April 12, 2006
- Get Well: #21 Team Owner Glen Wood had his scheduled hip replacement surgery this morning. Everything went good. Only in surgery less than an hour. The plan is to try to get him up today or tomorrow at the latest and be home probably Friday. Send cards to: Glen Wood, 21 Performance Drive, Stuart,VA 24171.(4-12-2006)
- ESPN set for racing’s return – some Q&A’s: NASCAR will have a new look next season as ESPN/ABC replaces NBC in broadcasting the second half of the Nextel Cup series. ESPN/ABC signed an eight-year agreement with NASCAR. ABC will broadcast all 10 races in the title chase next year and at least 11 of the final 17 races. ESPN will broadcast the rest. Also, ESPN2 will be the home for the Busch series. With all the work to be done, George Bodenheimer, president of ABC Sports/ESPN, attended last weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway along with a group of executives. He spoke with reporters before the race. Here is some of what he had to say.
Q: What will the broadcasts be like next year?
A: It’s a little bit premature for us to answer that question. We’re working hard on developing some innovative moves forward. ESPN takes a lot of pride in distinguishing its productions from other networks. We have our best people here studying the latest technology and other devices to bring to the sport. We know that fans look for that, and we know that they look for that from ESPN and ABC.
Q: Have you decided if you will have two or three people in the booth to call races?
A: We have not. We’re delighted to have Rusty Wallace on. Jerry Punch obviously is going to play a big role in what we do. Beyond that, we have not made any decisions but there should be some forthcoming shortly.
Q: How will you address the criticism NBC and Fox get about too many commercials and missing restarts?
A: We’ve certainly thought about it. We will be working hard to keep an eye on those factors. Advertising sales are how the cash register is rung, so, obviously, it has to play a part in what we’re doing. ESPN has grown since we were last in the sport, we now consider ourselves a multimedia company with ESPN.com, Mobile ESPN on the phone, multiple networks. We’re looking to take this wonderful property and blow it out across all our mediums. It is really well beyond ‘what does a three-hour telecast look like?’ We will be serving fans seven days a week.
Q: Will you have a daily NASCAR show?
A: Yes. We will have a daily show. We have not fixed on an exact schedule or the name of the show. We will have a daily presence.
Q: How important are later afternoon starting times and night races?
A: It’s important. Generally, we’re looking to attract the highest ratings that we can, obviously, later in the day bodes well. NASCAR, as all leagues, has to balance those issues with fan support and logistical issues. If NASCAR wants to continue to grow, and being affiliated with ESPN and ABC will help them grow, they’re going to have to look at all those kinds of issues to make that happen.(Roanoke Times)(4-12-2006) - Biffle’s girlfriend faces a reprimand: #16-Greg Biffle’s girlfriend faces a reprimand from NASCAR about her pit-road confrontation with #2-Kurt Busch’s fiance after the two drivers wrecked at Texas Motor Speedway. Busch hit the back of Biffle’s car early in Sunday’s race, causing an accident that ended Biffle’s day. Biffle, the defending race winner, had led 49 of the first 82 laps before the crash and wound up 42nd. Moments after the wreck, TV cameras caught girlfriend Nicole Lunders slamming a water bottle on Biffle’s pit box. She then marched down pit road and climbed halfway up Busch’s box and had a heated exchange with Eva Bryan. The brief confrontation created a buzz in NASCAR, and the sanctioning body wants to cool down the emotions. “There will be some conversations that will be had with the people that participated, and we’ll make sure that this doesn’t carry on and into the garage or anywhere else,” Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition, said Wednesday. “You’ve got to remember, most everybody in the garage area is friends, and those two girls in particular have a close relationship. Tempers flare, and we’ll look at that and we’ll make sure it doesn’t carry on any further than that.” NASCAR does not have a steadfast rule against team members entering other pit boxes, but generally frowns upon it if the reason for approaching the area stems from something that happened in race. “When altercations and things like that happen, we recommend that you stay in your own area,” Pemberton said. “You can go have a conversation, but it can’t be heated per se.” Family members are typically given entrance to the track on a “license” that recognizes them as a team member, meaning their actions can be policed by NASCAR and the sanctioning body reserves the right to revoke their pass at any time.(Associated Press)(4-12-2006)
- Sad News: Condolences to former Cup Team Owner and 2-time Cup Champion crew chief, Andy Petree on the passing of his father Joe Petree Jr., who passed away Tuesday, April 11, 2006 at Frye Regional Medical Center. A Service of Remembrance will be held at 11:00am/et, Thursday, April 13, 2006 at First United Methodist Church in Newton. Revs. Daniel G. Martin and Amy Foley will officiate. The family will receive friends following the service. Memorials may be made to: First United Methodist Church, Renovation Fund, P.O. Box 926, Newton, NC 28658 or to the Humane Society, P.O. Box 63, Hickory, NC 28603. Condolences may be sent to the Petree family at willisreynoldsfuneralhome.com..(4-12-2006)
- Richmond Testing – Day 1: A pair of Dodges topped the charts following Tuesday’s morning session. #2-Kurt Busch led all drivers with a top speed of 125.360mph (21.538 seconds). #42-Casey Mears was second at 125.302 followed by #16b-Biffle 125.267, #6b-Martin and #5-Busch 125.029.
In the Afternoon session: fastest was #6b-Martin at 124.395, #16-Biffle 124.390, #2b-Busch 124.287, #8-Earnhardt Jr. 124.212 and #26b-McMurray 124.201.
In the PM/Night session: quickest was #6b-Mark Martin 125.552mph, then #16b-Biffle, #17b-Kenseth, #2b-Busch and #5-Busch.
See my 2006 Richmond Testing Page for all the speeds.(PR’s)(4-11/12-2006) - #11 Team Takes PIt Crew Honors at Texas: Denny Hamlin’s pit crew became the fifth team of the season to secure the weekly Checkers/Rally’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge competition by spending the least amount of time on pit road in Sunday’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. “The #11 FedEx Racing crew was unbelievable and those guys deserve all the credit in the world for the finish we had,” said Hamlin, who posted a career best fourth-place result. “From the start of the race they were pulling off quick stops and making good changes. It seemed that every time we needed a lift the guys stepped it up.” Hamlin’s pit crew, part of the Joe Gibbs Racing stable, spent 253.611 seconds on pit lane during the Samsung/RadioShack 500. The team earned $10,500 for the win. The #11 over-the-wall team consists of: Chris Webb (jackman), Blake Haughland (front-tire carrier), Donnie Brown (front-tire changer), Heath Cherry (rear-tire carrier), Barry Cook (rear-tire changer), Scott Wood (gasman), John Eicher (catch can), Bobby “Spike” Christenson (windshield) and John Furino (pit support). The team’s crew chief is Mike Ford and the pit crew coordinator is Paul Alepa. Along with the #11 team win, the pit crews of Kyle Busch and Elliott Sadler have one win apiece in the Checkers/Rally’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge, while Jimmie Johnson’s and Tony Stewart’s pit crews are tied for first in the standings with two victories each. The season champion will receive a $105,000 bonus. The Checkers/Rally’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge is in its second season with the Nextel Cup Series. Checkers/Rally’s is the Official Burger and Drive-Thru Restaurant of NASCAR, more info at checkers.com.(DMF Communications PR)(4-12-2006)
- Reutimann to Drive for Brewco at Nashville: This weekend will be another first David Reutimann as he drives the #66 Cottman Transmission entry in the NASCAR Busch Series event at Nashville.(Reutimann PR)(4-12-2006)
- Crocker at the Grand Ole Opry: UPDATE – Cancelled: Erin will be making a guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry on Friday night at 8 p.m. Erin Crocker will be competing in both the ARCA and NASCAR Busch Series races in Nashville on Saturday.(Evernham PR)(4-11-2006)
UPDATE: From Crocker’s diary at NASCAR.com, ” We were offered the option of appearing at the Grand Ole Opry. I told them I’d like to do it another time because we’re running two races and I really want to have a good weekend. We want to keep the media stuff to a minimal.”(NASCAR.com)(4-12-2006) - FBR and Sadler Bros. Team Up at Nashville:FitzBradshaw Racing has announced a partnership with Earl Sadler and Sons Racing to enter the #14 Dodge Charger in the Pepsi 300 at Nashville. Sadler Bros. Trucking will be the primary sponsor on the car. Steadman Marlin, who drove for FitzBradshaw Racing in 2005 and currently drives for Earl Sadler and Sons Racing, will pilot the #14 Dodge Charger.(FBR PR)(4-12-2006)
- Brothers Research to Sponsor Mac Hill at Nashville: Brothers Research Corporation, makers of Duragloss, will be the primary sponsor for the Mac Hill Motorsports #56 BGN car driven by NASCAR veteran Kevin Lepage at Nashville.(MacHill PR)(4-12-2006)
- GunBroker.com Joins Ashton Gray Racing: Ashton Gray Racing owners Dwayne Gaulding and Barry Tudor proudly announced today the formation of a marketing partnership with GunBroker.com to serve as the primary marketing partner of the #08 Dodge driven by Jason White starting with this weekend’s Pepsi 300 from Nashville.(Ashton Gray PR)(4-12-2006)
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