April 10, 2009
- Pit road shakeups for Roush? Could there be a few shakeups in the pit crews at Roush Fenway Racing? Officials haven’t said anything, but co-owner Jack Roush spent a lot of time in meetings this past week trying to figure out why his teams are having so much trouble on pit road. That usually means changes for the man known as “Cat in the Hat.” Carl Edwards went from first to 11th after a crucial mistake on his final pit stop with about 30 laps remaining in Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway. Greg Biffle believes pit road mistakes, at least one by him, has cost him a shot at two wins this season. Even Matt Kenseth had problems at Texas. He was second coming onto pit road on lap 252, but left in 15th after a lug nut problem on the right rear tire. Nobody is publicly blaming anybody as Kyle Busch did in a Nationwide Series race last month when a pit road mistake cost him a victory. But there are concerns.(ESPN Insider)(4-10-2009)
- Kvapil open to other opportunies; hopes to return to #28: While his first goal would be to see Yates Racing revive the #28 car, Travis Kvapil said he didn’t think the Yates Racing team would keep him from other opportunities. “Obviously I want to be racing,” Kvapil said. “I don’t like sitting on the couch. I don’t like not being there, not competing. It’s really hard to watch it on Sunday just knowing that I feel like I should be out there. It has just not worked out. I want to race, and if there were other opportunities that came up, we’d have to look at them as they come and cross that bridge when it comes. The Yates group told me if something did come up, they wouldn’t necessarily hold me back from competing, we’d just have to work it out.” Kvapil said he wouldn’t rule anything out, but would like to find something at the Cup level where he feels as if he still has a lot to prove. He isn’t too concerned about sitting out as far as his abilities deteriorating while he is out of the seat. If Yates Racing does find sponsorship, Kvapil said the team wouldn’t need much time to get ready to get to the track. “In a matter of two or three days we could probably be ready to go to the race track,” Kvapil said. “They took my handful of race cars and pushed them over in the corner and the hauler is all ready to go. They didn’t scavenge any parts or pieces from the 28 bunch to go to any other team. The 28 is ready to go. we’d have to hire a few people back right away, but a number of people we had on the 28 came from within the company already, so they’re there.”(Scene Daily)(4-10-2009)
- Allmendinger being paid “creatively”: How and when #44-A.J. Allmendinger is getting paid by troubled Richard Petty Motorsports depends on how creative your definition of “creative” is. “I am definitely getting paid,” Allmendinger said in response to garage-area rumors to the contrary. “But we’ve had to be creative about it, for sure.” Is he plowing all his race winnings back into the financially strapped team? “No, no, definitely not,” he said. “We’ve just got to be creative about it.” Sponsorship for six more races was announced this week from Hunt Brothers Pizza, which Allmendinger called “awesome news” in that it assures he’ll race through the Sept. 12 event at Richmond, Va. “We’ve all been kind of taking every week as it comes,” said his business manager, Tara Ragan. “We’re pretty organic. There isn’t even a hard, fast rule [for compensation].” Bottom line, “I’d rather be on the race track running strong than sitting at home,” he said.(ESPN Insider)(4-10-2009)
- Papis auctioning helmet for earthquake charity: #13-Max Papis is selling a race-worn helmet on ebay, as well as other autographed items such as GEICO Racing shirts and hats, and autographed photos of Papis with his new #13 GEICO NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car to benefit Italian earthquake charities. For more information, see my Racing Charites page.(4-10-2009)
- Dale Earnhardt Inc. appoints two new executives: Dale Earnhardt Inc. President and CEO Teresa Earnhardt announced the appointments of two executive leaders for the company on Thursday. Jeff Steiner was named Executive Vice President and General Manager responsible for the oversight and management of DEI, the Dale Earnhardt Foundation and special initiatives relating to Earnhardt properties. Steiner began his role at the company on April 1. Chad Warpula was appointed as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for DEI. Warpula will oversee the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates NASCAR Sprint Cup team and handle all legal matters for DEI, EGR and Earnhardt-Childress Racing. Both executives will report to Teresa Earnhardt.(Scene Daily)(4-10-2009)
- ‘NASCAR Rev’d Up’ Featuring O.A.R. Kicks Off All-Star Race Week: “NASCAR Rev’d Up,” a six-hour event highlighted by a concert with Everfine/Atlantic recording group O.A.R., will kick off activities for NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race week in Charlotte, N.C. The event, which is free to the public, will take place Wed., May 13 between 3rd and Mint Streets in uptown Charlotte from 4-10 p.m. This year, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is being held for the 25th time. “NASCAR Rev’d Up” marks the first time that the all-star race week will open with a concert. A major fan event, “NASCAR Rev’d Up” features a program filled with driver appearances, show cars and interactive displays, culminated by the O.A.R. concert. Performing as special guests will be Charlotte band Simplified.(NASCAR PR)(4-10-2009)
- Congrats: to Aron Oakley of Penske Racing and wife Robyn Oakley of Street & Smith’s Sports Group, on the birth of their second daughter Harper Grace. She was born at 7:33 yesterday morning and weighed 7lbs. 10 oz. Everyone is doing great.(4-10-2009)
- Congrats to Jeff McBride (with Champion Tire and Wheel) and Frannie Henderson (Nascar Members VIP Team) on their marriage on March 31, 2009.(4-10-2009)
- Bubba the Love Sponge Named Grand Marshal for Aaron’s 312: National radio star Bubba the Love Sponge has been named Grand Marshal for the 2009 Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega on Saturday, April 25. Bubba’s Grand Marshal duties will include greeting each of the drivers as they are announced on the driver introduction stage, addressing the crowd of more than 145,000 and issuing the most famous words in racing: “Gentlemen, start your engines.”(Aarons PR)(4-10-2009)
- Braun Racing hotel hit by tornado: ESPN2 reported during coverage of Nationwide practice that the hotel Braun Racing was staying at was hit by a tornado Friday afternoon. The team will have to find an alternate location to stay.(4-10-2009)
- Baker Curb would donate Dash 4 Cash winnings to Red Cross: Baker Curb Racing, the only full-time NASCAR team based in Nashville, has an additional incentive to win the $25,000 bonus money from the Nationwide Insurance “Dash 4 Cash” program this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. Should driver Jason Keller claim the victory, his local team owners, Gary Baker and Mike Curb, have pledged to donate the $25,000 bonus to the local American Red Cross in support of relief efforts for victims of Friday’s storms. “We are proud to be based in Nashville and are thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by today’s devastating storms,” said co-owner Gary Baker. “We have team members that live in the Murfreesboro area so this really hits home with us and it would make this win even more extra special if we can contribute that bonus to the relief efforts.”(Baker Curb PR)(4-10-2009)
- MB Motorsports signs Ben Stancill to pilot #63: MB Motorsports is pleased to announce that Ben Stancill will pilot the #63 Ford F-150 NASCAR Camping World Truck, campaigned by the veteran MB Motorsports team, in the “O’Reilly Auto Parts 250” NCWTS race at Kansas Speedway on Saturday April 25th, 2009. This will be the first of 7 scheduled events in 2009 for the MB Motorsports Team with Stancill at the wheel. MB Motorsports is one of only two teams left in the NCWTS that has fielded a truck since the inaugural 1995 NCTS season. Roush Racing is the other team. Longtime partners, Dave Porter Truck Sales and Don Shetler Ford, will continue their support of MB Motorsports again in 2009.(MB Motorsports PR)(4-10-2009)
- Benson faces sponsor dilemma UPDATE Travesty or not? Grand Rapids native Johnny Benson Jr. and his Red Horse Racing team are either going to have to continue its sponsorship search or accept less television time. That’s what the defending NASCAR Camping World Trucks champion said when he visited Grand Rapids on Monday with Michigan International Speedway president Roger Curtis. It appears Benson has a company lined up, but the television networks that carry the races, including Speed, which airs the majority of the events, have Red Horse Racing putting the brakes on that plan for now. “We have somebody in the works to do it, but TV said they would avoid us if we had this sponsor, and it’s a gun manufacturer,” Benson said. “We are not sure why that would be the case, but that’s the information they are giving us. We have to choose whether we want to head down that road or not. We would hate to have good finishes and run in the top three and have TV avoid us for that reason. “Originally, I said NASCAR had revoked that, and it wasn’t. NASCAR called me Tuesday after I had said that they had shot it down,” Benson added. “Apparently it is the TV. It is a very interesting scenario. We have had other (gun) manufacturers in there, and why it is an issue today, I don’t know. I haven’t had a conversation with them yet to get to the bottom of it. “I think we are going to have to explore it. Money is money. That’s going to have to be one of the things we have to do. But it’s awful hard to sell a sponsorship if they know they are not going to show us. That’s a tough place to be in for both sides.”(MichiganLive.com)(4-1-2009)
UPDATE: In these crazy economic times, the last thing anyone needs is one more obstacle toward making a living. So it seemed ridiculous that defending NASCAR truck champion Johnny Benson and his team would be told that if their potential sponsorship deal came through – from an undisclosed gun manufacturer – they wouldn’t be shown on television. But that’s what happened, Benson told his hometown Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press. First he thought it was NASCAR’s call, but then he learned, “apparently it is the TV.” One problem. Not only was the representation of the situation untrue as it related to Speed TV, the series’ primary network, but no one in a position to make such a decision for Speed even knew about the sponsor, a spokesman said. Although Newscorp, Speed’s parent company, follows a common television practice in not accepting advertising for weapons and ammunition, the network “does not omit coverage” of a team or venue because of such a sponsor, the spokesman said. NASCAR has had firearm sponsors before; a shotgun manufacturer was prominent in the Cup series in the 1990s, and more recently an online dealer has become involved in the truck series.(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)(4-10-2009)
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