April 13, 2005
- “Ukrop’s Richmond Race Fest” . is coming in May! The Inaugural “Ukrop’s Richmond Race Fest” is scheduled for Thursday, May 12th. The event will be held in downtown Richmond, VA in the “Shockoe Slip” area on Cary Street, between 9th and 14th streets from 6:30 to 8:30pm/et. Ukrop’s Super Markets is sponsoring the event, which is a fund-raiser for the Victory Junction Gang Camp, a facility for critically ill children, and a proud charity of NASCAR. The event is also being supported by Kleenex, Duke’s, and Kellogg’s brands, along with a number of other vendors that have made donations to Victory Junction Gang in exchange for rights to pass out product samples to the patrons attending the event. The Race Fest is being structured as a family friendly street party, and best of all it is FREE! It will incorporate live music and entertainment on 3 separate stages. Bands scheduled include. “The Taters” and “Vanishing Point”, along with the “Whitlock’s” of Radio Disney. Cary Street will be full of vendor sampling booths; show cars from some of your favorite Nextel Cup and Busch Series Teams; racing simulators; interactive displays and games. A NASCAR driver autograph session will also be held in the lobby of the James Center during this time, along with a silent auction benefiting the kids of Victory Junction Gang.(SMC 500)(4-13-2005)
- IROC at Texas: This Friday, April 15, the Crown Royal IROC Series will race under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) for the second of four races. World of Outlaws driver Danny Lasoski’s Crown Royal IROC Series victory at TMS last year was just the second time a driver representing short track open-wheel racing claimed a checkered flag in the series’ 29-year history. Fresh off a win in the Champ Car season-opener, driver Sebastien Bourdias will be on the pole for the second consecutive IROC race. The win in the Grand Prix of Long Beach (Calif.) was the 11th of Bourdias’ career. The defending Champ Car World Series champion is competing in the IROC Series this season for the first time. Mark Martin is on track for a record-breaking year in the Crown Royal IROC Series. With his win in the season-opener at Daytona, Martin became the all-time series leader in wins with 12, surpassing Dale Earnhardt and Al Unser Jr. A Crown Royal IROC championship for Martin this year would not only give him the $1 million first place prize, but also the most championships in the history of the series with five.(Alan Taylor Communications), the race will be televised on Speed Channel at 8:00pm/et and re-aired again at 1:30am/et.(4-13-2005)
- Dale Jr. the only rookie winner at Texas: Only once in eight races at Texas has a Raybestos Rookie won the race. Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored his first career NEXTEL Cup Series win by 5.920 seconds over Jeff Burton in 2000. More Rookie Notes and stats on my Rookie of the Year page.(4-13-2005)
- Victory Brand to be bought, could the #14 be back on the track? Legend Investment Inc. announced that it has entered into a letter of intent to acquire 100% of Victory Brand, LLC. Based in Coldwater, Michigan, Victory Brand is privately held developer and marketer of valued priced, premium cigarettes. Victory Brand started the production and the provisioning of product in December of 2004, and currently is distributed nationally by three of the top ten national distributors in addition to approximately twenty-five regional and local distributors. VB “Made In the USA” products are currently marketed in thousands of convenience stores including 5,800 Sunoco and A Plus outlets. The company projects revenue of $77,800,000 for the next twelve months.
“We are thrilled at the opportunity to acquire Victory Brand. They have an outstanding product with a marketing and branding strategy using NASCAR racing that is a proven success. It is even more exciting that this is local,” said Peter Klamka, President of Michigan-based Legend Investment Corp. Victory Brand, LLC is the primary sponsor of the #14, Nextel Cup Ford driven by John Andretti. Victory Brand is currently the only cigarette sponsor associated with NASCAR Nextel Cup racing. The #14 car is owned by ppc Racing of Mooresville, NC, and backed by the Ford Motor Company. John Andretti (driver of the #14 VB/ A Plus at Sunoco Nextel Cup Series Car) stated: “I work in an ultra competitive environment (NASCAR), and Victory Brand is in a very similar place, being that of the tobacco Industry. To be able to work together towards our collective goals is very exciting. We plan to grow both into being a force within our respective industries. The acquisition of Victory Brand LLC by Legend Investment Inc. will only accelerate this process.” Steve Swick, CEO of Victory Brand, stated, “We are excited about the acquisition. Taking Victory Brand LLC into a public venue allows our current membership and venture partners, along with many of the 75 million loyal NASCAR fans, who have expressed an interest in shareholder participation, to share the spoils of future growth and profitability. We receive calls, almost daily, from racing fans inquiring as to how they can become investors and buy the stock. As a result of this acquisition ownership has become a viable option for all interested parties.”(Yahoo Biz)(4-13-2005) - Skinner to run the #23 at Talladega: Bill Davis Racing says it will enter Mike Skinner in the team’s #23 Dodge in the May 1 Aaron’s 499 Nextel Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. Bad Boy Mowers Inc. will sponsor the entry for Skinner, who is driving for the team in the Craftsman Truck Series this year. Skinner also drove the car in the season-opening Daytona 500, where he finished 30th after being caught in a wreck.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-13-2005)
- Gaughan to Evernham in 2006? Evernham Motorsports is the Dodge mainstay and is expected to add a third car, with Brendan Gaughan, next season.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(4-13-2005)
- McMurray to Shine On at Texas: The first of four special “Shine On” paint schemes will adorn the #42 Dodge driven by Jamie McMurray this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The Texas “Shine On” paint scheme logo, which was used from 1913 to 1935, incorporates the language of “The Texas Oil Company.” It also pays tribute to the many Texaco and Havoline employees and retirees who call Texas home.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates), see images of the cars on my #42 Team Schemes page.(4-13-2005)
- Darlington Day: Darlington Day looked back on the legacy of racing in South Carolina and supports its future. Drivers like Jeremy Mayfield and Tony Stewart spent the afternoon at the Governors Mansion Tuesday. It’s an effort to rev up ticket sales for the upcoming race and to look back on the tradition of racing in South Sarolina. The Southern 500 left South Carolina and it was devastating for many race fans in the Palmetto State. Stock car racing’s original superspeedway will once more serve as a groundbreaker for NASCAR, inaugurating an entirely new race weekend in May. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series’ 104th visit to Darlington Raceway will take place on Mother’s Day weekend, and will be Darlington’s first-ever full weekend of night racing. Racing represents much more than entertaining fans of the sport. Each of the races generates about $30 million for the state. Chad Prosser is with the state’s parks and tourism, “”Absolutely. The NASCAR fans are wonderful fans, and they are a big economic base, not only for NASCAR, but for the state as a destination. We use these races not only to sell the Pee Dee area, but to sell the state as a whole.” State leaders say it is important for fans to pack the stands to show NASCAR racing at Darlington won’t be left in the dust. Get more information on the Dodge Charger 500 Weekend by calling (843) 395-8499.(WIStv.com Columbia, SC)(4-13-2005)
- Dickerson may have a new gig UPDATE RCR? DEI?: Chassis and body guru Eddie Dickerson, who was released by Hendrick Motorsports after being arrested in the early-morning hours at Daytona in February (disorderly intoxication), could land at Richard Childress Racing, sources in the garage said.(Speed Channel)(4-11-2005)
UPDATE: Former Hendrick Motorsports chassis director Eddie Dickerson will interview with Dale Earnhardt Inc. this week. DEI is starting an in-house chassis program, and Dickerson could use his magic to develop better-handling cars for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who complains about the drivability of his cars.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(4-13-2005) - An Odd Award for Jr.: The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression has awarded NASCAR a “Jefferson Muzzle” for what it calls an “out of proportion” punishment to driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. for swearing in a live television interview last October. NASCAR docked Earnhardt 25 points and fined him $10,000 for saying in an NBC interview that his victory at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway “don’t mean (expletive) right now” because his late father had won there several more times. NASCAR officials came down hard on Earnhardt in response to increased Federal Communications Commission scrutiny of broadcast indecency last year. The FCC apparently has not yet ruled on whether NBC or its affiliates will be punished; FCC spokeswoman Janice Wise said if no ruling has been posted on the commission’s Web site, it should be considered an “open item.” While acknowledging that NASCAR is not a government entity and is entitled to punish drivers for using profanity, the Jefferson Center’s Web site said “to punish Earnhardt in a manner so out of proportion to the offense sends a message far more dangerous than anything conveyed by the spontaneous expression of a relatively mild four-letter word.”(USA Today)(4-13-2005)
- More on Marlin, Stremme and Sorenson UPDATE: Sterling Marlin, says the team owner won’t call him back about the status of Marlin’s #40 car next season. “My contract is up after this year,” Marlin says. “I guess you’ve got to make a change sometimes, but I’d like to know something soon so I can start looking.” Marlin says a team was willing to buy out his contract last year, but he remained loyal to Ganassi. Multiple sources at Ganassi say Busch Series regular David Stremme will get the ride over Reed Sorenson because Sorenson is under 21 and the car’s sponsor is Coors Light.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(4-13-2005)
- Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Banquet: will be held tonight at the Texas Grand Ballroom in The Speedway Club at Texas Motor Speedway. Who will be honored:
HOF Inductees: Terry Labonte, Lee Shepherd (posthumously)
Texas Motor Speedway Racer of the Year: Tony Kanaan
Bruton Smith Legends Award: Lloyd Tuby
Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Sportsmanship Award: Kyle & Pattie Petty
Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Vision Award: Dr. Dean Sicking
* Terry Labonte won at Texas Motor Speedway in 1999 and is a two-time Nextel Cup Series champion (1984, 1996). He is retiring from the series after the 2006 season. Terry owns a Busch Series team for which his son, Justin, is the driver of the #44 Coast Guard car.
* Lee Shepherd won four consecutive National Hot Rod Association championships in 1981-84. He was on his way to a fifth straight title when he died in a testing accident in Oklahoma on March 11, 1985.
* Tony Kanaan won the June Bombardier Learjet 500k in June 2004 in a photo finish with teammate Dario Franchitti. Kanaan came back last October to clinch the IRL IndyCar Series Championship with his runner-up finish at Texas. Kanaan is testing and will not be in attendance at the banquet.
* Kyle & Pattie Petty have long been known for their charitable work and contributions throughout the NASCAR community.
* Dr. Dean Sicking has helped revolutionize safety in motorsports with his development of the SAFER barriers or “soft walls”. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University.
* Lloyd Ruby raced for more than 30 years in open-wheel cars, including 18 appearances in the Indy 500. The Wichita Falls, Texas, native has been called “The Greatest Driver Never to Win the Indy 500”.(TMS PR)(4-13-2005) - Sad News: Joe Nemechek’s maternal grandfather — Frank Glowacki — passed away Sunday evening in Lakeland, Fla. He was 91 years-old. The funeral is Wednesday, April 13th. Heath Funeral Chapel, 328 S Ingraham Ave. Lakeland, FL is handling the arrangements.(4-12-2005)
- Sad News: Ronnie Weedon, one of the top drivers in local dirt-track racing, died Monday evening at his home in Pleasant Valley, Iowa. Weedon, winner of 504 feature races in a career that spanned seven decades, reportedly was working on one of his famed “00” cars at his home along the Mississippi River when the car apparently slipped off a jack. Scott County emergency personnel confirmed that they responded to an Emergency Medical Services call at the Weedon home Monday evening, but could not release further details. Shane Davis, track announcer at both the Davenport Speedway and Quad-City Speedway at the East Moline Fairgrounds, confirmed the 72-year-old’s death after receiving a number of phone calls from friends in the racing circle. Davis said that drivers and friends had gone to Weedon’s home Monday evening upon hearing the news. “He was the most loved and respected racer out there,” said Davis, a former driver himself. “There wasn’t anybody who had anything but love and respect for him.” Davis said that Weedon had been in preparation for Friday’s season opener at the Davenport Speedway at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds. Davis said that Weedon had his newest car at the Quad-City Speedway on Sunday for Test & Tune Day. Davis said that it wasn’t unusual for racers at the grass-roots level to be working on their cars alone, especially Weedon. Davis said Weedon’s wife, Dee, who has served as Ronnie’s pit crew, found her husband after the incident. The Weedons have three sons who also race — Ronnie Weedon Jr., Rob Connors and Jerry Connors.(Quad-Cities Online/qctimes.com)(4-13-2005)
- 2nd Hendrick Car inceases schedule to 8 races, Busch to drive at Texas: Team Lowe’s Racing announced that several of its vendor partners on the #5 Busch Series car will also serve as the primary sponsor in four races this season on the Hendrick Motorsports #57 Busch car with drivers Kyle Busch and Boston Reid. Spectracide, Shop Vac, Hitachi Power Tools and Sta Green are some of the vendor partners sponsoring the #5 Team Lowe’s Racing Chevrolet in the 2005 NASCAR Busch Series season. Each will rotate as the primary sponsor of the #57 in four Busch Series events beginning Saturday with Kyle Busch driving the Spectracide Fire Ant Killer Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway. Busch will also pilot the #57 on June 4 at Dover International Speedway and Oct. 14 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The #5 Lowe’s Chevrolet will continue with Blake Feese and Reid sharing a majority of the driving duties in 2005. Reid will drive the #57 when the Busch Series races in his home state of Indiana at Indianapolis Raceway Park in August. Brian Vickers will drive the #57 in four Busch Series races in 2005 with primary sponsorship from Ore-Ida. With the weather getting warmer, race fans will be spending a lot more time outside, working in and enjoying their yards. To help fans avoid the hassle of fire ants, the paint design for the #57 at Texas Motor Speedway will promote new Spectracide(r) Fire Ant Killer Once & Done.(Team Lowe’s Racing PR)(4-13-2005)
IMAGE: see an image of the scheme on my Busch Series Paint Schemes page.(4-14-2005) - New Crew Chief for Hamilin and the #20: Joe Gibbs Racing announced that it has hired Charles “Cully” Barraclough as Crew Chief of the #20 Rockwell Automation Busch Series entry driven by Denny Hamlin. This change is effective immediately. Barraclough comes from Roush Racing where he was Crew Chief of Matt Kennseth’s #17 Roush Racing Busch Series Entry. In 2004, the #17 car started 16 races and scored 3 victories, 8 top-five finishes and 11 top-ten finishes.(Rockwell Automation Racing)(4-13-2005)
- Shutt hired as new #56 crew chief: Hill Motorsports Owner Jack McNelly announced that Tim Shutt has been named the new crew chief for the team’s NASCAR Busch Series #56 Lester Buildings Chevrolet. “We are very fortunate to have Tim join our team,” commented McNelly. “To have an experienced crew chief with Tim’s experience available during the season is a stroke of good luck and fortune for Mac Hill Motorsports.” Shutt brings a wealth of experience to his new position, including three seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing where he served as crew chief for Mike Bliss and the #20 Rockwell Automation car during the 2003 season. That team finished 10th in the season’s final championship point standings and had 14 top-ten finishes. Mac Hill Motorsports has 17 races remaining on their 20 race schedule for the 2005 season. The team is scheduled to test at Talladega Superspeedway on April 20th in preparation for their next race, the Aaron’s 312 on April 30 at Talladega.(Mac Hill Motorsports)(4-13-2005)
- 2005 ‘Gong Show’ on Speed? Roush Racing is negotiating with Speed Channel to turn its Gong Show — the name given to Roush’s tryout competition for a ride in the truck series — into reality TV. The program would appear at the end of May.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(4-13-2005)
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