April 12, 2005
- RC To Throw out first pitch: Nextel Cup and Busch Series team owner, Richard Childress, will make his Major League Baseball (MLB) pitching debut Thursday, April 14, at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, TX. Childress will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Texas Rangers take on the Toronto Blue Jays at 7:05pm, three days before his three Cup series race teams compete in the NASCAR race in Ft. Worth on April 17. In addition to seeing Childress toss the first pitch, fans attending the Rangers game will have the opportunity to view the #31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet up close as it makes a warm-up lap around the warning track at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, providing for a unique photo opportunity. In attendance will be the winner of Cingular’s VIP Sports Package sweepstakes, which provided fans with the opportunity to register to be a part of the excitement of baseball and motorsports. The grand prize winner will receive tickets to the Rangers-Blue Jays game April 14 and a VIP Experience to the Texas race April 17, including a meeting with Burton. Other fan-centric activities in Texas during the race week include the return of the Cingular Pit Stop to the Chevy Thunder at Sundance Square Festival in Ft. Worth.(Career Sports & Entertainment)(4-12-2005)
- Rusty goes yellow at Texas IMAGE: Rusty Wallace will be back with the Kodak colors at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Last year, Wallace had the Kodak sponsorship on his #2 Dodge at Watkins Glen, marking the first time [since 1989 when Koidak was the sponsor during his Championship season] he raced for another sponsor since being with the Miller Brewing Company.(RacingOne/Kodak)(3-19-2005)
IMAGE: see an image of the scheme on my #2 Team Schemes page.(4-12-2005) - Robby’s Crew Chief Fined: NASCAR announced Tuesday that Robert [Bob] Temple, crew chief for the #7 Chevrolet driven by Robby Gordon in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, has been fined $5,000 for a rule violation that occurred last week at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va. During opening day inspection on April 8, the #7 was found to have an unapproved deck lid, a violation of Section 12-4-Q of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series rule book. That also violated Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing).(NASCAR PR)(4-12-2005)
- Mears in a Fuji scheme at Texas: Casey Mears will pilot a green and white #41 Fujifilm Dodge this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Mears finished seventh at last year’s spring event at Texas in a similar paint scheme with Fujifilm. Mears didn’t experience the same luck in this car when it was painted up green at Atlanta three weeks ago. He was involved in a multi-car incident on lap one of the event.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates)(4-12-2005)
- Testing at Talladega: #43-Jeff Green is scheduled to test at Talladega Superspeedway on Tuesday, April 12th. No word if any other drivers will test.(Talladega Superspeedway)
AND #41-Casey Mears is testing at Talladega today and Wed. April 13th, and Richard Childress Racing [April 18-19th] and Evernham Motorsports [April 20th] will test with unknown cars/drivers.(4-12-2005) - Architect chosen for Charlotte HOF: Leaders of a campaign to bring the NASCAR Hall of Fame to Charlotte have selected renowned architect I.M. Pei’s firm to design the proposed museum, which they’re targeting for a city-owned site in Second Ward. Bids for the project, to be awarded by NASCAR, are due May 31, with a city to be chosen some time after the motorsports organization’s annual awards banquet in December but before the Daytona 500 in February 2006. Local bidders anticipate the project will cost $75 million to $100 million to build. Tim Newman, head of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, which is spearheading the NASCAR bid, told City Council members Monday night that representatives from Pei, Cobb & Freed would make their first visit to Charlotte on Tuesday. In addition, the Charlotte NASCAR campaign team has enlisted high-powered marketing and public-relations firm Interpublic Group to work on the project. Interpublic’s client roster includes BofA as well as the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Chevrolet, Microsoft Corp. and Nike Inc.(Charlotte Business Journal)(4-12-2005)
- Martin going for the Triple at Texas: #6-Mark Martin will be looking for the triple crown this weekend at Texas, running in the IROC, Busch and Nextel Cup races. Martin won in the IROC series in the first race of the season at Daytona and he’ll be looking for his record extending 13th win in an IROC car. In addtion, Martin wil run Saturday’s Busch race where he’ll be looking for his third straight victory and record extending 48th series win. All in all Martin has boasted four wins at Texas, winning once in the Cup car and three in the Busch Series. Mark Martin will make his final run at the Nextel Cup title in 2005. Martin has dubbed 2005 as his “Salute to You” tour, a year in which he hopes to take the time to thank each and everyone that he feels played a role in his success, including team members, fans, NASCAR and the media.
GET A BRICK: and plans for a Mark Martin museum that will be housed in Batesville, Arkansas, at the sight of his brand new Ford Dealership, scheduled to open Spring 2006. Martin plans to house each of his NASCAR trophies, select race cars and several other items he collected along his journey since leaving Arkansas in the late 70’s. In order to share his return home with his fans, Martin has decided to start “The Road Home” brick program. Now fans can share in and be a part of Martin’s effort to give back to the place he truly considers home. More info at markmartinmerchandise.com.(4-12-2005) - McDonald’s to sponsor Elliott UPDATE and Evernham too: hearing that McDonald’s will sponsor the #91 [#98?] Dodge and Bill Elliott at Michigan in June and California in September.(3-17-2005)
UPDATE: McDonald’s announced the company has entered into a partnership agreement with Evernham Motorsports in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. The agreement calls for McDonald’s to be an associate sponsor on the #9 Evernham Motorsports Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger driven by 2004 Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year Kasey Kahne and the #91 Evernham Motorsports Dodge Charger that will be driven by [1988] NASCAR champion Bill Elliott at selected Nextel Cup events. The agreement includes a two-race McDonald’s primary sponsorship on Elliott’s car. The Bill Elliott Racing entry will carry the McDonald’s paint scheme at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (June 19) and California Speedway in Fontana (Sept. 5). Kahne, 24, said that he welcomes the new partnership and is looking forward to being affiliated with McDonald’s. McDonald’s motorsports programs also include primary sponsorships in the Champ Car World Series with the Newman/Haas team and driver Sebastian Bourdais and in the NASCAR Busch Series with Team Rensi Motorsports and [#35] driver Jason Keller. More info on McDonalds, see www.mcdonalds.com.(McDonald’s Racing)(3-28-2005)
IMAGE: see an image of the scheme on my #91 Team Schemes page.(4-12-2005) - Beneficial to Sponsor Two RCR Teams IMAGE: Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has teamed up with Beneficial in a multi-year associate sponsorship agreement for two of its NASCAR Cup Series teams. Beneficial will sponsor and have decal space on the “B” posts of the #29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet of driver Kevin Harvick and the lower rear quarter panels of the #31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet of driver Jeff Burton. It will also be the primary sponsor of the #31 Chevrolet for the June event at Michigan International Speedway. Finally, Beneficial will have status with the racing organization as the “Official Consumer Lending Company of RCR.” More info on Beneficial at beneficial.com.(RCR PR)(2-24-2005)
IMAGE: see an image of the scheme on my #31 Team Schemes page.(4-12-2005) - Jarrett to test at Kentucky: Dale Jarrett is scheduled to test his #88 UPS Ford at the Kentucky Speedway on Tuesday, April 19. Fans can view testing from the designated area outside the Fan Center in Turn 3 at no charge.(Kentucky Speedway)(4-12-2005)
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