April 6, 2009
- Texas Overnight TV Ratings: NASCAR on Fox posted a 4.2/10 Sunday for Sprint Cup racing from Texas. The 4.2/10 is down -11% compared to last year’s 4.7/10 for the same race. Once again FOX had trouble getting viewers to the set, as tune-in at the green flag was down half a rating point compared to last year (-13%, 3.4/9 vs. 3.9/9). That half-point decline at the start matches the half-point decline for the entire race, showing that the build of the rating through the race was normal. More positively, yesterday’s race was far and away the day’s highest-rated sports event, it delivered FOX’s best NASCAR rating in a month, and the year-to-year decline of five-tenths of a point is an improvement over the average of nine-tenths for FOX’s previous races this season. Season-to-date, NASCAR is now averaging a 5.1/10 in the metered markets, down -15% compared to last year’s 6.0/12. For race by race chart and more, see my 2009 TV Ratings page.(4-6-2009)
- Two teams could be missing from Phoenix UPDATE #71 will be there: on SPEEDtv’s SPEED Report, Bob Dilner reported that two Sprint Cup teams could be missing at Phoenix on the weekend on April 17-18th. #8-Aric Almirola [the team plans to meet about the future of the #8 on Tuesday, Aprl 7th] and the #71 TRG Motorsports team that David Gilliland drives. Gilliand said the team needs a sponsor to continue on.(4-6-2009)
UPDATE: on Monday’s “The Morning Drive” on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, hosts Mike Bagley and David Poole spoke with Slugger Labbe, crew chief for TRG Motorsports’ #71 Chevy and driver David Gilliland, about the team’s plans for the Phoenix race on April 18.
Host, David Poole: “There was at least one report that said that you guys might not be going to Phoenix. What’s the status of that deal?”
Slugger Labbe: “Well, we’re going. You know, we’ve got the motor sitting here, the gear transmission. We just got the car back from getting the body fixed and it is in the paint booth now getting ready. We’re planning on going. David is wanting to race. He’s going to run the West race out there, whatever that series is. He’s going to run out there. I’m going to go help him. And, you know, Kevin [Buckler] is trying to secure funding. We’re so close to the top 35. It helps that they say the #8 car is shut down. He’s 37th in points. The next three guys behind us all missed the race at Texas this weekend so we’re in a unique situation that we have to go.”
“The Morning Drive” airs weekdays (7-11am/et) exclusively on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio (available nationwide on SIRIUS channel 128 and on XM channel 128 with the “Best of XM” programming package.)(4-6-2009)
- The Comcast Cup? Will Comcast buy Sprint? “As telco giants AT&T and Verizon move deeper into the TV business, cable giants like Comcast may have to get into the wireless business to compete. That could eventually involve Comcast buying Sprint Nextel, the No. 3 U.S. wireless carrier,” writes Silicon Alley Insider. Comcast and Sprint are backing the Clearwire 4G wireless network, and its WiMax system. If Clearwire doesn’t connect, and cash-rich Comcast decides it’s easier to buy than build, “the most logical deal could be for Sprint, which currently has a $12 billion market cap,” Insider says. “It’s not a new idea. But it could make sense in the next few years.” Citing a report from Pali Research, the article quotes Comcast CEO Brian Roberts at the annual cable show in Washington yesterday: “Wireless is a conundrum for the cable industry… AT&T and Verizon… are the super elephants. They’ve got all the market share…” He “avoided a clear answer to the question as to whether Clearwire was Comcast’s sole wireless strategy.”(Philly.com)(4-6-2009)
- Smith Continues DNF Streak: Regan Smith finished 31st in Sunday’s Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. It was the third race of the season for Smith and the #78 Furniture Row Racing team, which is competing part-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Though the Denver-Colo.-based team was slightly off its previous two performances of 21st (Daytona 500) and 19th (Las Vegas), Smith continued his impressive streak of running at the finish. He has finished every one of his 44 career Cup starts, dating back to the 2007 season. Smith and the #78 team are looking forward to the next Cup race — April 18 at the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway. “We had two good test sessions at the one-mile Pikes Peak International Raceway, which has similarities to Phoenix,” noted the 25-year-old Smith. “You never know in this business, but the gut feeling around this team is that we’re going to be better in Phoenix.” The Phoenix event is part of the team’s current 13-race Sprint Cup schedule.(DMF Communications PR)(4-6-2009)
- Race and Commercial Breakdown of the Samsung 500:
Total race brdcst time 165 Total comm. brdcst time 58
Start time to record race/commercial periods: 2:00 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 5:43 PM
Total number of commercials: 133
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 72
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 89
Total minutes: 223
Minutes of race broadcast: 165
Minutes of commercials: 58
Number of missed restarts: 0
Number of ‘mystery cautions’: 1 debris was mentioned, but not shown
Animated Digger shots: 10
Still Digger shots: 17
See more info and a link to the full report on my 2009 TV Commercials page.(4-6-2009)
- Did Not Finish Streak and stats: #33-Bowyer has been running at the finish in 80 consecutive races, the longest current streak, only 1 race behind the modern era record of #29-Harvick who had 81 until DNFing at California in Feb 2009, next up is #78-Regan Smith at 44 [but has not run all the races] and then #48-Johnson at 31 consecutive races. The all-time record for the longest streak of NOT having an DNF is 84 races held by Herman Beam from April 30, 1961 thru March 10, 1963 [Beam didn’t run all the races, but didn’t DNF in 84 straight consecutive races that he ran]. Kevin Harvick holds the modern era (1972-present) record at 81 [he also has the 3rd longest at 58], then Jeff Gordon at 56 and Dale Earnhardt at 53 [Indy in 1996 thru Martinsville in the spring of 1998.(4-6-2009)
- Tire test at New Hampshire: there is a scheduled Goodyear Tire Test at New Hampshire on Tues. and Wed. this week [April 7-8], with drivers scheduled being: #24-Jeff Gordon (Chevy); #18-Kyle Busch (Toyota), #6-David Ragan (Ford) and #12-David Stremme (Dodge)(4-6-2009)
- “All Access” available at Nashville: In an effort to give NASCAR fans unprecedented behind the scene access; Nashville Superspeedway is rolling out a new opportunity for race fans in 2009. It’s called – ALL ACCESS. All Access opens Saturday before the race at 11:45 a.m. To return to some of the “grassroots” elements that have made NASCAR so popular among motorsports fans; Nashville Superspeedway will debut this new fan initiative at the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday, April 11. All Access features:
…Pre race Garage access* that will give race fans the opportunity to see garage and pit road activities on race day before the race begins.
…Access to the NASCAR Driver’s Meeting
…Front Stretch track access with cars staged, in qualifying order, on the front stretch for fans to have their picture made with their favorite cars.
…Pre race driver introductions will include drivers being introduced while they walk down through the grandstands and on to the track.
…Drivers will get into their cars on the front stretch and await the “gentlemen start your engines” command. Engines will start on the front stretch with pace laps to follow.
The All Access Pass is included in the 2009 Season Tickets for only $149. Single-event ticket customers can add the All Access pass for $50 for the June 6 Federated Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the August 1 Toyota Tundra 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(4-6-2009)
- Richard Johns takes over Suspension Systems: Richard Johns, a veteran NASCAR race engineer, has joined forces with Kenny Hendrick, who currently pilots the #42 Dodge in the Nationwide Series, to take over the day to day operations of Suspension Systems, LLC. Richard Johns Race Engineering and Hendrick’s Suspension Systems have formed a partnership that will expand the role of both companies moving forward. Located in Huntersville, N.C., Suspension Systems has serviced the suspension needs of the motorsports industry for the past nine years. With Johns’ engineering expertise, the new partnership between the two companies will allow the organization not only to sell and service shocks and suspension components, but also offer engineering services for any motorsports application. Additional services include shock revalving and dyno tuning, shock repair, motorcycle fork service, shock rentals, data acquisition, track support, car and bike setup, component design and manufacturing and custom built race ATVs.(Richard Johns PR)(4-6-2009)
- First “Dash for Cash” Race at Nashville: Prior to the start of the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Nationwide Insurance announced the Nationwide Insurance “Dash 4 Cash” program. This exciting program, aimed at creating additional support for the teams in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, provides an extra incentive at four stand-alone NASCAR Nationwide events this season.
The Nationwide Dash 4 Cash provides an additional payout to NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers — $25,000 to the eligible winner of each of the four races and a $50,000 bonus to the driver who accumulates the most NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship Driver points during the four stand-alone events within the program.
In addition, Nationwide Insurance and ESPN have teamed up to award a weekly cash prize to race fans, as part of the “Driver Pick ‘Em” presented by Nationwide Insurance’s fantasy game on ESPN.com. During each of the four Dash 4 Cash races, fans are eligible for a $25,000 prize and throughout the rest of the season fans are eligible for a $500 weekly prize. Participants can register and play the weekly contest at http://games.espn.go.com/dpickem/frontpage.
Beginning April 11 at Nashville Superspeedway, NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers will be competing not only for the victory, they’ll be going after the Dash 4 Cash bonus too. Here are the details:
• The program is open to all NASCAR Nationwide Series regulars and up-and-coming drivers, regardless of whether they have a full-time or part-time ride in the Series. Drivers who have a full-time ride in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series must enter, qualify for and compete in every NASCAR Nationwide Series event to be eligible for the bonus cash.
• Should an eligible driver not win the opening race at Nashville and collect the Dash 4 Cash bonus, the $25,000 prize will roll over to the next race, June 13 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky.
• The two remaining races in the first-of-its-kind program are August 1 at Iowa Speedway and October 24 at Memphis Motorsports Park.
• The final aspect of the Dash 4 Cash is its cumulative bonus. The driver with the most NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship Driver points accrued in the four-race series wins $50,000 and will be honored at the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship banquet at year’s end.(Nationwide PR)(4-6-2009)
- Bires in the #33 at Nashville; Charter on the car: (The Kevin Harvick, Inc. team will see a new face behind the wheel this week at Nashville. Twenty-four-year-old Mauston, Wisc. native Kelly Bires will make his first Nationwide Series start for KHI, looking to continue the success of the #33 team this season. In addition to the new face behind the wheel, there’s a new look to the #33 this weekend in Nashville. Charter Communications will expand their relationship with KHI, serving as the primary sponsor on the #33 KHI Chevy. Charter Communications can be seen as an associate sponsor on the car weekly and earlier this season was the primary sponsor on the #2 KHI Silverado in the Truck Series.(KHI PR)(4-6-2009)
- Raybestos Rookie Notes for Nashville:
Justin Allgaier was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the O’Reilly 300 at Texas. Allgaier scored a 10th-place finish, his third top-10 in five races this season and claimed Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors for the second consecutive race.
Allgaier leads Brendan Gaughan by eight points (57-49) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Nationwide 300 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Allgaier is fifth in the Nationwide Series championship standings, 12 points behind fourth-place Jason Leffler and 24 ahead of sixth-place Kevin Harvick.
Three Raybestos Rookies rank inside the top-10 in the Nationwide Series championship standings: Allgaier, Gaughan (eighth) and Scott Lagasse Jr. (10th).
At least one Raybestos Rookie has scored top-10 finishes in four of the first five races this season.
Cale Gale was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide 300 at Nashville, claiming an eighth-place finish.(Raybestos / Camp & Assoc. PR)(4-6-2009)
- Nationwide Series Live from Nashville on ESPN: The NASCAR Nationwide Series takes center stage this weekend with an event at Nashville Superspeedway, and the series will make its first appearance of the season on ESPN for a live, high definition telecast of the 300-mile race on Saturday, April 11, at 3 p.m. ET. The telecast is presented by Pennzoil. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. The race re-airs Sunday, April 12, at noon on ESPN Classic.
The race is the first of four events that make up the Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash, a competition program involving four stand-alone races on the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season and providing Nationwide Series drivers an opportunity to race for their own bonus program. In the Nashville race, if an eligible driver takes the victory, he will receive an additional $25,000 bonus from Nationwide. At the end of the season, the eligible driver with the highest accumulated points from the four races will win an additional $50,000.
Marty Reid will be the lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage from Nashville, joined in the booth for analysis by Rusty Wallace 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 Craftsman Tech Garage.
Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by Wallace and Brad Daugherty in the ESPN pit studio.
ESPN2 will televise NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice from Nashville on Friday, April 10, at 6 p.m., as well as qualifying on Saturday at 11 a.m.(ESPN PR)(4-6-2009)
- Stenhouse making series debut at Nashville: Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway behind the wheel of the #16 CitiFinancial Ford. The sprint car standout will be led by crew chief Eddie Pardue in his first of seven scheduled races this season.(Roush Fenway PR)(4-6-2009)
- Carpentier in the #99 at Montreal and maybe the Glen: Patrick Carpentier will participate in the NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA 200 that will be presented on the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in August, driving Michael Waltrip Racing’s #99 Toyota, usually driven by Scott Speed or Waltrip himself. According to two sources close to the team contacted by RueFrontenac.com, Carpentier will sport the colors of NAPA Auto Parts in the #99 prepared by crew chief Jerry Baxter. The team hopes that their collaboration with Carpentier in Montreal is not an isolated event. “We have not yet made a decision about this, but Patrick is also an excellent choice as a driver for the other road race at Watkins Glen this season. (three weeks before the race in Montreal), said crew chief Jerry Baxter.(RueFrontenac.com)(4-6-2009)
- Tim Andrews in the #31 at Nashville: Many fathers have been at their son’s side for racing. From go-karts to midgets to late models, the Father-Son, Crew Chief-Driver is a common occurrence. The Pepsi 300 at the Nashville Superspeedway, that tradition continues. Paul Andrews will be calling the shots atop the pit box for a new driver at RWR, his son, Tim Andrews. Tim and Paul will be one of the few if not only Father-Son, Crew Chief-Driver combos in NASCAR’s Top Three Series, continuing the “Family Tradition” at Rick Ware Racing.(RWR PR)(4-6-2009)
- Scott to run some Nationwide races UPDATE 2 To pilot Braun Racing’s #10 in four NNS races, Dollar General onboard at Nashville: Camping World Truck Series driver Brian Scott told Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway Monday that he hopes to run a limited number of Nationwide Series events, beginning at Nashville, for a team to be announced. “I can’t say much yet because it’s not totally signed, sealed and delivered,” said Scott. “But I’m pretty confident that it’s going to happen.”(3-30-2009)
UPDATE: Brian Scott is listed as driver of the #10-Braun Racing Toyota for the upcoming Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway. Entry list is posted on the Nationwide Nashville Race Page.(4-6-2009)
- KHI entering Carmichael in Rockingham ARCA event: Kevin Harvick will be atop of the flagstand at the start of the ARCA RE/MAX Series Carolina 200 race at the Rockingham Speedway on April 19th and will wave the green flag to begin the highly anticipated race. Kevin Harvick Incorporated will also field a car in the Carolina 200 with Ricky Carmichael getting his first laps at the one-mile speedway. “Throwing the green flag at Rockingham will definitely be a new experience for me,” said the 2007 Daytona 500 winner. “In all my years of racing, I’ve never been asked to be the honorary starter. I’m also looking forward to the ARCA race. It will be Ricky’s (Carmichael) first time at Rockingham so he should be exciting to watch.”(Rockingham Speedway PR)(4-6-2009)
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997