April 7, 2009
- EGR’s #8 car parked: The #8 Sprint Cup Chevy, the centerpiece of Dale Earnhardt Inc. before its merger with Chip Ganassi Racing, is the latest casualty of the economy. Sources close to the situation said officials at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates are parking the car driven by Aric Almirola until sponsorship is found. An announcement could come in the next 24 hours. EGR officials were not available for comment, but sources said a handful of employees have been let go, and that number could grow to 40 to 50 before all is said and done. Almirola ranks 37th in owner points heading into next week’s race at Phoenix International Raceway. He is 59 points behind rookie Joey Logano, who occupies the final spot for the top 35 guaranteed a position in each race. Almirola has an average finish of 32.9 this season, finishing no better than 21st in seven races and no better than 33rd the past three. Parking that car leaves EGR with two full-time drivers in Martin Truex Jr. and Juan Pablo Montoya. Sources deny a report that Truex has a clause in his contract that would free him and primary sponsor Bass Pro Shops if he doesn’t have at least two fulltime teammates.(ESPN.com)(4-7-2009)
- ISC Net Income Falls 31%: International Speedway Corp.’s fiscal first-quarter net income fell 31% on falling revenue amid price cuts as the racetrack operator cut its fiscal-year outlook, citing a worsening economy. The company has seen attendance at its events fall. The average income of NASCAR fans is below the national median, making them more susceptible to the recession. The company had also said it had begun to see a slowdown in corporate spending for hospitality, making the process of securing deals more time consuming. The company cut its fiscal-year earnings outlook to a range of $1.80 to $2 on revenue of $700 million to $720 million from December’s estimate of $2.35 to $2.45 a share on revenue of $745 million to $765 million. It also said it wasn’t including its Motorsports Authentics business in that estimate, saying that division’s management was re-evaluating it given the challenges of selling licensed sports goods in the current market. President Lesa Kennedy said the company had reduced ticket prices to make it more affordable for fans to come to events. For the period ended Feb. 28, the motorsports promoter reported net income of $25.1 million, or 52 cents a share, down from $36.2 million, or 71 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding items, earnings fell to 56 cents from 78 cents. Revenue decreased 14% to $166.1 million.(Wall Street Journal)(subscription required)(4-7-2009)
- Official – Petty to co-own Inday 500 car UPDATE 3: According to a press release from TB Communications, a press conference has been scheduled for Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a “NASCAR team owner” to announce an entry into the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24. The release said the team owner will be making his debut as a car owner in the Indy 500. Two Sprint Cup Series team owners can be eliminated. Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi have both won the Indy 500 as car owners. The NASCAR team owner announcing the entry is also expected to announce a major sponsor for the deal and also who will drive his car. The release did not say if the NASCAR team owner involved is an owner in the Sprint Cup Series.(Hartford Courant)(4-3-2009)
UPDATE: Richard Petty Motorsports will field an Indy 500 entry for driver John Andretti, sources have confirmed to NASCAR.COM. The official announcement will be made Monday. Given that RPM currently does not have an IndyCar operation, it was unclear Friday how the program would take shape.(NASCAR.com)(4-3-2009)
UPDATE 2: Richard Petty will make his first foray into the Indianapolis 500 as an owner when he fields a car for John Andretti in next month’s race. A news conference is scheduled Monday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but details were confirmed Friday by a person familiar with the arrangement. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because the deal has not been announced. In 1994, Andretti became the first driver to run both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR event in Charlotte on the same day, finishing 10th at Indianapolis and crashing and finishing 36th at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon have both since done the double, but the grueling feat is no longer possible since Indianpolis changed its starting time several years ago. Petty is a partner in NASCAR with George Gillett in Richard Petty Motorsports, the team formerly known as Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Gillett is not expected to be part of the Indy deal. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, which runs the full IndyCar Series, will work with Petty at Indy, providing equipment and personnel.(Associated Press)(4-4-2009)
UPDATE 3: Richard Petty will field an entry for the Indianapolis 500 for the first time, with John Andretti driving the Window World-sponsored car in the 2009 edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 24. Seven-time NASCAR champion Petty unveiled the #43 Window World Dallara/Honda/Firestone for Indy 500 veteran and NASCAR regular Andretti on April 6 at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Window World, the world’s largest replacement window company, brought Andretti to the Daytona 500 earlier this year. Petty’s new entry will feature the traditional “Petty Blue” and “Day-Glo Red” from his stock cars in the “King’s” debut as a team owner in the Indy 500 after participating in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard for the past 15 years. Richard Petty Motorsports currently campaigns four Dodge cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Window World and Petty will combine efforts with the Indy-based Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team to field the #43 Honda-powered Indy car for Andretti, an Indianapolis native.(see more, a transcript and photos at Indy500.com)(4-6-2009) - Camping World to leave Truck Series? UPDATE denied: NASCAR is putting out feelers for a sponsor to replace Camping World for the Truck Series. Camping World entered the sport as the sponsor for Richard Childress Racing and Kevin Harvick Inc. on Ron Hornaday’s truck in 2007. Later that season CW expanded to include what was formerly the NASCAR Busch East and North developmental series. Camping World was named title sponsor of the Truck Series last fall following an extensive search after Craftsman Tools bowed out.(FoxSports)(4-4-2009)
UPDATE: Sources confirmed to SPEEDtv.com late Monday that Camping World intends to remain as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Published reports said NASCAR was shopping for a replacement Truck Series sponsor for Camping World, which is in the first year of a multi-year agreement with the sanctioning body. But a spokesperson for the retailer said the company is actually helping locate a replacement sponsor for the Camping World East and West Series. Camping World previously had announced that 2009 would be its last year as title sponsor for the East and West Series. “We have no intention at this point of trying to pull out of the Truck Series,” said Diana Ardelean of Camping World. “We’re very excited and fully in support of the Truck Series.”(SPEEDtv)(4-7-2009) - What is the ‘Hat Man’ up to? Bill Brodrick, known as the ‘Hat Man’, who worked for Unocal’s 76 [formerly the official fuel of NASCAR] and used to great the winning drivers in the winners circle. Brodrick, emailed with an update: “I am back running my gin joint, the Tavern at the Bridge, here in Algonquin, IL located at Route 62 at the Fox River. After turning the business over to my son in 2007 he decided he wanted out and I went back to running things in January of’ 2008. Heck, I had 34 years of racing experience. Might as well but it to good use and run a tavern. I still get one of my trading cards in the mail (P. O. Box 14, Algonquin, IL 60102) once in a while for an autograph which I’m more than happy to do. I have a lot of old racing memorabilia in the Tavern and fans come in to watch the big screen and BS. That’s the one thing I miss about being out of the business…..the fans. Race fans are the greatest people in the world. And they never forget you. If anyone comes through Algonquin (40 miles NW of Chicago) they’re more than welcome to stop by. The beer is always cold and the popcorn fresh. God bless”(4-7-2009)
- Racing Resources Says …Sprint Cup Series:
* Jeff Gordon won the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. This was his 82nd career victory. He remained sixth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, just one behind fifth-place Cale Yarborough.
* Gordon ended a 47-race winless streak, the longest of his career. The last time he had won was at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in October 2007. He has won at 21 of the 22 tracks on the current schedule. He has not won at Homestead.
* Gordon won his first race at Texas in his 17th start there, tying Phoenix with the most starts at a track before winning.
* This was Gordon’s 10th victory with crew chief Steve Letarte.
* Gordon is the only driver to score top-15 finishes in all seven races in 2009. He has finished sixth or better in his past six races and is the only driver to score six top-10 finishes in the first seven races. He has scored top-10 finishes in five of his past six races at Texas.
* Jimmie Johnson finished second to Gordon, the ninth time they have finished 1-2. Gordon has won six times, Johnson has won three times.
* This was the 24th 1-2 finish for Hendrick Motorsports. This was the 177th victory for HMS, its second in 2009 and second straight. (Johnson won March 29 at Martinsville.)
* Gordon became the fifth different race winner in seven races this season. He tied Dale Earnhardt with 14 wins on the seven 1.5-mile tracks, the most by any driver. Gordon has scored 55 top-5s and 74 top-10s in his 121 races on the 1.5-mile track, the most by any driver.
* Gordon led six times for 105 laps, including the final 28 laps, for the most laps led at Texas. He had failed to win the previous four times he had led the most laps.
* This was the second victory for Chevrolet in 2009, both in the past two races.
* Gordon leads the Sprint Cup point standings by 162 points over second-place Johnson.
* Johnson scored his fifth top-10 of 2009 and third consecutive top-three finish.
* Greg Biffle (third) broke a three-race streak of finishing 28th or worse.
* Tony Stewart (fourth) scored his fifth top-10 of 2009.
* Matt Kenseth (fifth) scored his first top-10 since winning the first two races of the season.
* Juan Pablo Montoya (seventh) scored his best finish of 2009.
* Clint Bowyer (22nd) extended an 80-race streak of running at the finish that began at Homestead in November 2006. Bowyer’s last DNF came at Phoenix on Nov. 12, 2006, when he finished 33rd because of an oil-pump failure.
* Joey Logano (30th) was the only rookie contender in the race. Scott Speed failed to qualify.
* The top 10 consisted of six Chevrolets, three Fords and one Dodge. The highest-finishing Toyota was David Reutimann (11th).(ESPN Monday Rundown)(4-7-2009) - Scott to drive 4 races for Braun: Braun Racing announced that Brian Scott will pilot the #10 Toyota for four upcoming Nationwide Series races including this Saturday’s Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway. This weekend’s event will mark Scott’s debut in the Nationwide Series. Plans call for Scott to drive the #10 Toyota for four races including events at Nashville Superspeedway and Phoenix International Raceway. The remaining two races in which Scott will drive the #10 entry will be announced at a later date. Stewart Cooper, who oversees shop operations at Braun Racing, will serve as crew chief on the #10 car for those races.(Braun Racing PR)(4-7-2009)
- Nationwide Series Earns 1.4 Rating at Texas: ESPN2’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Texas Motor Speedway on April 3 earned a 1.4 household coverage rating and averaged 1,862,866 viewers. The rating is down from the 1.8 earned for last year’s race, also aired live on ESPN2.(ESPN PR)(4-7-2009)
- Yeley to drive the #73 at Kansas: Sources tell us that during an interview on Sirius Radio’s Morning Drive program this morning, J.J. Yeley announced he is going to be driving the #73 truck at Kansas Speedway.(4-7-2009)
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