April 14, 2011
- Mike Joy Winner of 2011 McLemore Award: NASCAR on FOX anchor Mike Joy has been named the 2011 winner of the Henry T. McLemore Motorsports Journalism award. The McLemore is the most tenured motorsports journalism award, beginning in 1969 with inaugural winner Bloys Britt, who wrote for the Associated Press for 17 years, beginning in the late 1950s. It is an award voted upon by one’s peers, and today’s voters are past McLemore winners. It will be presented tonight at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame dinner and awards ceremony in Talladega. Joy has spent his entire adult life as a motorsports journalist. Raised in Windsor, Conn., Joy’s career started in 1970, working as the public address announcer at New England short tracks. He rose through the ranks of MRN Radio and chronicled the growth of NASCAR by announcing races on CBS, TNN, ESPN, TBS and now FOX, along with ancillary programming on SPEED. His television career began on pit road, where he defined the position. He moved from pit road to the CBS anchor booth in 1998, where he called Dale Earnhardt’s historic Daytona 500 victory. Joy resides in North Carolina with his wife Gaye and their two children, Scott and Kaitlyn.(TrueSpeed Communications)(4-14-2011)
- Labonte running decal for killed servicemen:When #47-Bobby Labonte finally straps in for the race, his car will have a special decal to commemorate Matthew Ira Lowe, 33, of Plantation, Florida, and Lt. Nathan Hollingsworth Williams, 28, of Oswego, New York, that were killed when their F/A-18F Super Hornet crashed during a training flight in central California in a farm field. Lowe, the pilot, earned the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the National Defense Service Medal during his career. Williams, a naval flight officer who managed the plane’s weapons systems, earned the Air Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment ribbon and Pistol Marksmanship Medal. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families during this difficult time,” Labonte said. “We wanted to do something as a team to commemorate both of them for serving our country. We are running a special decal on the C-post at Talladega.”(JTG Daugherty Racing)(4-14-2011)
- Earnhardt Jr. winless streak at 100: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a perfectly round winless drought: 100 races. That’s a career-long stretch for a driver with a hefty 18 career wins. He owns the statistics that make him a favorite at the 2.66-mile track: five wins, a second-best Driver Rating of 92.7 and laps led in the last 10 races, and in 20 of 22 career starts overall. The last 100 races have not been kind to Earnhardt, but 2011 has a different feel. Earnhardt has finished in the top 10 in two consecutive races, and four of the last six. He is currently sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings, the highest he has been this late in the season since 2008. That season, he won his last race, and made his last Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.(NASCAR)(4-14-2011)
- Fans can get photos on Red Bull cars at Charlotte: There aren’t many people in this world who can race a car at speeds more than 200 miles per hour, but there sure are a lot of people who’d like to. That dream can now become a reality for Red Bull Racing buffs everywhere. Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne are encouraging their fans to e-mail in photos they’d like to see speed around the track with them for the May 29th race in Charlotte, North Carolina. Submitted photos will be incorporated into the paint scheme on the body of both the #83 and #4 Red Bull Racing Toyotas. Fans can get an up close and personal look at the photos on the cars when they’re revealed at Red Bull Racing Fan Day at The EpiCentre in Charlotte on May 27th. Check out www.redbullracingusa.com/shutterspeed for more info.(Red Bull Racing)(4-14-2011)
- Cat Financial scheme for Burton: Cat Financial’s associate sponsorship of RCR’s #31 Chevy kicks into high gear this weekend as Jeff Burton and the #31 team transform their track-type tractor #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet into a primarily yellow, red and black Cat Financial racing machine for the Aaron’s 499. Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation is the financial arm of Caterpillar Inc., a Fortune 500 company, a technology leader and the world’s largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, natural gas and diesel engines, and industrial gas turbines.(RCR)(4-14-2011)
- Drivers to star in A&E’s “The Glades”: On April 11-12, Homestead-Miami Speedway hosted Arts & Entertainment Television Network for filming of its police-drama “The Glades” and the episode will air later this summer. A cast and crew of more than 250 turned Homestead-Miami Speedway into an outdoor TV studio for a taping of “The Glades” second season. Homestead-Miami Speedway played itself as the host of NASCAR’s series-crowning finales during Ford Championship Weekend featuring Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Brian Vickers and Joey Logano. The garage area and the 1.5 mile Homestead-Miami Speedway functioned as a movie set for this summer’s “Moonlighting” episode. A&E Network summarizes its TV hit this way: “THE GLADES” is a one-hour drama featuring actor Matt Passmore who plays “Jim Longworth,” a sly Chicago cop who relocates to a slower-paced small town in Florida where the sun shines, the golf is plentiful, and the crime less ubiquitous, so he thinks. In this episode, when Longworth investigates a NASCAR-related murder, he goes head to head with NASCAR’s top drivers, and takes a few laps around the track.(HMS)(4-14-2011)
- Chassis selections for Talladega:
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion has elected to bring Chassis #1009. This chassis raced in both races at Talladega last season where it finished second and 36th. This chassis also ran in this year’s Daytona 500 where it came home 18th.
#2-Brad Keselowski: The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-634 during Sunday’s Aaron 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. This is a brand-new chassis to the #2 fleet.
#6-David Ragan: Primary: RK-723 Last ran Daytona – finished 14th; Backup: RK-717 Brand new chassis
#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 715 for the 500-mile event at Talladega Superspeedway. This DEWALT Ford Fusion was run previously this season at Daytona International Speedway.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-634: This car debuted during Daytona Speedweeks. It set the 10th fastest time in Daytona 500 qualifying, which slotted it fifth for the Gatorade Duel. In that race, Stewart drove Chassis No. 14-634 to a 12th-place finish, which gave him a 25th-place starting spot for the Daytona 500. While he never led a lap in the season-opening race, Stewart was a top-10 mainstay – that is until the final lap, when he was shuffled out of the draft en route to a 13thplace finish. It has had numerous sessions in the wind tunnel since its return from Daytona, and the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway will mark Chassis No. 14-634’s third career start.
#17-Matt Kenseth: Primary: RK-713 (Last run at Daytona)
#18-Kyle Busch: Chassis No. 292: This chassis will make its second career start in Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega. No. 292 made its debut this past February in the season-opening Daytona 500, where Busch started 10th and finished a solid eighth.
#20-Joey Logano: The #0 Home Depot Team is taking chassis #293 to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for the restrictor-plate race. Logano drove this chassis in the season-opening Daytona 500 where the No. 2 car spun late in the race and clipped the right rear of the No. 20 Camry causing extensive damage. Logano came into the pits for repairs and was able to finish in the 23rd position. The back-up chassis is chassis #212 which Logano drove in the 2010 Daytona 500.
#22-Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led Penske Racing “Double-Deuce” team will be racing their “PRS-640” Shell-Pennzoil/AAA Dodge Charger this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. The “PRS-641” will serve as the backup car for this weekend. Busch has also yet to race this car.
#27-Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 338 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet Impala was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season. Menard recorded the fourth-quickest lap during the Daytona 500 time trials in February and went on to finish ninth in both the Duel 150 qualifying race and Daytona 500.
#29-Kevin Harvick: The #29 Budweiser Chevy team will utilize chassis No. 343 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Harvick led twice for a total of five laps with this car at Daytona International Speedway in February’s Daytona 500 before the #29 Budweiser Chevrolet’s engine expired on lap 22.
#31-Jeff Burton will race Chassis No. 331 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend’s Aaron’s 499. Built new for the 2011 season, this No. 31 racer first competed in the second Duel 150 qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway where Burton drove it to victory. He then raced this Caterpillar Chevrolet in the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 that ended eight laps shy of the halfway mark for the Todd Berrier-led team when the engine suddenly expired, crediting them with a 36th-place finish.
#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot chassis No. 294 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 33 Chevrolet Impala has significant restrictor-plate track success, including a top-five finish (fourth) in the 2010 Daytona 500 and a trip to Victory Lane in last October’s Talladega 500 after starting from the front row.
#39-Ryan Newman: Chassis No. 39-606 makes a return trip to Talladega Superspeedway this spring after making its first start at the 2.66-mile superspeedway last fall. Last October, Newman qualified eighth at Talladega and attempted to make a late-race charge, but finished the afternoon in 23rd. Although it wasn’t the finish the team had hoped for, it marked the first superspeedway finish for the driver and team in more than a year. After taking a trip to Daytona International Speedway in February as the team’s backup car, Chassis No. 39-606 will return to action for the first time in the 2011 season this weekend in Alabama.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: Crew Chief Brian Pattie and team will bring Chassis #1101 to Talladega Superspeedway. This is the same chassis the No. 42 used at Daytona International Speedway during the season-opening Daytona 500 where Montoya finished sixth.
#43-A.J. Allmendinger: The #43 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 722 for this weekend’s event at Talladega Superspeedway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Daytona International Speedway.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: will pilot chassis No. 628 in Sunday’s restrictor-plate event. He crossed the finish line 27th with that chassis at the Daytona 500 in February. Johnson finished fourth in backup chassis No. 618 during February’s Budweiser Shootout.
#99-Carl Edwards: RK-677, Last raced at Budweiser Shootout, Feb. ’11
(from team PR’s/sites if reported)(4-14-2011) - Kentucky Speedway, Coca-Cola announce five-year partnership: Hot sunshine and the hottest-ever Kentucky Speedway action will have race fans working up a thirst during the 2011 season as they cheer on their favorite NASCAR and open-wheel drivers. Thanks to a new five-year partnership with Coca-Cola North America, the Official Soft Drink of NASCAR, Coca-Cola, has become the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage provider to Kentucky Speedway and will refresh its fans’ hard-working thirst each time they visit the 106,000-capacity Speedway Motorsports, Inc.,(SMI) facility in Sparta, Ky. Coca-Cola and Kentucky Speedway will team to create a series of entertainment and promotional programs designed to enhance the fan experience while generating exposure for the venue’s six-event, two-weekend 2011 season. Kentucky Speedway and Coca-Cola will introduce their new partnership to fans by delivering a buy-one, get-one-free ticket offer redeemable for either the July NCWTS or NNS races to those who purchase specially-marked 20-can multipacks of Coca-Cola. Multipacks will be on store shelves in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio as well as in Lexington and Louisville, Ky., beginning June 1, 2011.(Kentucky Speedway)(4-14-2011)
- Kenseth Headlines Green Flag Zone at Richmond: The Green Flag Zone fan hospitality, available on Saturday, April 30, prior to the Crown Royal Presents The Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is $90 per adult and includes an exclusive pre-race pit pass (2:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.), as well as admission to the Green Flag Zone, which offers: Appetizers (2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.), Dinner buffet (3:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.), Six adult beverage tickets for fans 21 and older (with a valid ID), Unlimited sodas and water, Question-and-answer sessions with Matt Kenseth, Rutledge Wood, Miss Sprint Cup, Hermie Sadler, Matthew Hansen and track president Doug Fritz, Live musical entertainment. Kids pricing (12 years of age and younger) is available for $45, which includes all of the above except the adult beverage tickets. Guests must have a ticket to the Saturday, April 30 race to purchase. The Green Flag Zone does not include a race ticket.(RIR)(4-14-2011)
- Howard and #70 team split; Stremme in at Nasvhille: ML Motorsports will be running the #70 Foretravel Chevy at the April 23 event at Nashville Superspeedway with David Stremme driving in place of Shelby Howard, who amicably parted ways with the team earlier this week. Stremme, the 2003 NASCAR Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year, brings plenty of experience to ML Motorsports. Stremme has 133 starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series as well as 119 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts to his credit. In the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Stremme has earned 20 top-five and 49 top-10 finishes. The #70 Chevy also will carry sponsorship from The Franklin Marriott Cool Springs in Nashville which is located 20 minutes south of Nashville and is surrounded by upscale shopping, dining, and history. Foretravel Motorcoach will serve as primary sponsor in the two upcoming events at Nashville Superspeedway and Richmond International Raceway.(ML Motorsports), Dennis Setzer will be in the #70 at Talladega.(4-14-2011)
- Bires to drive 2 races for Gibbs: Joe Gibbs Racing, Inc. announced that Kelly Bires will drive two races for its #18 Nationwide Series team as part of a partnership with International Comfort Products, LLC, a leader in the heating and cooling systems industry, with its brands Arcoaire, Comfortmaker, Day & Night, Heil, Keeprite, and Tempstar brands. Bires will be behind the wheel of JGR’s #18 Toyota on April 29 at Richmond International Raceway and June 4 at Chicagoland Speedway. Bires is in his fifth season driving in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with three top-five and 12 top-ten finishes in 82 career starts. He has made four starts so far in 2011. Bires has five career starts in Richmond with a best finish of 11th in 2009 and has made three career starts in Chicago with a best finish of 12th during the 2008 season. (Joe Gibbs Racing)(4-14-2011)
- Cobb features Cowboy Dan’s Jerky Emporium at Dega: Rick Ware Racing announced that Cowboy Dan’s Jerky Emporium with the Jerky Kids will be featured on the #41 Ford driven by Jennifer Jo Cobb. Their logo will be featured on C-Post for the running of the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway, Saturday night. Cowboy Dan’s Jerky Emporium is a Christian Family owned & operated business. It was started by Dan & Amanda Stephens in 2010.(Rick Ware Racing)(4-14-2011)
- RMM hits “300” Milestone in Nashville: Randy Moss Motorsports will achieve a significant milestone April 22 at Nashville Superspeedway, becoming just the fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series organization to field at least one truck in 300 consecutive races. Known previously as Dollar Motorsports, the team has competed in 15 of the series’ 16 seasons. Its No. 5 Toyota is driven by 2003 champion Travis Kvapil. “I feel very fortunate to be able to reach this milestone in my career as a team owner,” said team founder and co-owner David Dollar. “As a young racer competing on dirt tracks back in Oklahoma, I always heard about Richard Childress and Rick Hendrick, and now here we are competing against their drivers and equipment every week.” Randy Moss, the National Football League wide receiver, became a team principal in mid-2008. “I can sleep every night knowing David really cares about the sport, making it better and educating me; that has made the transition a lot smoother,” said Moss. [RMM timeline and more is posted on the News & Notes section on the Nashville Race page.](NASCAR PR)(4-14-2011)
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