain shortened.
• Kevin Harvick has participated in the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway without posting a DNF (22).
• Jeff Burton (4/06/1997) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (4/02/2000) won their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career race at Texas Motor Speedway.
• David Ragan (4/09/2011) and Martin Truex Jr. (11/04/2007) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light poles at Texas Motor Speedway.
• 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski (11/02/2008) and Trevor Bayne (11/07/2010) made their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career starts at Texas Motor Speedway.
• Two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted consecutive wins at Texas Motor Speedway: Carl Edwards (2008 sweep) and Denny Hamlin (2010 sweep).
• Nine of the 12 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Texas Motor Speedway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Texas in their first appearance; Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman won in their second appearance at TMS.
• Jeff Gordon competed at Texas Motor Speedway 16 times before winning in the spring of 2009; the longest span of any the 12 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.
• Only three of the 12 winning drivers have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Texas Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon (16) Kyle Busch (15) and Kurt Busch (13).
• Joe Nemechek leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway without visiting Victory Lane at 23.
• Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway was the (4/4/2004) race won by Elliott Sadler with a MOV of 0.028 second.
• Matt Kenseth leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Texas Motor Speedway with 775 laps led in 23 starts.
• One NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver has won at Texas Motor Speedway in two different manufacturers: Jeff Burton (1997 – Ford; 2007 – Chevrolet).(NASCAR)(4-1-2014)
- 4 cars at Texas for JR Motorsports: For the first time in JRM’s 10-year history in Nationwide Series competition, the organization will enter four cars in this weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway. JRM has fielded three cars in the season’s first five races. However, Texas will mark its first event with four entries. Drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. (#88), Chase Elliott (#9), Kevin Harvick (#5) and Regan Smith (#7) will all race under the JRM banner at TMS.(JR Motorsports)(4-1-2014)
- Suspension parts taken following Martinsville UPDATE: Following Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR confirmed on the Truck Series’ Twitter account that suspension parts were taken off of the #54 truck of Darrell Wallace, Jr., the #31 truck of Ben Kennedy, and the #98 truck of Johnny Sauter for further evaluation.(3-30-2014)
UPDATE: Three teams that compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series have been penalized for rules violations discovered during post-race inspection last Sunday (March 30) at Martinsville Speedway. All three teams – the #31, #54, and #98 – have been assessed a P3 level penalty for violating Section 20B-12.5 (D) (offset front hubs found in post-race inspection) of the 2014 NASCAR rule book. As a result, each team’s crew chief – Michael Shelton (#31); Jerry Baxter (#54); and Gene Wachtel (#98) – have been fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.(NASCAR)(4-1-2014)
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