April 10, 2008
- NASCAR official killed in car accident MORE: Brienne Davis, one of NASCAR’s few full-time female inspectors, was killed in a car accident Tuesday night. She was 28. Davis joined NASCAR in 2004 and traveled every weekend to inspect carburetors and manifolds. She was scheduled to work this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. A Louisiana native, Davis relocated to North Carolina in 2002 as an engine builder for Dale Earnhardt Inc. She took the job after spending a year in Houston participating in an automotive technology training program that included six weeks of a NASCAR-approved curriculum on racing.(ESPN.com/AP)
NASCAR Statement: “We are deeply saddened at the loss of NASCAR Sprint Cup official Brienne Davis. She was a key member of our team of inspectors and will be missed by the NASCAR community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.”(4-9-2008)
MORE: The Transport Drivers of Motorsports Association plans on raising money in honor of NASCAR engine inspector Brienne Davis, who was killed in a traffic accident near Huntersville, N.C. on Tuesday. The funds will go to her alma mater in Jonesville, La. The organization wants to raise enough money to donate at least five computers and plant a tree in her name at the school. For information on how to donate, contact Shelia Lumpkin (404.484.9097) secretary for TDMA or TDMA President Robby Maschhaupt at 704-746-7945.(SPEEDtv)(4-10-2008)
SERVICES: Brienne Nicole Davis, 28, of Mooresville, NC died April 8, 2008 as result of an automobile accident. She was born on June 4, 1979 in Natchez, MS to Terri Emrick Bridges. Brienne was a graduate of the Automotive Technical Institute in Houston, TX and worked four years with the Dale Earnhardt Enterprise. Over the last four years, she has been an engine inspector for NASCAR; the love of her life was working on cars. She will be missed by all of her friends and her NASCAR family. She loved cars and she loved her cat, Floyd. She is survived by her parents, Mark and Terri Bridges of Newport News, VA; grandmother, Sandra Emrick; Uncle Keith Emrick and his family Michelle, Heith and Harleigh of Baton Rouge; and Aunt Pamela Emrick of Anchorage, AK. She is preceded in death by her grandfather, Louie Emrick.
The family will receive friends at Raymer Funeral Home from 5:30-7 PM Tuesday, April 15, 2008, and a service will follow in the chapel at 7 PM with Rev. Lonnie Clouse officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Victory Junction, 4500 Adam’s Way, Randleman, NC 27317. Raymer Funeral Home is serving the family.(4-10-2008) - Target leaving Ganassi at end of 2008? There are persistent rumors that Chip Ganassi may be in financial deep water, with his long-time sponsor Target [sponsor of #41-Reed Sorenson and sometime sponsor of #40-Dario Franchitti] likely announcing by the end of the year it will be ending its association with the race team.(Yahoo!Sports – NOTE, it seems this part of the ‘blog’ was removed for some reason, no idea why. It was there when originally posted)(4-10-2008)
UPDATE: Steve Eastman, Target Vice President: “The 19-year partnership between Target and Chip Ganassi Racing is one of the longest consecutive partnerships in motor sports. Our race program has proven successful and we in fact have a solid base of sponsors in place. We continue to build on the excitement and momentum around the program and look forward to celebrating our 20th anniversary next year… Any rumors regarding an end to the partnership are simply without merit.”(Target Communications)(4-10-2008) - Drivers upset over lack of drug testing: Sprint Cup drivers Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne say they never have undergone a drug test as NASCAR competitors. “In the 10 years that I’ve raced, I’ve never been drug-tested,” Harvick said. “To me, that’s not a proper drug policy for a professional sport. We haven’t made any headway whatsoever on the drug-testing policy.” Harvick and Stewart were reacting to an ESPN The Magazine story this week in which former driver Aaron Fike said he competed in Craftsman Truck Series races while he was on heroin. “I have been in a race with him and I know for a fact that he’s not the only one,” Harvick said. “There’s another driver that was suspended that I can almost guarantee you was in the race car while he was under the influence, and that pisses me off. I’m sure I’ll be blasted for saying what I feel, but I don’t want to be on a race track with people like that. It’s irresponsible more than anything.” All four Cup drivers said they are in favor of regular testing.
“I would love it,” Stewart said. “I’ve never been asked to take one yet. I think it should be mandatory to have random drug testing. I think it’s a great idea. The Fike situation shows that as an organization, we’re not doing a good job of seeing this before it happens.” NASCAR’s substance-abuse policy includes the right to test any driver at any time, but officials only do so if they believe a competitor might have a problem. “The responsibility here rests across the board — with the drivers and competitors, owners, teams and NASCAR,” said Kerry Tharp, NASCAR’s director of communication. “We test an individual when we have reasonable suspicion. A positive test results in severe consequences and is a career-changing moment for that person. NASCAR’s policy is also supported by the various policies that the teams have in place that are required under the driver/owner agreements. No system is flawless, but we believe our zero tolerant policy that is in place has served the sport well.”
Fike was arrested last year in Ohio for possession of heroin.
“I had a long talk with NASCAR about this last year,” Harvick said. “It almost seems like it fell on deaf ears. They were more mad that I had a reaction to the situation than they were about trying to move forward. They heard what I said, but my name’s not Jeff Gordon. I’m disappointed that we have to react and answer all these questions again.”
Tharp said NASCAR officials always take it seriously when drivers come to them with questions or complaints. “Let me assure you that no issue or conversation that we have with a driver, owner or team member ever falls on deaf ears,” Tharp said. “Now, they might not always come out of the meeting with the answer they’re looking for, but we listen.” Harvick wants to see NASCAR test drivers and crew members several times a year. “I’m sure I’ll have to do it for speaking my mind,” Harvick said. “But if I have to pee in a cup 15 times a year, I’m happy to do it. The bad part is it isn’t fair to the 95 percent of his garage that is clean. But I want everybody in the world to know our sport is clean. I want fans and sponsors to know this garage is clean.” Harvick and his wife, DeLana, own truck series and Nationwide Series teams at Kevin Harvick Inc. Harvick does not conduct drug tests for his employees. “I don’t right now and maybe we need to change the way we look at it, too,” he said. “But in the end, it’s the responsibility of [NASCAR] to make sure all the drivers are clean.” Harvick said Fike drove a couple of races for KHI several years ago. “There was no reason to think something was wrong,” Harvick said. “I don’t know about drugs, to tell you the truth. But I want to know about the guy racing next to me and not have to wonder if he was out the night before and isn’t clean.”
Kahne said he had suspicions about Fike. “I definitely wondered about Aaron, so I’m sure others did,” Kahne said. “When he said he did heroin before a race, that’s incredible that no one knew. As much money as there is in this sport, I think we should take a little more effort to make sure every driver is clean.” Harvick believes NASCAR should have changed its substance-abuse policy long ago. “You can tell I’m a little bit frustrated about the situation,” he said. “As someone who respects the sport and respects my sponsors, I’m upset that I have to answer questions about Aaron Fike. It really ticks me off, because every driver in this garage should be taking random drug tests.” Harvick believes NASCAR needs to do a better job of staying ahead of the curve. “It’s just like the safety thing back in 2001,” he said. “We didn’t react until that situation happened [with Dale Earnhardt’s death]. With drug-testing, there’s no reason in the world today not to be proactive. “This is about forward thinking about how the drivers are perceived from a public standpoint. If I’m a fan, I don’t want to think, ‘Are they really clean?’ This always has been perceived as a clean sport. Let’s not let that change now, because it is. But let’s prove it.”(ESPN.com)
See my article link page for many other opinions and articles on the drug subject.(4-10-2008) - Texas TV Ratings down: NASCAR on Fox earned a 5.4/12 (8.6 million viewers) this weekend for racing from Texas, down -4% from last year’s 5.6/12. This marks the first time this season that a regularly scheduled Fox NASCAR event has declined from last year’s rating. The primary factor in this weekend’s NASCAR decline was competition from the season’s first full Sunday afternoon MLB schedule. There are 25 MLB home markets in the U.S., and Sunday’s NASCAR race was down in 19 of them. Despite being down year-to-year, Sunday’s Texas race was still easily the highest-rated event for the day on any broadcast network. Season-to-date, NASCAR on FOX is averaging a 6.6/14 (11.1 mllion viewers), up +3% over last year’s 6.4/14.(Fox PR), see the other races ratings and more on my TV Ratings page(4-10-2008)
- Community college hires a Motorsports Coordinator: The huge presence of motorsports in Iredell County [NC] is impacting Mitchell Community College, too. The college has hired Hope Smith as Motorsports Coordinator for the Small Business Center, based in Mooresville, NC. Smith will focus on assessing the motorsports community’s needs, such as training, and implementing programs and seminars in conjunction with local organizations and those within the motorsports industry, which is one of the fastest growing industries in Iredell County. Smith will also work with small business owners on networking and developing business plans. She was formerly a manager with Lowe’s Companies, Inc. in Mooresville.(Mooresville Tribune)(4-10-2008)
- Ford to sponsor Kvapil at Phoenix: Yates Racing, which has soldiered on for most of 2008 with no sponsorship for Travis Kvapil, got some good news this week as Ford Motor Co. has stepped up to sponsor Kvapil’s #28 Fusion. Full details are expected later today from Phoenix.(SPEEDtv)
AND: This weekend, racing fans across the country will see and hear many of Ford Racing’s stars talking about Drive one, Ford’s new and far-reaching message about improved vehicle quality, fuel economy, safety advances and smart technology. Ford Racing cars will sport a variety of Drive one logos starting with this weekend’s events in Avondale, Ariz. (NASCAR), and Las Vegas (NHRA), highlighted by the #28 Drive one Ford Fusion, driven by Yates Racing’s Travis Kvapil. Yates Racing, which is still searching for a full-time sponsor for its cars, is helping Ford with the Drive one launch by offering up Kvapil’s car, which will be seen by millions of viewers this weekend on Speed and Fox. “Yates Racing is honored to have the opportunity to run the Drive one paint scheme on the #28 Ford Fusion this weekend,” said team owner Doug Yates. “We have a great driver in Travis, along with top-of-the-line equipment and technology courtesy of Ford. I’ve been fortunate enough to have the chance to participate in the development of Ford cars and engines from the racing side and I can’t think of a better manufacturer to be affiliated with,” he said. Drive one is the inside story of Ford, chronicling in television, print and digital media how Ford employees have closed the gap with Asian competitors regarding quality, advanced vehicle safety, made vehicles more fuel efficient and led the industry in developing in-car connectivity. People are also invited to drive a Ford vehicle and experience for themselves the company’s vehicles’ performance. “I’m really thrilled to drive the #28 Drive one Ford Fusion this weekend at Phoenix,” said Kvapil. “Being a Ford driver myself, I can tell you that they are committed to the four key points of this campaign: quality, fuel-efficiency, safety, and technologically-advanced vehicles. Ford is integrating Drive one into Ford’s racing program to reach out to Ford loyalists, so they can help spread the word about the company’s gains in areas that matter most to customers. In addition to the primary sponsorship logos on the #28 Fusion this weekend, Drive one logos will be featured on the b-pillar of each of Ford NASCAR Sprint Cup cars. In addition, in- car camera and roll cage shots will feature the new logos, and both Yates Racing and Wood Brothers Racing drivers and crew members will wear special Drive one baseball caps. The Fox Fusion 360 car, an important part of every NASCAR on Fox broadcast, will also feature Drive one logos. Additionally, the special NASCAR Ford Fusion that analyst Darrell Waltrip drives in Fox pre-race features will also switch to the Drive one logos.(Ford Racing), see an image of the scheme on my #28 Team Schemes page.(4-10-2008) - Wheeler Encourages NASCAR to Schedule an Open Sprint Cup Test at LMS: Looking to increase competition, H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe’s Motor Speedway, is encouraging NASCAR to host an open Sprint Cup Series test at the 1.5-mile superspeedway prior to the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race . “It’s our intention to have the best racing possible here during the month of May and I have always believed that preparation is the key to great racing,” Wheeler said. “You can compute, work the post machine and microscope the car until your tools bleed, but nothing, absolutely nothing, is as valuable as track time. So, we have offered NASCAR at least two days, May 5-6, to bring the teams in so they can test the new car. We’ll have the track open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. so they can experiment with chassis set-ups during both daytime and nighttime conditions,” Wheeler added. “Then, if further testing is needed, dates closer to the May 17 Sprint All-Star Race can be provided.” If NASCAR accepts Wheeler’s offer, the test session would take place on Monday and Tuesday following the Saturday night race at Richmond International Raceway and prior to teams heading to nearby Darlington Raceway for another Saturday night event. Tickets for all May events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, including the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the May 25 Coca-Cola 600, can be purchased by calling the track ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS or online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.(LMS)(4-10-2008)
- Phoenix Goodyear Tire Notes: The tire set-up for this weekend’s races at Phoenix is very similar to that raced at the track in 2007 . . . the tread compounds are identical to last year’s combination, but an incremental improvement in durability has been incorporated into the right side construction . . . Sprint Cup teams ran this set-up during an open test session at Phoenix on March 3-4 . . . other NASCAR tracks at which this exact combination of left- and right-side tires are scheduled to be run are Richmond, New Hampshire, Milwaukee and Memphis . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Phoenix. the estimated pit window is every 75-80 laps, based on fuel mileage.(Goodyear), see the full notes, codes, pressures on my Phoenix Race Info page, Goodyear section.(4-10-2008)
- McDowell Takes Off in F-16 Falcon before Phoenix Race: This week is a special homecoming for #00-Michael McDowell as he received a once in a lifetime opportunity to take flight in an F-16 Falcon on Wednesday thanks to the 56th Fighter Wing and Phoenix International Raceway at Luke Air Force Base. McDowell went through Egress training and participated in a media event at Luke Air Force Base before taking off with Capt. Thomas “Wild Bill” Juntunen, 310th FS instructor pilot.(MWR)(4-10-2008)
- Kurt Busch and team keeping busy: #2-Kurt Busch, crew chief Pat Tryson and team will be busy testing during the next few weeks. “We know that test time is extremely important in our effort to get better with this car and we’re committed to doing what it takes to be competing up front,” said Tryson. “We’ve already scheduled a test at Nashville (Nashville Superspeedway, the 1.33-mile D-shaped concrete track near Lebanon, Tenn.) next Tuesday (April 15) and are set to test for Goodyear at Indy (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) on April 22nd and 23rd.(TRPR)(4-10-2008)
- Phoenix Rookie Notes: #10-Patrick Carpentier was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the April 6 Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, the first time he has taken the honor in 2008. Carpentier scored a 28th-place finish, his best on an oval in his seven-race Sprint Cup Series career. #01-Regan Smith holds a one-point lead (68-67) over #77-Sam Hornish Jr. in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the April 12 Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix. Four different drivers have claimed Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors in seven races this season. Smith, Hornish, Jr., and McDowell are the only members of the Raybestos Rookie class with a guaranteed starting spot at Phoenix. Two Raybestos Rookies entered in this weekend’s race at Phoenix do not have a guaranteed starting positions: Franchitti and Carpentier. Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart are the only Raybestos Rookies to win in 23 Sprint Cup races at Phoenix. Stewart won the 1999 fall race from the pole, beating Mark Martin to the checkered flag by 2.081 seconds. Busch captured the 2005 fall race by .609 seconds over Greg Biffle. The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in three spring races at Phoenix is fifth by Clint Bowyer in 2006. The best qualifying effort by a Raybestos Rookie in three previous spring races at Phoenix is sixth by Denny Hamlin in 2006. Stewart is the only Raybestos Rookie to lead the most laps at Phoenix, leading three times for 150 laps in 1999. Three Raybestos Rookies have won pole positions at Phoenix, all coming in the fall race: Stewart, Casey Atwood (2001) and Ryan Newman (2002). Ryan Newman holds the all-time Raybestos Rookie record for most poles (6), most top-fives (14) and most top-10s (22). Denny Hamlin is the only Raybestos Rookie to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup since the program was created in 2004.(Camp & Assoc/Raybestos)(4-10-2008), see full notes, standings, history on my 2008 Rookies page.
- Thursday practice for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway is over, the top five were:
#12-Newman 132.411
#48-Johnson 132.081
#8-Martin 131.979
#18-Busch 131.791
#5-Mears 131.776
the slowest: #21-Elliott 128.064 and #34-Andretti 128.132
most laps run: #6-Ragan 41; #2-Busch 38
See all the speed on my Phoenix Practice Page.(4-10-2008) - Almirola, Menard, Smith Test at Infineon Raceway: Three DEI drivers visited Infineon Raceway on Wednesday to hone their skills on the challenging 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course. #8-Aric Almirola, #01-Regan Smith and #15-Paul Menard came to the track for a one-day test session before the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Sprint Cup Series event in the Sonoma Valley, June 20-22. The drivers piloted GT America stock cars supplied by Pioneer Motorsports out of Lake Oroville. They were coached by road-course veteran Chris Cook and completed approximately 100 laps combined in the full-day test. Smith is the only driver among the three with any Cup Series race experience at Infineon Raceway. He finished 30th in last year’s event. Almirola, who shares driving duties with veteran Mark Martin in the #8 U.S. Army Chevy, is currently in his second partial season of Sprint Cup Series competition. This marked his first visit to the Sonoma Valley road course. “This track is tough, but it’s fun,” said Almirola. “The elevation changes and blind turns make it really difficult. It’s definitely something different.” Cook said all of the drivers took well to the road course, and he enjoyed working with all three teammates. “I think Aric was most focused being his first time here, and he made big gains by the end of the day,” said Cook. “Paul and Regan were a lot more disciplined with the track, and we worked on shifting points and braking points.” For ticket information on the Toyota/Save Mart 350, June 20-22, call 800-870-RACE or visit www.infineonraceway.com.(Infineon Raceway)(4-10-2008)
- Special schemes for two Ganassi cars at Phoenix: This weekend the bright and fun yellow color of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit will adorn the #40 CGRFS Dodge driven by Dario Franchitti. This year Wrigley has been serving as a primary partner sponsoring Juan Pablo Montoya and the #42 CGRFS NSCS team. This will be Franchitti’s first time representing the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company which is the world’s largest manufacturer and marketer of chewing gum. The Wrigley’s Big Red brand will adorn the hood of the #42 Dodge this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway for the eighth race of the 2008 season. This will be the third time this season the driver and team will wear the signature bold colors of Big Red.(CGRFS), see images of the #42 on my #42 Team Schemes page.(4-10-2008)
- some Dale Jr. off track news: The public grand opening for #88-Dale Earnhardt’s newest business venture — a nightclub, Whiskey River — will be held April 18. The club is located at 210 East Trade Street in Charlotte’s EpiCenter. Patrons can eat, drink, listen to a mixture of rock and country music and even ride a mechanical bull. Log onto www.whiskyrivercharlotte.com for more information.
In an effort to enlighten himself and his fans, Earnhardt has decided to forego the role of interviewee to play reporter for his official Web site. The interviews will be conducted monthly and featured exclusively on www.dalejr.com. Earnhardt’s first interview was with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and is available now. Look for his next installment — an interview with Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick — to be posted soon.(HMS)(4-10-2008) - New sponsor for BAM Racing: BAM Racing announced MetaLogix, Inc as an official Diamond Sponsor of the #49 Sprint Cup Series team for the 2008 season. “We’re excited to welcome MetaLogix, Inc as a Diamond Sponsor for 2008,” commented team owner Beth Ann Morgenthau. “In the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, it is the support from sponsors that makes it possible for teams to compete every week. We are excited to share the excitement of Sprint Cup racing with MetaLogix, Inc.” The Diamond Sponsorship Program is an associate sponsorship program exclusive to BAM Racing.(Centre Daily Times)(4-10-2008)
- April Fools pic for the #99: UPDATE: The Best Western #99 Toyota driven by David Reutimann in the Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, will display a winning April Fools Day picture. The contest which ended this past week asked for a funny picture of a friend, family member, co-worker, boss, neighbor even your pet. The winning entry will be displayed on the deck lid.(Insider Racing)(3-23-2008)
UPDATE: NASCAR enthusiast Dennis Tedeschi wanted to play the ultimate April Fools’ prank on his son, Benjamin, and Best Western International is helping him do just that. Today, the two were named the grand prize winners of the hotel chain’s April Fools’ promotion, which gives the father and son the gift of NASCAR immortality. As part of the grand prize, a photo taken while Benjamin was bouncing on a trampoline will be prominently displayed on the Best Western #99 Toyota Camry, which will be driven by David Reutimann at the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 in Phoenix on Friday.(Best Western PR)(4-10-2008)
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