April 6, 2010
- Latest on Larry Pearson: There have been numerous calls for Bristol Motor Speedway to end its experiment with old-timer “legends” racing since the track’s March 20 event resulted in a savage late-race accident. Larry Pearson, the driver seriously injured in that wreck, isn’t one of the naysayers. Pearson, 56, had six surgeries in the 12 days following the crash, which happened after his car blew a tire, hit the wall and was slammed in the drivers door at full speed by Charlie Glotzbach. Glotzbach was hospitalized for a few days but was not seriously injured. Pearson suffered two broken legs, a shattered pelvis, two broken ribs, a broken ankle and a broken right hand. He has been hospitalized since the accident but said Tuesday he hopes to be released from the Charlotte medical center in the next day or two. He faces months of rehabilitation, some of which he hopes to accomplish at his home near Spartanburg, S.C. Family members say Pearson has been in good spirits despite the trauma of the past three weeks.(SPEEDtv)(4-6-2010)
- Mayfield lawsuit to remain in federal court: Jeremy Mayfield’s lawsuit against NASCAR will remain in federal court, U.S. District Judge Graham Mullen ruled Tuesday. The case, stemming from a drug test last May that NASCAR says was a positive for methamphetamine but Mayfield says was a mix of over-the-counter and prescription medication, has been at a virtual standstill since January in order to resolve jurisdictional issues. Now that Mullen has ruled that he has jurisdiction in the case, he can now make decisions on disputes over discovery issues as well as a NASCAR motion to decide the case based on pleadings without any additional discovery. A trial in the case would not begin until Sept. 13 at the earliest.(Scene Daily)(4-6-2010)
- Texas Governor sponsoring Labonte at TMS: TRG Motorsports, Bobby Labonte and Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced that Texans for Rick Perry will sponsor the #71 racecar of NASCAR’s most popular Texan, Bobby Labonte, during the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 18, 2010. Emblazoned with the Texans for Rick Perry logo and the sponsorship slogan “Moving Texas Forward”, the Chevy driven by Labonte will tour across the state in the days leading up to the Samsung Mobile 500 race at Texas Motor Speedway on April 18, offering race fans the chance to get an up close and personal glimpse at a stock car and learn more about Gov. Perry’s effort to keep “Moving Texas Forward”. NASCAR is an important contributor to Texas’ economic vitality, drawing more than 400,000 spectators and generating revenue equivalent to one Super Bowl event, approximately $90 million, during a single NASCAR weekend at Fort Worth’s Texas Motor Speedway. The speedway is home to the five largest single-day spectator events in the state of Texas, two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, two NASCAR Nationwide Series events and the IndyCar Series Race, contributing a regional economic impact of approximately $300,000,000 per year.(TRG PR)AND: Perry’s campaign paid $225,000 to sponsor the car through the April 18 race.(Ft. Worth Star-Telegram)(4-6-2010)
- Growing Greener scheme for Stewart at Phoenix: Office Depot, co-primary sponsor of Tony Stewart and the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice team, announced that it is launching an innovative partnership with EarthEra, a program created by NextEra Energy Resources, North America’s largest producer of wind and solar power. To launch the partnership’s first program, “Greener Shipping”, Office Depot will balance the carbon footprint of the Subway Fresh Fit 600 race on Saturday, April 10, at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). Through its purchase of EarthEra products, Office Depot is helping the race “grow greener” by balancing the carbon footprint of not just the cars on the track, but fan travel, race team travel and track operations during the race. Due to the innovative structure of the EarthEra program, 100% of the revenue from Office Depot’s purchase will be used to create new renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar, in the United States – thus helping the country transition to a greener and cleaner energy future.
The #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy driven by Tony Stewart will feature a special green-themed paint scheme during the Subway Fresh Fit 600 at PIR. The paint scheme will include the Office Depot and EarthEra logos on the car’s rear TV panel with a “Greener Shipping” message. The new Office Depot Greener Shipping Program encourages eligible Office Depot customers to “grow greener” by changing how they buy office supplies. When eligible customers eliminate small orders, increase average order size and help reduce delivery frequency, Office Depot will provide rebates on certain green products and purchase EarthEra products on the customer’s behalf.
NASCAR and its partners share a commitment to preserving the environment. The sport has launched many programs to help it operate in an environmentally responsible way. A comprehensive green strategy for NASCAR and its stakeholders is focused on reducing the sport’s carbon footprint and waste production while promoting conservation and sustainability messages to fans. Office Depot will balance the entire estimated carbon-dioxide emissions associated with the Subway Fresh Fit 600 on Saturday, April 10, at PIR by purchasing Green-e Certified Products from EarthEra. Green-e is the nation’s leading independent certification and verification program for renewable energy and greenhouse gas emission reductions. Green-e certification ensures greenhouse gas emission reductions are real, verifiable, enforceable, permanent and incremental to the status quo. To learn more about Office Depot’s Earth Day Grow Greener campaign, please visit www.officedepotgrowgreener.com.(Office
Depot/Edelman), see an image to the car and a link to the video wrapping the car on my #14 Team Schemes page.(4-6-2010) - NASCAR Hall of Fame 50-Day Countdown Recap – Week 2 : The NASCAR Hall of Fame opens May 11, 2010 in uptown Charlotte, N.C., and to celebrate the final 50 days until the opening, news is revealed each day at www.NASCARHall.com/50days.March 29 – 43 days until opening – Richard Petty’s Medal of Freedom: In 1992, the year he retired from driving, Richard Petty was awarded The Medal of Freedom by President George H.W. Bush in the East Room of the White House. Petty is the only figure from the world of auto racing to be awarded this honor. It is considered the nation’s highest civilian award. Petty considers the award his most-prized possession. Guests can see inaugural inductee Richard Petty’s Medal of Freedom and his complete inductee exhibit in the Hall of Honor beginning May 23 after the Inaugural Induction Ceremony.March 30 – 42 days until opening – The NASCAR Hall of Fame Legends Room: The NASCAR Hall of Fame Legends Room is a multi-purpose space perfect for a business meeting or birthday party. It holds a maximum of 117 people and can be figured in a number of ways from classroom to banquet style. Following with the state-of-the-art nature of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the room is fully equipped for standard audio and visual needs. In addition to offering space for special events, discounted tickets for the NASCAR Hall of Fame are available for groups of 15 or more.March 31 – 41 days until opening – NCDL/OSHA announce completion of Safety Partnership with NASCAR Hall of Fame: Turner/BE&K/Davis and the North Carolina Department of Labor/OSHA announced the completion of their Safety Partnership with the NASCAR Hall of Fame construction team. Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry presented partnership completion certificates to Turner Construction Co., BE&K Building Group and Walter B. Davis Co. In addition, Commissioner Berry presented the Labor Department’s gold safety award to the Turner/BE&K/Davis Joint Venture Construction Team and the Turner/BE&K/Davis Management Team.April 1 – 40 days until opening – Evernham Motorsports’ Wind Tunnel Car: A 40% scale model of a real car, the Wind Tunnel Car was developed in 2000 by Evernham Motorsports upon Dodge’s return to NASCAR to test aerodynamic efficiency. Though it is 40% the size of a car, it features all the components of a full-size car. Guests will find the model car in Heritage Speedway where history buffs and NASCAR novices alike can explore authentic artifacts and educational films depicting the story of NASCAR’s exciting six-decade history.
April 2 – 39 days until opening – Smokey Yunick Wooden Templates: Built by Yunick himself, the wooden templates were used in his shop as the 1969 Ford was being built. The body of the car was checked from time to time during construction to insure that the car’s shape would remain within NASCAR limits.
April 3 – 38 days until opening – Ned Jarrett’s 1993 CBS Announcer Blazer: Two-time Grand National champion Ned Jarrett was the first driver to make the transition from full-time driver to full-time broadcaster after his driving career drew to a close. Guests can see Ned Jarrett’s 1993 CBS jacket which he was wearing when he called the finish of the 1993 Daytona 500, won by his son Dale Jarrett.
April 4 – 37 days until opening – Richie Evans #61 Modified The familiar orange #61 modified which rests on Glory Road was built in 1984 and was the car in which Evans experienced his last victory. A year ago, the bare frame of this car sat in the woods. But the car was lovingly restored by Evans’ former crew chief, Billy Nacewicz, as a tribute to a true NASCAR legend. The #61 Modified is one of 18 historic cars showcased on Glory Road. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is owned by the City of Charlotte, licensed by NASCAR and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.(4-6-2010)
- Rusty to surprise students: On Tuesday, April 6th, NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace will surprise 25 sixth grade students from David C Hinson Senior Middle School with news that they have been selected to join 75 other students by participating in the Bank of America “Students at the Speedway” program at Daytona International Speedway on May 21 to help celebrate NASCAR Day. “Students at the Speedway” is an exciting program that Bank of America created to show students how the principles of STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – are applied to racing. The activity at Daytona is one of five national service projects being organized by The NASCAR Foundation to celebrate NASCAR Day on May 21.(DIS)(4-6-2010)
- Drivers with the most points in the last 10 Sprint Cup races at Phoenix:
1. Jimmie Johnson 1685
2. Jeff Burton 1393
3. Carl Edwards 1352
4. Tony Stewart 1341
5. Jeff Gordon 1315
6. Mark Martin 1289
7. Kevin Harvick 1280
8. Denny Hamlin 1275
9. Kurt Busch 1253
10. Greg Biffle 1245
(Racing Reference)(4-6-2010) - Laila Ali named Grand Marshal for Subway Fresh Fit 600: Undefeated professional boxer, entertainer, and Subway national spokesperson Laila Ali has been named the Grand Marshal for the Subway Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday, April 10. Ali is a spokesperson for the Subway Fresh Fit for Kids campaign. The movement is designed to encourage children to lead an active, healthy lifestyle by getting the proper amount of exercise and fueling them with healthier Subway meal options. The daughter of all-time boxing great Muhammad Ali will work in conjunction with Sperber in welcoming fans, drivers, and teams to Phoenix for the first official night race of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. In addition, Ali will say the most famous words in racing, giving the command of: “Gentlemen, start your engines!” As one of the era’s most recognized female fighters and a past IBA, WIBA, and IBWF Super Middleweight champion, Ali holds a career record of 24-0, with 21 wins by knockout – a stretch of unmatched ring success dating back to 1999. Tickets for the April NASCAR event weekend at Phoenix International Raceway are available now by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223) or visiting www.phoenixraceway.com.(PIR)(4-6-2010)
- MIS Tickets officially on sale to the public; prices lower than 2009: Great prices and a race experience that follows Michigan International Speedway’s vision of creating lasting memories for every person, every time awaits fans as tickets officially are on sale. With just 10 weeks remaining before the June 11-13 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 race weekend, the excitement is building as NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series returns to the Irish Hills of Michigan. With tickets now on sale, great seats are available for both June and August race weekends with prices starting as low as $25 for both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events. Kids 12 and under are free; and junior pricing is available for the first time with kids 17 and under paying half price. Prices for the 2010 season are less than they were in 2009 for most grandstand sections, including the center grandstand. Pricing will stay the same for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200 ($30), NASCAR Nationwide Series CARFAX 250 ($40) and ARCA Racing Series Racing for Wildlife 200 ($10). Weekend pre-race pit passes with remain at $50 for adults and $25 for juniors 17 and under for Sunday only. MIS Champions Club tickets are still available for $480, which is good for Friday-Sunday activities. New amenities and the return of NASCAR excitement at MIS also await. All the seats in the center grandstands have been widened, as have seats in Turn 3. The speedway staff also undertook a tremendous project in-house to expand every infield site by four feet and installing water drainage throughout. A row has also been added, bringing infield camping guests even closer to the track action. MIS’ tickets are on sale. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tickets for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on June 13 and CARFAX 400 on August 15 are as low as $25. Visit MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 today to take advantage of great pricing for 2010 events at MIS.(MIS)(4-6-2010)
- NASCAR parks Leffler for retaliation on Buescher: UPDATE: Showing that a payback that ends another car’s day is unacceptable, NASCAR parked Braun Racing’s #38-Jason Leffler for retaliating against Phoenix Racing’s #1-James Buescher during the Nashville 300 at Nashville Superspeedway. The situation began shortly after the start of the race Saturday when Buescher had gotten loose underneath Leffler, and Leffler hit the wall hard on lap 43. It took more than 60 laps for Leffler’s team to repair his car, and at lap 143, Leffler ran into the side of Buescher, whose car slammed into the outside wall and briefly caught fire. After the seven laps under caution, Leffler was sent to the garage by NASCAR for the day. He finished 39th, and possibly could have finished 32nd – a difference of 21 points. Leffler didn’t totally admit that he did it on purpose. Buescher obviously thought it was intentional. And NASCAR Nationwide Series Director Joe Balash said it appeared intentional. Balash said NASCAR will take another look at the incident this week to see if there will be any further penalties.(Scene Daily)(4-4-2010)
UPDATE: NASCAR has placed Jason Leffler, driver of the #38 car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, on probation for the next three NASCAR Nationwide Series events for a rule violation he committed during the race at Nashville Superspeedway on April 3. Leffler’s probation will run until April 28 of this year. Leffler was found to have violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – aggressive driving) of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rule Book.(NASCAR PR)(4-6-2010)
- Jim Boeheim named Grand Marshal for Zippo 200: Fans that attend the Zippo 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at The Glen on Saturday, August 7 will see a well-known face in a very new place during the pre-race ceremonies. Syracuse University Men’s Basketball Coach Jim Boeheim will serve as the Grand Marshal for the race and say the most famous words in racing “Gentlemen, start your engines” just minutes before the green flag drops at approximately 2:00 PM EST. In addition to his honorary duties, Coach Boeheim will watch the race with a limited number of S.U. hoops fanatics from the confines of one of WGI’s VIP hospitality areas. Tickets for this special package start at $150 and include; weekend reserved seat, upscale food & beverage stations, guided garage tour, race day collectible as well as a chance to rub elbows with one of college basketball’s all-time greats. Fans interested in this once-in-a-lifetime experience should call 888-356-7223 to place their order. All of the proceeds of tickets purchased to this rare opportunity going towards The Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation.(Watkins Glen PR)(4-6-2010)
- Bowles replaces Riggs in #09 at Phoenix: Jason Bowles, the reigning 2009 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Champion, will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut with RAB Racing behind the wheel of the #09 Sunrise Ford on Friday, April 9, in the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. The 27-year-old Ontario, California native, who will be running with sponsorship partner, Sunrise Ford, has one win in the K&N Pro Series West division at the 1-mile tri-oval and will be making his second start in “The Valley of the Sun” this weekend in NASCAR’s second tier division.(RAB Racing PR)(4-6-2010)
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