April 15, 2003
- Tiebreaker Gives Bobby Labonte’s Pit Crew First Place Prize in Martinsville: The crews of #18-Bobby Labonte and #38-Elliott Sadler tied for the top honors in the Virginia 500 among participating teams in the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by Powerade, but Labonte’s squad took the $20,000 prize by virtue of a tiebreaker.. Each car spent 292 seconds on pit road, but Labonte’s Joe Gibbs Racing crew was named the winner by virtue of having a higher finishing position in the race. Labonte finished second, while Sadler was fifth in Robert Yates Racing’s No. 38 Ford. In the race for the year’s $200,000 top prize, Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s #15 team for Michael Waltrip’s Chevrolet leads the #8 squad of teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. by a margin of 325 points to 317.(PR), see full press release and standings on my Pit Crew page.(4-15-2003)
- TRAC announcement UPDATE: TRAC – Team Racing Auto Circuit is expected to make a major announcement today. See more at their site www.traczone.com or my TRAC page.(4-15-2003)
UPDATE: Team Sports Entertainment, Inc. through its wholly owned subsidiary, Team Racing Auto Circuit (TRAC), announced that it has reached a multi-year agreement with ESPN to be the exclusive network for all TRAC races beginning in May of 2004. The two companies have been in negotiations for over a year on the deal, and TRAC National Spokesman and stock car racing legend, Cale Yarborough, stated, “ESPN made stock car racing what it is today. They are the perfect partner for us. I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” The specific schedule is expected to be released in the near future, and the circuit’s inaugural race is expected to be in mid May of 2004 culminating in a season ending championship event in mid August. The thirteen event package will air live on ESPN or ESPN2 primarily on Saturday afternoons and evenings. Plans are for the races to be conducted in a two hour window. In addition, TRAC President and Chief Operating Officer, Terry Hanson, announced that Raycom Sports has been retained to sell and market all of TRAC’s in-house and league-wide sponsorships including the television advertising package. With these new television contracts in hand, Moag & Company, one of the nation’s leading sports and media investment banking firms, will initiate the sale of area team operating rights.(TRAC PR)(4-15-2003) - Testing at Lowe’s UPDATE: Open testing dates have been confirmed for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series and the ARCA RE/MAX Series in preparation for The Winston on May 17, the May 25 Coca-Cola 600 and the other stock car events scheduled next month at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The Cup dates are:
Tuesday, April 29: 5:00 to 10:00pm/et.
Wednesday, April 30: On-Track: 12:00noon to 10:00pm/et.(Lowe’s Motor Speedway PR)(4-14-2003)
UPDATE/CORRECTION: Gate 5A at the front of Lowe’s Motor Speedway will be open free of charge during all of the open testing sessions.(4-15-2003) - Inglebright to attempt Sonoma again: Jim Inglebright, who is currently leading the Winston West points standings, plans to attempt the Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA in June. Inglebright also runs a few part time Truck Series race after running a few years full time in the series. Inglebright started 34th and finished 32nd in last years race.(XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio – Subscription Required)(4-15-2003)
- IRS Seize Hass Records: Internal Revenue Service agents seized financial records from Oxnard-based [Calif] Haas Automation Inc. Thursday morning after the agency obtained a search warrant in federal court, officials said. Gary Tang, spokesman for the IRS criminal division, said the warrants were sealed and he could not disclose what they were searching for, why they were searching for it or how many agents were involved in the search. The agents arrived at Haas around 8 a.m., according to some employees on a break outside the company’s 800,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. Haas General Manager Dennis Dupois said the search warrants were generic in nature and he had no idea what the IRS was looking for. The company remained open for business despite the search. Haas Automation has been in Oxnard for six years and is the 28th-largest employer in the county, with 735 workers, according to the University of California, Santa Barbara Economic Outlook 2003 report. The company’s president is Gene F. Haas, a machinist who developed small motors with Kurt Zierhut. Haas is a maker of computer-controlled machine tools for manufacturers throughout the world. Haas also has been involved with motor sport racing since 1995, forming partnerships with PacWest Racing Group, All American Racers and Hendrick Motorsports. Haas joined the NASCAR Winston Cup series in 2002 as a sponsor and owner with the creation of Haas CNC Racing team and has sponsored drivers Jack Sprague and Ricky Hendrick.(Ventura County Star), no idea how this will effect the #0 NetZero/Hass CNC Racing team.(4-15-2003)
- Roush Drivers Featured on Collectibles Tins: Racing fans nationwide now have the opportunity to collect four limited edition tins designed by motorsports master artist Sam Bass featuring four of Roush Racing’s drivers: Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin and Jeff Burton. Through June, each limited edition tin is free with the purchase of three-packs of Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese Dishes and Velveeta Shells & Cheese. “The tins are truly a collectors item for race fans nationwide,” said Bass. “I’m expecting them to fly off store shelves because they are truly a unique keepsake. I’m betting they won’t last in stores long!” A perfect gift for racing fans or motorsports memorabilia collectors, each of the four tins is a reproduction of a watercolor original that artfully depicts a Roush driver from the 2003 lineup, his number, two views of his car, and signature, as seen through Bass’ unique perspective. Bass’ renditions of Roush Racing drivers, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, and Jeff Burton showcase their determination to the sport, and their own colorful personalities. The competitive spirit they represent is evident in these intricately detailed illustrations. “It’s a great honor to be selected for these limited edition tins that feature me and my Roush Racing teammates,” said Jeff Burton, a Roush driver since 1996. “Known among race fans and drivers as the first officially licensed artist of this sport, Bass’ participation in this program is an incredible opportunity to collect his racing memorabilia.” Furthermore, Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese and Velveeta Shells & Cheese will donate $5,000 to Duke (University) Children’s Hospital in Durham, NC, a cause that Burton and his wife have supported for years. The tin and three-pack, which retail for $4.99 each and can be found on special display or in the Macaroni & Cheese section of your favorite grocery store, make Bass’ hot collectible illustrations available to a wider fan base, a goal shared by both Bass and Kraft. Noted John Kelly of Kraft Foods: “Considering Sam Bass is a recognizable leader in the field of graphic design and that Macaroni and Cheese is everyone’s favorite, who wouldn’t want to collect these one of a kind tins?” For more information on the Sam Bass Collectible tins, visit www.kraftfoods.com or www.sambass.com.(4-15-2003)
- Toyota Stuff – Ganassi and Davis? UPDATE: Things have been pretty quiet on the Toyota front lately, but work on the Japanese company’s new NASCAR Tundra racer is well under way. The two NASCAR teams expected to play a big role in Toyota’s truck venture next season are the ones owned by Chip Ganassi and Bill Davis, although neither is willing to confirm anything. Davis’ suspected Toyota truck operation, according to team sources, is being run at a secret shop that is being called Area 54, a take-off on the U.S. government’s top-secret flight base, Area 51. Where might that shop be? According to sources, it’s probably at Davis’ old Busch shop in Thomasville, NC.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-14-2003)
UPDATE: AutoRacing1.com say to look for Carl Haas, not Ganassi Racing, to lead the Toyota NASCAR effort when it happens. Seems Ganassi may be too linked to the Dodge program right now.(AutoRacing1.com – need subscription to read)(4-15-2003) - Sponsorships Up: Roush needs 4? Pennzoil looking? UPDATE: Car owners working the sponsorship marketplace are starting to put offers on the table, and the next few weeks will likely be filled with rumors of possible driver and team changes, rumors based on some contract negotiating points. Jack Roush needs to lock up sponsors for four of his five teams, and DEI’s sponsorship deal with Pennzoil is up for renewal. The Pennzoil contract may be the hottest one at the moment, and it’s not at all clear if the company will remain with DEI.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-14-2003)
UPDATE: my records show that only the #99 is unknown, the #6 is thru 2005, the #16 and #17 are at least thru 2004 and the #97 us supposedly thru 2006.(4-15-2003) - Tragic News: El Cajon Speedway promoter Steve Brucker, whose family has owned the track for more than 40 years, was fatally shot yesterday on his doorstep, authorities said. Sheriff’s investigators said they had few leads to the gunman and didn’t know a motive for the killing. Brucker, 51, dialed 911 himself about 2:25pm and told a dispatcher that he’d been shot in the chest when he answered a knock on his door. Deputies found him inside the house on Medill Avenue just east of the El Cajon city limits near Interstate 8. Paramedics took him to Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, where he was declared dead about 4:00pm, said sheriff’s Lt. Terry Wisniewski of the homicide unit. Authorities said the shooter was a white man in his 30s, with salt-and-pepper hair, wearing a baseball cap and dark clothes. He was accompanied by a second white man, described only as in his late 20s. They reportedly left in an older-model black Ford Bronco. Brucker leaves a wife and two children, Wisniewski said. Brucker was president of Cajon Plaza, the family owned company that has operated Cajon Speedway next to Gillespie Field airport since 1960. He and his brother, Kevin, ran the business for father Earle Brucker. The speedway started as a course for motorcycles, then auto races were added and the track was paved and expanded to its current 3/8-mile length. The 32-day racing season draws an average race day crowd of 3,000. Rumors that the speedway would soon close down have circulated for years. Steve Brucker was quoted in The San Diego Union-Tribune last year as saying that the family would keep running the track “unless someone shows up with a large pickup filled with money.” Brucker said the family holds a lease option on the land good through 2010, but county officials have said they believe the lease expires in 2005.(San Diego Union-Tribune)(4-15-2003)
- Barrett Sponsors own car with own turn-key marketing company: A sport as corporate-sponsor driven as NASCAR racing no doubt had to come to this point. Car Sponsor, a complete resource for motorsports marketing and promotional solutions, sponsored a car in Saturday’s Pepsi 300 Busch Series race at the 1.5-mile Nashville Superspeedway. The company and car are owned by driver Stanton Barrett, who brought in veteran Jeff Fuller to drive the carsponsor.com Pontiac in the race. Barrett also drives the #60 OdoBan Ford of Jack Roush in the Busch Series. The veteran driver who has worked most of his adult life to move from a lucrative career as a successful stunt artist in Hollywood to the world of NASCAR racing, Barrett has knocked on almost as many corporate doors as laps he has turned on tracks throughout the country. The education in developing those sponsorships can be well utilized by corporations interested in seeing how motorsports marketing works. “With 16 years of professional experience and alliances in auto racing, business and television, we can provide resources to educate, create, advise, produce and develop any marketing-related need,” Barrett said. “Our goal is to provide teams and corporate sponsors with old-fashioned ethics and personal relations, while bringing the cutting edge marketing resources to the table – things like good cross-promotions, co-op marketing, business-to-business opportunities, celebrity endorsements and cost-efficient strategic alliances.” Sponsorship first appeared on the #91 Red Racing Pontiac with Fuller last weekend. It will appear again, Barrett said, though the exact event hasn’t been determined. “A sponsor is a sponsor, and the chance to drive the carsponsor.com Taurus was pretty exciting for me,” said Fuller, who is successfully experienced in the Busch Series following a career as a top driver in NASCAR’s fast Modified series. “First of all, you can’t beat a car owner who has been a driver. He knows what the deal is all about,” Fuller said. “But Stanton knows the ins-and-outs not just of driving but the business and marketing side as well. That sort of experience can mean a lot to a race team.” No sport markets corporate sponsors like auto racing. Large and small corporations nationwide utilize. the sport to not only expose their products to the public, but also as business-to-business venues. Barrett’s experience in television and films, and his contacts with top-name celebrities in acting and music, enable his company to bring more to the table. “It’s turn-key. Everything you need is right here with us,” said Barrett. “A company can start with budgets and a goal, and we can put everything together for them from that standpoint in motorsports. From determining which team to hospitality to cross-promotions to business-to-business opportunities to marketing to public relations to even television commercials, we have everything somebody needs to make it work. The motorsports industry can be complicated, so you can’t go into it alone,” he added. “That’s where we come in. We can make it a tremendously positive experience for a corporate sponsor.”(Williams Company)(4-15-2003)
- NEMCO fined, Crew Chief suspended UPDATE: Joe Nemechek’s Busch Series win at Texas comes with a price. Crew chief Eric Phillips has been fined $5,000 and suspended for two races for an illegal left front spring found in post-race inspection. NEMCO Motorsports, Nememchek’s team, has been fined $25,000.(Fox Sports Totally NASCAR)(3-31-2003)
UPDATE: The National Stock Car Racing Commission heard and considered the appeal of NEMCO Motorsports.. The penalties stemmed from a NASCAR Busch Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on March 29, 2003. In post-race inspection, the #87 car was found to have an unapproved left front spring. Penalties assessed by NASCAR were a $25,000 fine to car owner Andrea Nemechek, and a $5,000 fine and two-race suspension for crew chief Eric Phillips. The appellants did not dispute the fact that the spring failed to conform to the rules, but appealed the severity of the penalties. In hearing the appeal, the Commission considered a number of points.
Mitigating factors justify a greater penalty for this infraction than those issued for the same types of spring infractions in the recent past, particularly with an apparent increase in spring violations in the NASCAR Busch Series during the last two seasons. The Commission feels strongly that NASCAR needs to assess penalties as it deems fit based on a multitude of factors, and balance each penalty to individual circumstances. Continuing instances of the same type of rules violations in a series warrant increased penalties in many cases. However, in reviewing this specific case, the Commission decided that the amounts of the assessed penalties, when compared to other recent penalties issued for spring violations in the NASCAR Busch Series, represented a sizeable increase. It is therefore the unanimous decision of the National Stock Car Racing Commission to reduce the original penalty issued by NASCAR to a $12,500 fine for the car owner and a $2,500 fine and two-race suspension for the crew chief. The Appellant has the right under Section 15 of the Rule Book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Commissioner.(NASCAR PR)(4-15-2003) - Team EJP hires a driver: Eric Jones has been hired to drive the #03 Team EJP Racing Chevy. Jones comes from a strong family who has supported his racing interests since the age of eight when he began Kart racing. Hey has recently run in ARCA. Since that first stock car race, Eric has continued to apply his talents by competing in selected ARCA, Busch, and Truck Series races. The team hopes to secure funding to race the majority of the races this season. Plans are to run the entire schedule in 2004. In 2002, At The Helm Motorsports worked with Team EJP Racing as they ran a limited schedule. This 2003 season, the team took a new approach by naming the At The Helm Motorsports Marketing and Design Team as the exclusive company to head up the sponsor search and promotions for Team EJP Racing and all potential sponsors. The team expects to soon announce the signing of our major sponsor. The father/son combination of Peter and Steve Prescott continue the racing tradition through their ownership of the Truck Series’ Team EJP Racing, the #03 Chevy. After driving a limited schedule in the 2000 season, Steve stepped down as the driver. He remains active in running the race team and, at the track, serves as the team spotter.(Team EJP Racing PR)(4-15-2003)
- Scott Racing announces schedule: Scott Racing and NASCAR driver, Jarod Robie, will compete in their first ever NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Richmond International Raceway. Plans are to also run at South Boston Speedway Martinsville and possibly Homestead-Miami.(Scott Racing site)(4-15-2003)
- Team Chick to debut in June: #11-Team Chick and Arron Daniel will be making their 2003 debut at Texas in June. The plan is to run eight races, depending on sponsorship.(Team Chick Motorsports)(4-15-2003)
- NASCAR Fines Two Crew Chiefs: NASCAR officials announced two Truck Series crew chiefs have been fined, due to rule infractions last week at Martinsville Speedway prior to the Advance Auto Parts 250. David F. Bridgeman, crew chief of the #27 Chevy, has been fined $2,500 under Section 12-4-A in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rule book (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and Section 12-4-W (improperly attached weight). The infraction occurred during the event™s first practice session.
Lonnie L. Troxell, crew chief of the #93 Chevy, has been fined $2,500 under Section 12-4-A in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rule book (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and Section 12-4-W (improperly attached weight). The infraction occurred during qualifying. In both instances, the improperly attached weight fell off the trucks while they were on the race track.(NASCAR PR)(4-15-2003)
Main Page | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997