April 11, 2007
- Earnhardt Still Wants Majority Ownership of DEI: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. has not backed down from his demand for majority ownership in his late father’s company, his sister said Tuesday. “Fifty-one (percent) is the right number because that gives us control,” said Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, Junior’s sister and business manager. “We’ll take 75 or 95 or whatever we work out. At the end of the day, 51 gives you control. “And we want control.” Earnhardt is in the final year of his contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc. and has made owning a share of the company a major issue of his negotiations. He raised the stakes even higher in February when he said he actually wanted 51 percent of DEI – not just a piece of the team. Earnhardt Elledge said the ownership stake was not the breaking point of negotiations, but that time could run out for a new agreement to be reached. [DEI President Max] Siegel has said he believes a decision can be made by May, and Earnhardt Elledge said the next two months are crucial.(Associated Press)(4-11-2007)
- JR Motorsports signs Motorcycler Jeremy McGrath: JR Motorsports introduced seven-time Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath as its newest late model driver on Tuesday, pairing one of the most popular Supercross stars of all time with NASCAR’s four-time most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. The announcement was made at the grand opening of the team’s new 66,000-square foot shop. McGrath will compete in a limited 10-race schedule in a Chevrolet late model stock car sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, with R&B Auto Body Transport Refinishing as an associate sponsor. His first race is slated for April 21 at Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, N.C. “This is something I’ve always wanted to try, and I’m really grateful that Dale Jr. is giving me this opportunity to drive one of his race cars,” McGrath said. “We are going to test this week, weather permitting. I’ve got a lot to learn when it comes to racing something with four wheels, but I’m confident I can pick it up pretty quick.” The addition of McGrath and the Monster Energy car gives JRM its third late model entry. Scott Young and Curtis Truex Jr. currently compete in full-season touring schedules in late model cars sponsored by R&B. JR Motorsports also fields a full-time NASCAR Busch Series team with driver Shane Huffman and full-time USAR Hooters Pro Cup team with driver Richard Boswell. All of these teams operate out of the new JR Motorsports facility located in Mooresville, N.C. “I’m proud to have Jeremy here, and it’s cool to see how excited he is about getting into one of these late models,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I like his approach, his mentality, and the energy he brings to this shop. I know this isn’t just some fleeting interest on his part. He is as serious about this as anyone I’ve ever been around.” McGrath is easily one of the most recognizable motorcycle racers of all time, as he dominated Supercross from 1993-2004, compiling 74 main event victories and seven titles. He also won the gold medal in the 2004 X-Games Step-Up competition, and earned silver in the 2005 X-Games Supermoto. “I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of success in Supercross, but this is a new type of racing for me,” McGrath said. “I want to succeed at this. It’s not like I’m coming in here and saying that I’m going to be a Nextel Cup driver or anything like that. I want to focus on this chance.”(JR Motorsports PR)(4-11-2007)
- Earnhardt Says JR Motorsports Could Move to Cup at Some Point: Dale Earnhardt Jr. indicated in the past that he didn’t envision his JR Motorsports team going Nextel Cup racing. But now that he’s unveiled a new shop for his Busch and Late Model teams, well, he could envision it “years down the road.” “It was just so, so far down the road, it was ridiculous to even think about [Cup racing] or dream about it,” Earnhardt Jr. said Tuesday during an open house of the new shop. “Being closer and closer to something like that being a reality, it’s always a possibility.” Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, who handles Earnhardt Jr.’s business affairs, was asked if Earnhardt Jr. could be the team’s driver in Nextel Cup. Her answer: “No way.” But Earnhardt Jr. says … “With any company like ours, the sky’s the limit,” he said. “You just have to maximize your opportunities and make sure you’re picking the right ones, working with the right people.”(SceneDaily.com)(4-11-2007)
- NASCAR Looking to Expand TV Coverage to International Markets: NASCAR, which rose out of local race tracks in the South and Midwest to become a U.S. television juggernaut, is working on its next expansion. NASCAR is being watched in more than 150 countries and broadcast in 32 languages. Those numbers may jump further this month at the MIP international television market in Cannes, where ESPN International, which has a deal with NASCAR to distribute product outside of North America, will try to persuade more international broadcasters to export the chicken-fried motor sport to new markets. Although U.S. crowds at some races decreased by a third last year, and TV audiences were down during many of the races being telecast, global audiences seem to have made up for that loss. NASCAR now has established itself as the No. 2 racing series in the world, behind Formula One. To grow overseas, the U.S. racing organization first targeted Canada and Mexico, plus European markets such as Germany and the United Kingdom. In Asia, Japan and China were priorities, as was Brazil in South America. NASCAR now boasts more than 30 international broadcast partners.(TV Week)(4-11-2007)
- Speed Channel sets lineup for coverage of Nextel All-Star Challenge: Speed will deliver a full week of special All-Star programming in support of the network’s inaugural exclusive broadcast of the Nextel All-Star Challenge on May 19 at 7 p.m. ET. Coverage will culminate with 48 consecutive hours of NASCAR programming over the All-Star Weekend. Highlighted by exclusive coverage of the NASCAR Nextel Pit Crew Challenge, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, NASCAR Nextel Open and NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge, SPEED also will deliver special All-Star episodes of Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, The SPEED Report, NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane. s part of a special three-hour NASCAR RaceDay All-Star Edition on May 19, SPEED will cover the inaugural Crew Chief Race from Lowe’s Motor Speedway, an event featuring SPEED on-air personalities Larry McReynolds, Jeff Hammond and Chad Knaus. In addition, SPEED is working with NASCAR Images to deliver a series of specials, All-Star Spotlight and All-Star Memories, taking a look at some of the most memorable All-Star events in NASCAR history.(Fox Sports)(4-11-2007)
- Special Paint Scheme for Dale Jr. at LMS: Hearing that #8-Dale Jr. will run a special camouflage Budweiser paint scheme in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. See an image of the car on my #8 Paint Schemes Page.(4-11-2007)
- Earnhardt Jr.’s Retail Store, JR Nation, Opens to Public: The first-ever retail store exclusive to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his #88-JR Motorsports brand officially opened its doors Tuesday as part of a company-wide grand opening at his team’s new 66,000-square foot facility. The store, fittingly called JR Nation, consists of more than 500 items of merchandise, including shirts, hats and collectables fashioned less like traditional track gear and more to Earnhardt Jr.’s style. It is located at the entrance to JR Motorsports, easily accessible to guests visiting the shop.(JR Motorsports PR)(4-11-2007)
- Martin to Make Final Start of 2007 for Roush Fenway: For the final time in 2007, Mark Martin will compete for Roush Fenway Racing in the Busch Series this Saturday at Texas. Mark Martin parted ways with driving a full-time schedule for Roush Fenway Racing, but signed on for two Busch Series events in 2007. The first of which was Daytona in February.(Roush Fenway PR)(4-11-2007)
- Keith Coleman Racing Announces New Associate Sponsor; Paint Scheme: Keith Coleman Racing announced that American Capital has joined the team as an associate sponsor for the O’Reilly 300 at the Texas. The Oklahoma Centennial Chevy will also have a new paint scheme to show off this weekend.(KCR PR), see an image of the car on my Paint Schemes Page.(4-11-2007)
- Special Scheme for Kyle Busch at Texas: Fire Ants will adorn the #5 Spectracide Fire Ant Killer/Lowe’s Chevy this weekend at Texas.(Hendrick Motorsports PR)(4-11-2007)
- Several teams tested at Pocono: UPDATE: Hearing that there are possibly as many as seven teams testing at Pocono Raceway this week in preparation for the upcoming event at Kansas Speedway. Among those testing are the Germain Racing teams of Todd Bodine [#30] and Ted Musgrave [#9] as well as a couple of Chevy and Ford teams.(4-11-2007)
UPDATE: The following Craftsman Truck series drivers are at Pocono Raceway for a 2 day test, April 10-11: Ted Musgrave [#9], Todd Bodine[#30], Justin Hobgood [#03], Josh Wise [#00], Dennis Setzer[#75] and David Starr [#10]. Toyota Racing Team Manager Laerte Zatta is also at Pocono. No speeds are available.(Pocono Raceway PR)(4-11-2007) - Clay Rogers to run two races for Key Motorsports: Key Motorsports has named 2006 Hooters Pro Cup Series champion Clay Rogers to drive its primary #40 Chevy in the upcoming Craftsman Truck Series races at the Kansas and Mansfield (OH) Motorsports Speedways. After an initial 4-race deal with veteran Mike Bliss, team owner Curtis W. Key, Sr. plans on using the services of a variety of drivers in the 2007 season’s remaining 21 races beginning with the 27-year-old Rogers in the April 28 O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 in Kansas City. Rogers will also steer the #40 machine on May 26 at Mansfield.(Key Motorsports PR)(4-11-2007)
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