April 16 – Today in Jayski’s NASCAR history

April 16, 2010

• Stewart wins pole at Texas: #14-Tony Stewart won the Coors Pole for the Samsung Mobile 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway with a speed of 191.327mph for his 1st pole of 2010, 1st in 155 races [since Martinsville in Oct 2005] and 11th of his 400 race career. #77-Hornish Jr. will start 2nd followed by #16-Biffle, #48-Johnson, #9-Kahne, #31-Burton, #18-Busch, #33-Bowyer, #88-Earnhardt Jr. and last weeks race winner #39-Newman.The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #87-Nemecehk, #55-Blaney, #13-Papis, #66-McDowell, #09-Bliss, #34-Kvapil, #21-Elliott and #32-SorensonThe go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (3): #26-Stremme, #46-Cook and #36-Sauter.See the starting lineup, qualifying speeds and notes on my Texas Starting Lineup/Qualifying Results page.(4-16-2010)
• Qualifying Fast Facts – Texas:#14-Tony Stewart won the Coors Light Pole Award for the Samsung Mobile 500 with a lap of 28.224 seconds, 191.327 mph.This is his 11th pole in 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. His last pole came 155 races ago in October 2005 at Martinsville Speedway.This is his first pole and fourth top-10 start in 2010.

  This is his first pole in 17 races at Texas Motor Speedway.

  #77-Sam Hornish Jr. (second) posted his third top-10 start of 2010 and his first in five races at Texas Motor Speedway. This is Hornish’s best qualifying effort. He qualified third a week ago at Phoenix International Raceway.

  #16-Greg Biffle (third) posted his sixth top-10 start at Texas Motor Speedway. It is his third in eight races this season.

  #38-Kevin Conway (40th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.(NASCAR Statistics)(4-16-2010)

• Coverage of Qualifying for the Samsung 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway is scheduled for Friday, April 16, 2010 at 4:40pm/et.Television (TV): SPEED 4:30pm/etRadio: Performance Racing Network (PRN) only on NASCAR.comJayski.com: Jayski’s Semi-Live Qualifying Page

  Qualifying Re-Air: 10:30pm/et

• Qualifying Order for the Samsung 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway is posted. 46 cars/drivers are listed. Go-or-go homers will qualify at the end of the session, once the top-35 drivers are done.The first of the top-35 drivers scheduled to go out is #6-Ragan.The final top-35 driver scheduled to go out is #38-Conway.The first go-or-go homer scheduled to qualify [36th] is #66-McDpwell with the final driver scheduled to qualify being #34-Kvapil.

  See the full qualifying order on the Texas Qualifying Page.(4-16-2010)

• Friday’s practice: for the Samsung Mobile 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway is over, after 90 scheduled minutes, some results:#16-Biffle 190.813#14-Stewart 190.201#88-Earnhardt Jr. 189.567

  #33-Bowyer 189.394

  #48-Johnson 189.235

  slowest: #36-Sauter 181.123 and #38-Conway 185.014

  See practice speeds, avberage speeds, laps run on my Texas Practice Speeds page.(4-16-2010)

• Texas practice rank for the non top-35 drivers:if things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:#13-Max Papis, 25th fastest#09-Mike Bliss, 31st

  #87-Joe Nemechek, 32nd

  #21-Bill Elliott [PC], 33rd

  #55-Dave Blaney, 37th

  #32-Reed Sorenson, 38th

  #26-David Stremme, 39th

  #34-Travis Kvapil, 41st

  these drivers would miss the race if the order stayed the same:

  #66-Michael McDowell, 43rd

  #46-Terry Cook, 44th

  #36-Johnny Sauter, 46th/last

  [PC] = [past champion and order, 1 is more recent champ]

• Texas Goodyear Tire Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same combination of left- and right-side tires at Texas this weekend . . . this is the first time teams have run either of these two tire codes . . . compared to the tire set-up NASCAR teams ran at Texas in 2009, this left-side tire features a new construction, mold shape and compound to offer more grip, while this right-side tire features a new construction that brings it in line with what has been run at Las Vegas and Charlotte and a new compound to improve wear . . . this tire combination came out of a Goodyear tire test at Texas this past January 19-20 . . . teams and drivers participating in that test were the No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge with Kurt Busch, No. 14 Stewart Haas Racing Chevrolet with Tony Stewart, No. 16 Roush-Fenway Ford with Greg Biffle and No. 83 Red Bull Racing Toyota with Brian Vickers . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Texas . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire. The estimated pit window is every 50-55 laps, based on fuel mileage. (Goodyear), see tire pressures, codes and more on my Texas Race Info page – Goodyear section.(4-16-2010)
• Texas Rookie Notes: #38-Kevin Conway was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the April 10 Subway Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix, posting a 33rd-place finish. Conway leads #46-Terry Cook by 41 points (66-25) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the April 18 Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Cook led once for one lap at Phoenix, the first lap he has led in two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. He became the first Raybestos Rookie to lead lap since Joey Logano led once for one lap in the 2009 AMP Energy 500 at Talladega. Only once in 18 previous NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Texas has a Raybestos Rookie scored a victory. Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win by 5.920 seconds over Jeff Burton in the 2000 Samsung Mobile 500. A Raybestos Rookie has finished in the top-10 in eight of the past 13 spring races. The best start by a Raybestos Rookie in the spring race at Texas is third by Kasey Kahne in 2004. The most recent Raybestos Rookie to score a top-five finish is Logano, who placed third in the 2009 AMP Energy 500 at Talladega. Denny Hamlin is the only Raybestos Rookie to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup since the program was created in 2004. The way to the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship is to win Raybestos Rookie of the Year. Since 1979, six Raybestos Rookie of the Year drivers have gone on to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup title: Dale Earnhardt (1979), Rusty Wallace (1984), Alan Kulwicki (1986), Jeff Gordon (1993), Tony Stewart (1999, 2005) and Matt Kenseth (2000). See full rookie notes, history and more on my 2010 Rookies page.(4-16-2010)
• Kasey Kahne discusses joining Hendrick: #9-Kasey Kahne met with the media and discussed joining Hendrick Motorsports, his current crew chief, Kenny Francis, and more. the Chevy Racing transcript in part:“It’s been a great week. To be in the position I’m in now and know where I’m gonna be in 2012, to have the opportunity with Rick Hendrick and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, to me, it’s an unbelievable opportunity. I can’t wait to get that started. Now I’m focused again on just making sure that the 9 car, our whole Budweiser Ford team, works well together and communicates well together, do everything we can the rest of this season to perform, enjoy ourselves, win races, and I still feel like we have a shot at the chase. We just need to put a big effort in, but I think we can get back in the points and definitely have a shot at the chase and run strong throughout the rest of the year.”ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT NEXT YEAR OR WAITING FOR HENDRICK TO DEAL WITH IT? “I’ll work through it with Mr. Hendrick and figure out exactly what we need to do in ’11 that makes the most sense. As far as right now, I still don’t know and I’m leaving it up to those guys. They made the commitment to me and Rick said he’ll make sure it’s right, and I took that as I think it’ll be a pretty good opportunity, a pretty good situation I’ll be in next year. In order to know I’ll be in the 5 after that, I was able to take somewhat of a risk and wait a month or two months, whatever it is, to figure out what 2011 will be, but the future will definitely be really good to be a part of that team and part of that organization.”IS IT A CASE WHERE IT WAS JUST TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE? “I feel like we’ve had six-and-a-half years that I’ve spent with those guys and we’ve had a great run. They’ve given me a lot of opportunity and we’ve had some pretty good success. I definitely have a lot of friends there and a lot of people that I really enjoy working with there, and I’m gonna keep doing that through the rest of this year, but sometimes you just need some change and you need something different. I was fortunate enough when I came into this sport that I jumped right in with Ray Evernham. Until this year, I’d never looked at another shop. I’d never been inside another building and I never knew what was out there in any way. To be able to go around to all these other teams over the last few months and learn as much as I did about them, about the owners, about the people at each team, was pretty neat for myself. I feel like there’s definitely some really neat race teams out there and they’re gonna be tough to beat for a long time.”

  HOW MUCH SAY WILL YOU HAVE IN YOUR CREW CHIEF AND HAVE YOU TALKED WITH KENNY FRANCIS ABOUT MAKING THE MOVE WITH YOU? “Kenny Francis, to me, is as good as anybody in the garage. We have a great relationship and we communicate really well. It seems like we figure things out pretty quickly, so I really like working with Kenny. As far as the future and where that all goes, I’m not sure how that will work yet. That’s another one of the things we’re not sure about, but it’ll be good. Kenny is wanted by a lot of teams. He does a great job for Richard Petty Motorsports, and hopefully I’ll work with him for a long time because I really like Kenny Francis.”

  MARK MARTIN SAID HE CAME TO YOU IN SEPTEMBER AND SUGGESTED YOU WOULD BE A GOOD REPLACEMENT FOR HIM IN THE 5 CAR. DID THAT HAVE AN EFFECT ON YOU? “It did. Mark pulled me aside a few times and one time we sat in his bus for at least an hour and talked about things. He’s an unbelievable guy and an unbelievable race car driver, and to be able to sit there and talk to him and learn about something I have no idea about was nice for me. So, yeah, that was a huge part of my decision. I’ve always had that in the back of my head on what I had learned from Mark. Jimmie Johnson has been a big part of it as well. He’s always been a great guy to me and I think he’s helped me whenever I’ve had questions – not even about the whole Hendrick Motorsports thing – I’ve had questions about other things and Jimmie has always been there to help out. So I think between those two guys and then just sitting down with Mr. Hendrick and learning about the place, walking around the place, I was just really impressed and really excited to be a part of it now.”

  WAS YOUR INITIAL STRATEGY TO TAKE BUDWEISER WITH YOU? “I don’t have control of that. That’s not up to me. What I did was I worried about myself, what I needed to do for my future and what I felt was the best idea for myself and what would work good for me. I have a great relationship with Budweiser, the people there, and I think the last couple years have been awesome with them, and, hopefully, we can win some more races this year which would be great. As far as the future goes, I enjoy that brand and I want to be part of that brand, so it’s completely up to them and what they want to do in the future. I haven’t talked to any of them about it.”(Chevy Racing PR)(4-16-2010)

• Mark Martin plans to keep racing…into 2012: #5-Mark Martin met with media and discussed Kasey Kahne signing with HMS, his future involvement in the sport, and more, the Chevy Racing transcript in part:ON KASEY KAHNE SIGNING WITH HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS“I’m excited, man. This is the absolute best scenario. I’m really, really excited. I’m so psyched about it and so relieved that we can go on and work on racing and not worry about Hendrick Motorsports and my team and everything else and what the future is. We know its set. It’s a perfect scenario. Kasey Kahne is a really right fit for this organization.”ARE YOU STILL SET THROUGH 2011? “You know that. I don’t know why you had to ask that.”

  WOULD YOU CONSIDER GETTING OUT OF THE CAR BEFORE 2011? “If I did, I wouldn’t be driving it. So, no; I’m not sure why you don’t understand. It’s not clear to me why you don’t understand. Those guys wanted me to drive it for 2012. It was a little bit stretched to do one full-time season. I gave them three. It’s been the gift of my career that Hendrick Motorsports has given me. One of my biggest concerns has been who is going to be the successor so that I didn’t knock them out of getting the very best A-number-one fit. That’s why I started talking to Kasey Kahne before anybody, in September of last year; because I do have some real good buddies: Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth. But since they wouldn’t talk to me seriously and had to keep making jokes and cutting up, I mean, Kasey Kahne was the guy. And the timing wasn’t exactly right but I wanted to make sure that he considered it because it’s the perfect scenario for Kasey Kahne and it’s the perfect scenario for Hendrick Motorsports. I figure three years is enough. I would appreciate it if no one would right anything about me retiring, because I’m not going to retire. I’m going to race in 2012. And so don’t even talk about it. I’m racing in 2012. There will be an opportunity for me I’m sure, that will be exciting and fun and that I can help people. I feel like I’ve done that. I feel like I did that in the No. 01 at DEI and I feel like I’ve helped the No. 5 team realize that they can win races and contend for a championship. And so I’ll find another opportunity that’s exciting to me and I don’t want to commit to that now. I want to make sure that Hendrick is set and they are set. It’s such an incredibly perfect scenario.”

  WILL YOU BE BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE #5 IN 2011? “I’m going to race in 2012.”

  I’M ASKING YOU IN BLACK AND WHITE, ARE YOU GOING TO BE BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE #5 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET? “Of course.”

  IS YOUR LEGACY THEN, TO LEAVE A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM FOR SOMEONE ELSE; THAT THAT MIGHT BE YOUR LEGACY LOOKING FORWARD? YOU CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHERS THAT YOU LEAVE SOME THAT YOU CAN LOOK BACK AND BE PROUD OF REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS?

  “It was really, really important to me to make sure that Hendrick Motorsports had someone better than me to come in behind me. And I’m more comfortable now than I was a month ago because I didn’t know what that was going to be; although I knew I was going to drive through 2011. I didn’t know how that was going to work out with the timing because my choice for the guy that succeeded me here; the timing wasn’t exactly right. They were going to be open in ’11 and I was going to exit in ’12. So, this has fixed that. I’m happy about that. I’ve had the time of my life and I don’t understand how people want to put a negative spin on this. This is actually the most exciting thing that could ever happen to Kasey Kahne, to Mark Martin, to Hendrick Motorsports, and all of us. This is perfect. I don’t know why everybody is digging for something negative.”

  IN YOUR MIND, WHAT WOULD BE THE IDEAL SITUATION IN 2011 FOR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AND KASEY KAHNE? “That’s up to them. Everything is set for ’12. That’s what I was worried about. Everything is set for ’12. You need to talk to them about ’11; I don’t know.

  YOU SAID YOU TALKED TO KASEY. WERE YOU A PART OF IT? “I initiated it before ever talking to Rick Hendrick because I didn’t want Rick to know that I was as concerned as I was about it. So I talked to Kasey two or three times last year starting back around September and then I didn’t get involved after that. And to be real honest, I didn’t know the last month that it had gotten to this level. So I’m thrilled. It’s so exciting.”(Chevy Racing)(4-16-2010)

• Stewart talks about Kahne, third team: #14-Tony Stewart met with media and discussed Kasey Kahne joining Hendrick Motorsports and other topics, the Chevy Racing transcript in part:WHAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN FOR KASEY KAHNE TO JOIN STEWART-HAAS RACING FOR 2011?: “I think you guys need to talk to Kasey (Kahne) because we don’t know anything about it. I found out on Tuesday or Wednesday I guess, just like you guys all did. You guys know as much if not more than I do right now. The hard part is that I don’t have the answers to everybody’s questions because nobody has talked to me about it. It’s all a lot of speculation right now, but there’s no way I can comment on speculation and make it even make sense. I think the best thing to do is ask Kasey. Obviously, he’s got his deal done so I’m sure he kind of has a better idea of what’s going on than we do at this point.”WOULD YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE ADDING A THIRD TEAM?: “We would definitely, with the right opportunity, the focus is obviously to keep Ryan’s (Newman) car and our car going well right now, but if the right opportunity, the right team and the right sponsor, right driver came along then we would definitely be interested in a third team. We have said that all along.”HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH KASEY KAHNE?: “I think it’s a great opportunity for him. Only Kasey (Kahne) knows what he wants. That’s why you guys really need to talk to him to find out what he’s really thinking about. I think it’s a great opportunity for him. I know what I’ve learned in just a short amount of time being in the Hendrick system and getting to work with Hendrick Motorsports. I’ve always liked him, I was the one that sat with him with Ray Evernham and talked to Ray in the infield at Bristol about him years ago. I think it’s a huge opportunity for him.”(Chevy Racing)(4-16-2010)
• Bill France Sr. special to air Friday: As part of its programming support leading up to live and exclusive coverage of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on May 23 at 12noon/et, SPEED will air a series of specials honoring the first class if inductees. NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., will be featured in the first of the specials, set to premiere TONIGHT (Friday, April 16, 2010) at 9:30pm/et. Specials about the other four inductee’s are scheduled to air:NHOF Inductee Specials* Bill France, Sr. (premieres Friday, 9:30 pm)* Bill France, Jr. (premieres April 23, 8:30 pm)

  * Junior Johnson (premieres April 30, 10 pm)

  * Richard Petty (premieres May 8, 2:30 pm)

  * Dale Earnhardt (premieres May 14, 11 pm)(4-16-2010)

• Cook to support Autism Speeaks at Texas: Terry Cook is anxious to arrive at Texas for this weekend’s Samsung Mobile 500 for at least three reasons: the first is he and the #46 Whitney Motorsports team is coming off their first Sprint Cup race in which they were running at the finish, a race in which Cook led a lap, at Phoenix; secondly is Texas is where Cook has more experience than any other in his Camping World Truck Series career and where he earned his first top-ten finish in 1998; and third he’s excited at the chance to continue to spread the word about Autism awareness by carrying the Autism Speaks logo in front of a large audience. Cook has made 24 career Camping World Truck Series starts at Texas, with seven top-ten finishes (including his first career series top-ten in June, 1998). His best finish is sixth, twice (October, 1999 and October, 2008). Cook again will carry the Autism Speaks logo on the hood and TV panel of the #46 Dodge this weekend hoping to gain exposure during Autism Awareness Month.(Whitney Motorsports)(4-16-2010)
• Sorenson attempting Texas for Braun Racing: In 2010, Reed Sorenson returns to Braun Racing behind the wheel of both their #32 Dollar General Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series entries. He will pilot the Cup Series car for five events [Daytona/dnq, Texas, Chicago, Indy and Charlotte in Oct) and the Nationwide Series car for 23 races, sharing that seat with Brian Vickers The Dollar General team will be required to qualify in on speed for the Samsung Mobile 500. Sunday’s race would mark the first NASCAR Sprint Cup (NSCS) race for Braun Racing sponsor, Dollar General. Dollar General, which also sponsors the team’s #32 entry in the Nationwide Series (NNS), will serve as primary sponsor for the #32 Toyota. Sorenson has made eight NSCS starts at Texas, logging his best finish in April, 2006 when he started and finished 13th. His best start of ninth at the 1.5-mile track was in November, 2008. He also has led for two laps. Braun Racing is supporting sponsor, Dollar General, and its partnership with Autism Speaks to increase the awareness of autism and raise funds for autism research and advocacy by displaying the Autism Speaks logo on each of the four Braun Racing entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series during the month of April. This campaign is extra-special to the Braun Racing family as #32 crew chief Trent Owens’ son was diagnosed with autism last year. Trent Owens on his double duty weekend at Texas: “It will be a busy weekend, for sure, at Texas, but we do have some added advantages over our experience at Daytona. First, Reed will be driving both the Cup and Nationwide cars, so being able to work with one driver will definitely be a plus. Also, we will have a traditional qualifying session on Friday. We can focus on our set up and speed for a solid qualifying lap during the Friday practice and then turn our attention to the race set up for Saturday’s practices.”(Braun Racing)(4-16-2010)
• Fox to offer extended post-race coverage online : Fox will offer extended post-race coverage of NASCAR with an online program beginning this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
  The Overdrive on FoxSports.com will begin immediately after the network ends its broadcast coverage of Sunday’s Sprint Cup race. The program will use Fox’s entire nine-person broadcasting crew and consist of live interviews and analysis that will be streamed to its Web site. “It’s something we should have been doing all along,” Bill Brown, senior producer for Fox Sports. “It’s definitely a can’t lose, especially when you take into account what the audience wants to see. We are trying to take care of an audience that has invested four hours into the race, wants more, and we can give them more.”
  Brown said the idea for an online show had been previously discussed, but network executives realized the immediate need for extended programming following Saturday night’s broadcast at Phoenix International Raceway. Viewers who tuned in for the 3 hours, 48 minutes then received only a brief post-race show of interviews with just the top three finishers. The broadcast ran 50 minutes past its allotted time, and Fox took two commercial breaks after the checkered flag that totaled almost seven minutes. It left no time to follow-up with Denny Hamlin, who received considerable coverage for racing just 10 days after knee surgery. The network also didn’t offer any coverage of Kyle Busch, who lost the race because of a late caution. Fox officials said Busch declined to be interviewed, but viewers were not informed of his unwillingness to speak. Brown said Fox will not set a hard time on how long The Overdrive will run since it will be dictated by storylines. He said all four pit reporters will pursue drivers, crew chiefs and owners for live interviews, mediated by studio hosts Chris Myers and Jeff Hammond. The broadcast booth of Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds will also stay to contribute to the production.(Associated Press)(4-16-2010)
• RCR’s #29 Shell-Pennzoil Team to Honor Fallen Coal Miners: Richard Childress Racing’s #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala will carry a decal for this week’s NASCAR activities at Texas Motor Speedway honoring the 29 coal miners who lost their lives in the April 5 mine explosion in West Virginia. The Upper Big Branch mine explosion in Montcoal, W. Va., was the worst U.S. mining disaster since 1984. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this tragic event,” said Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing. “Coal miners and their families are part of the backbone of American society so all of us at RCR wanted to show our respect for them for their loss.” The decal is affixed on the lower front quarter-panel, in front of the rear tires, of the #29 Chevy. “We have a tremendous fan following in West Virginia, and we were very saddened to hear the news,” said Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet. “For all of those who lost their lives and for their families and friends, we will race in their honor this weekend in Texas.”(RCR)(4-16-2010)
• Hamlin expects to run full race at Texas: from a FedEx Racing PR, #11-Denny Hamlin discusses his surgerically repaired knee and his plans:Will a full race and few more days of rest under your belt – how is your knee feeling?: “It’s feeling much better really. It’s still sore and I have a long way to go but I am definitely making progress. I went from Phoenix to Los Angeles for a commercial shoot but I have been able to keep working on my rehab and I don’t see any reason that I will have trouble with my knee by the time we get to Texas. Unlike Phoenix where we had to use a ton of brake, Texas is much different so I will be in the car and expect to go the full distance just as I did at Phoenix last weekend.”Lots of people are asking why you didn’t take the opportunity to jump out at Phoenix?: “I definitely thought about it, especially when we went down a couple of laps and we knew it would be hard to get them back, but I never want to give up on anything and I wasn’t going to give up on the team on Saturday night. They worked hard to get that car ready for me, they were patient with me and I owe to it to them to give it my best effort. That’s as true when you are running up front as it is when you are struggling. It was actually an easy decision from the seat.”Looking at the season as a whole – and knee injury aside – how are you feeling about 2010 so far?: “Still a long way to go so nothing really to worry about. My knee will only get stronger and the same can be said for our team. We are generally slow starters but we’ve had some awful luck so far this season and that’s hurt us when we had some good runs going. We are still in contention so once we hit stride I think we’ll be fine. This team is committed to working through these issues and getting back to being consistent – something we’ve always been and that’s why we have been in the Chase every year. We know what we have to do to get back to that.”(FedEx Racing)(4-16-2010)
• Clint Bowyer trades in racing helmet for hard hat: Richard Childress Racing (RCR) driver #33-Clint Bowyer traded in his racing helmet for a hard hat on Thursday, when he joined Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and city street repair crews to help fill potholes on a stretch of roadway as part of a community initiative by the driver’s associate sponsor, The Hartford Financial Services Group.
  “The Hartford Pothole Patrol” is a program designed to help create a smoother commute for Dallas-area residents. Clint Bowyer, who is in town to compete in this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS), along with The Hartford executive, Alison Clark, presented the mayor with a The Hartford-branded #33 hard hat to kick off the event in a ceremony at City Hall Plaza. From there, Clint Bowyer and one repair crew traveled to their first stop, where the NASCAR driver received instruction, then with hard hat on and Jackhammer in hand, went to work. Bowyer helped the crew fill the potholes, including putting the finishing touches on the freshly-laid asphalt by utilizing the sealing machine. The Hartford, which donated the funds for materials, labor and time for all of the city’s repair crews for the day, is the primary sponsor of RCR’s #33 Chevy for three races this season, as well as an associate sponsor for all remaining 2010 events.(Catalyst PR), see images of the #33 Hartford schemes on my #33 Team Schemes page.(4-16-2010)
• Wood Brothers and Elliott return to the track: Crew chief David Hyder and the rest of the Wood Brothers’ Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford team head to Texas Motor Speedway this week anxious to take on the challenge of running a Car of Tomorrow on a superspeedway with a spoiler instead of a wing on the back of the car. Even though the Woods and Hyder are running a limited schedule this year, they’ll be in the same situation as full-time teams when it comes to this week’s race. The first two runs with the spoiler came on the half-mile at Martinsville and the mile at Phoenix, meaning that this week’s Samsung Mobile 500 will be the first high-speed test since the spoiler replaced the wing. Hyder and his crew say they’re fully prepared. “We’ve got a brand new car – C-24,” he said. “It’s a sister car to the one we ran in Atlanta and we had good success with it at the end of the 2009 season at Homestead.” Hyder pointed out that after a strong finish at Homestead, the crew reworked that car and carried it to Atlanta only to struggle in the early practices and in qualifying. But they learned a lot and were in better shape after Atlanta’s Happy Hour practice. “We came up with a pretty decent race set-up for Atlanta,” Hyder said. “We took some of those same things and put them in C -24 going to the Charlotte test last month.” The team used three sessions in the wind tunnel to give the #21 Ford Fusion its final tune-up before heading to the track. “We’ve thrown everything we can at it, to take the very best piece we can to Texas,” Hyder said.(Wood Brothers Racing)(4-16-2010)
• Kenseth’s Crew Claims Tissot Pit Road Award in Phoenix: Matt Kenseth’s over-the-wall crew captured the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Saturday’s (April 10) Subway Fresh Fit 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. The quick stops by the #17 crew helped Kenseth attain a sixth-place finish at the one-mile oval. Kenseth’s Crown Royal Black Ford spent the least amount of time on pit road – 289.915 seconds – during the 375-lap race, which was the longest Sprint Cup event in track history. Race winner Ryan Newman’s #39 Tornados Chevrolet was second (295.547) and Mark Martin’s #5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet was third (302.847).The #17 Roush Fenway Racing over-the-wall crew consists of: Justin Nottestad (front-tire changer), Joe Crossen (front-tire carrier), Dave Smith (rear-tire changer), Garrett Reding (rear-tire carrier), Cameron Cobb (jackman), Brad Robison (gasman) and Dave McDonald (catch can). The winning pit crew in each Sprint Cup race will earn $5,000 and a Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph watch. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver. Martin Truex Jr.’s team continues to top the Tissot standings with two wins after seven races. Five teams remain in second place with one win.(Tissot)(4-16-2010)
• New book by Don Miller released “Miller’s Time – A Lifetime at Speed”: A lot of books claim they’ll tell you what it’s really like to be a huge success in auto racing, a valued decision maker, somebody who really makes things happen instead of talking about it. This book is different. Don Miller went from racing on the streets, literally, to being a guy who stood shoulder to shoulder with Roger Penske for over 30 years, building the Penske racing empire. Until now, Miller has never told the story of his astounding life in motorsports. Coastal 181 is proud to publish Miller’s memoir, his detailed, unflinchingly honest accounting of the skill and dedication needed to stay out front in one of the world’s most competitive sports. Miller is a guy who has done pretty much everything one person can accomplish in the business of racing and the world of really fast cars. A Chicago hot rodder, he developed into a professional drag racer, racing official, hard parts distributor, mechanic and fabricator, and the top salesman of performance engines in America. And that was all before he met Roger Penske. As Penske’s top racing executive, Miller became one of the most instrumental figures in modern automobile racing. He discovered a young Rusty Wallace and coached him to superstardom, then co-founded Penske Racing South with Wallace and the Captain. As Penske’s expert on race tires, he recaptured the Midwest’s short tracks for Goodyear. As Penske’s sponsorship liaison, Miller created not just today’s motorsports marketing program, but also the traveling souvenir trailer and show car. As Penske’s personal talent evaluator, he made a career not only for Wallace, but also for Ryan Newman. For more info about the book, see coastal181.com or my Book News page.(4-16-2010)
• Same RCR Car Lifts Smith’s Outlook for Texas: The #78 Furniture Row Chevy that Regan Smith will drive in Texas this weekend will be the same Richard Childress Racing-built car that he drove last week in Phoenix. The Phoenix race was the first time that Furniture Row Racing entered a RCR-built car since the two companies formed a technical and engineering alliance at the beginning of the season. “Texas will be our second straight race with a RCR car,” said Smith. “On paper the Phoenix finish (26th) wasn’t that good, but we sure made some gains after slipping with poor performances in Bristol (36th) and Martinsville (32nd). Having the same RCR car in Texas as we had in Phoenix gives us a good feeling about this weekend. We know Texas is a fast track and we’re fine with that.” Smith, his crew chief, Ryan Coniam, and other members of the Denver, Colo-based team got together for a post-Phoenix debriefing and a pre-Texas game plan. “It was a great meeting as we addressed many issues,” noted Smith. “We felt that we were heading in the right direction, but have plenty of work ahead of us, especially with our qualifying performances. We haven’t been qualifying that well and need to bump up that effort. Where you start has a lot to do on how the race plays out.” After seven races, Smith is 32nd in Sprint Cup driver points.(FRR)(4-16-2010)
• Active Winless streaks: Many drivers [with a logical chance of winning a race] are coming to Fort Worth this weekend in the throes of some very serious winless streaks. One year ago, Jeff Gordon was being choked by a 48-race drought [his current streak is 36 races since he won], the longest of his career. On Saturday night, Newman ended a run of 0-for-77. The active driver who has made the most starts and not won a race is #55-Dave Blaney, who is 0-for-339 and counting. Longest winless Cup streaks:Driver, Winless Streak, Last WinKevin Harvick, 114, Daytona, 2/18/2007Martin Truex Jr. 102, Dover, 6/4/2007

  Juan Pablo Montoya, 99, Sonoma, 6/24/2007

  Clint Bowyer, 69, Richmond, 5/3/2008

  Dale Earnhardt Jr., 64, Michigan, 6/15/2008

  Greg Biffle, 51, Dover, 9/21/2008

  Jeff Burton, 48, Charlotte, 10/11/2008

  Carl Edwards, 43, Homestead, 11/16/2008

  Matt Kenseth, 41, Fontana, 2/22/2009.(ESPN), see a longer list and no win streaks on my All-time winners list page.(4-16-2010)

• Texas Governor Perry, Fort Worth Mayor Moncrief Help Kick Off 2010 TMS Season With A Bang : Texas Governor Rick Perry and Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief issued state and city proclamations, respectively, to Texas Motor Speedway officials Thursday in a public ceremony in Sundance Square to officially kick off the speedway’s 2010 race season and acknowledge its importance as an economic engine both locally and statewide. With the Samsung Mobile 500 NASCAR doubleheader weekend beginning today at Texas Motor Speedway, Governor Perry and Mayor Moncrief honored Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chairman Bruton Smith and speedway president Eddie Gossage for their efforts to make the speedway a viable economic force for the state since it opened in 1997. Mayor Moncrief presented Gossage with the City of Fort Worth proclamation while Smith accepted the state proclamation from Governor Perry as both government officials declared it race week locally and statewide.Smith and Gossage were praised for the economic impact of the NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway, which generate approximately $75 million in economic benefit regionally and are annually the largest-attended, single-day sporting events in the state of Texas. In its 13 years of existence, Texas Motor Speedway has brought to Fort Worth and surrounding areas the economic impact of hosting 46 Super Bowls. Joining the dignitaries were NASCAR drivers and native Texans Bobby Labonte and Colin Braun. Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup Series champion from Corpus Christi, and Braun, the rising Nationwide Series star from Ovalo, drove the dignitaries in style as each got behind the wheel of a NASCAR-themed Molly The Trolley. The trolleys featured oversized rear spoilers that read “Follow Me To The Samsung Mobile 500,” waist-up images of NASCAR superstars Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the windows, window netting decals on the driver’s side windows and some tire rub decals on the side of the vehicles.Labonte and Braun presented the governor and mayor with event-decaled race helmets signed by them and then Gossage let the event finish with a bang. He handed Governor Perry and Mayor Moncrief Turnbull 45 Colt-style revolvers that Sunday’s Samsung Mobile 500 race winner will fire in Victory Lane to celebrate his win in true Texas fashion. Governor Perry and Mayor Moncrief gave the six shooters a solid test run as they emptied out the chamber of blanks by firing them into the air to conclude the ceremony. Thursday’s festivities was just part of the effort by the city of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau to show their appreciation for the race fans that will be visiting for the Samsung Mobile 500 weekend. The city is doing their part to provide a Texas-sized greeting to race fans by featuring “Welcome Race Fans” signage across the Fort Worth area and downtown hotels will provide welcome ribbons and buttons.Labonte enjoys returning to his home state track and this weekend he is being backed by one of the most visible and influential Texans in the state. The Perry re-election campaign committee is sponsoring Labonte’s #71 TRG Motorsports Sprint Cup Series car for the Samsung Mobile 500. Tickets for the Samsung Mobile 500 race week, featuring the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 and Nationwide Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, are available by calling the speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500 or by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS)(4-16-2010)
• Construction Currently Taking Place at Watkins Glen: The sound of engines roaring can be heard throughout Watkins Glen International these days but instead of stock cars, sports cars, or open-wheel cars making the noise, the sources are dump trucks, cement trucks, and bulldozers. Several projects are currently underway at multiple locations making The Soul of American Road Racing a very, very busy place. The new construction includes two new RV dumping stations, expanding the walkway leading from Gate 2 to the East Tunnel, and changes to several turns that were previously announced in January 2010.The decision to add the RV dumping stations and expand the walkway came largely from fan feedback. WGI has long asked its fans to share their thoughts and opinions which has helped guide some of the improvements made throughout the legendary road course over the last several seasons. This year fans will find one of the new RV dumping stations next to the bathrooms just outside the West Tunnel as they head towards Gate 6 and the other in the middle of Gate 7 camping. The new stations are being built by Beaver Dams, NY-based R.L. Callahan Inc. and have already been attached to the sewer system with concrete foundations for each currently being poured. Once the stations are finished they, along with the one located outside the East Tunnel that was completed in 2005, will provide fans with three options for clearing their RV storage tanks before the leave the facility following an event weekend.The road between Gate 2 and the East Tunnel is currently closed because an earth mover is covering newly installed drainage pipes that run the length of it. The gravel and dirt being backfilled over the new drainage will be leveled-off shortly in preparation for adding 10 ft of pavement to increase the width of the road. Prior to the installation of the expanded sidewalk, this area was often very congested during event weekends with the mixture of car and foot traffic. The new 10 ft of space will provide plenty of room for vehicles and fans to use the road safely and easily both entering and exiting the facility.While there is plenty of work being completed on the infield, the majority of the construction is taking place on the track itself and is being handled by Dansville, NY-based Genesee Construction Services Inc. The areas surrounding the Inner Loop, Turn 10, Turn 11, and The Carousel all look more like standard construction sites than turns for a world-renowned road course. The tire barriers that once lined the inside (driver’s right) of the Inner Loop or “bus stop” have already been removed as has all of the gravel that filled the trap between the racing surface and retaining wall. A new concrete wall is being poured to replace the old tire barriers and once it sets then a new SAFER barrier will be hung from it. Fresh asphalt is scheduled to be laid next week to fully pave-over the old gravel trap.

  The construction in The Carousel is moving just as quickly as in the Inner Loop and it looks just as different. The tire barriers and guardrail that were located on driver’s left as they exited The Carousel onto the short straight have been removed. Dirt and gravel have been brought in to level-off the ground to allow a new run-off area to be paved and 400 ft of new curbing has also been added along the edge of the turn. The guardrail will be replaced in the coming weeks but will be located farther from the track and be lined with large trashcans filled with sand much like the ones currently in use at the entrance of pit road.

  The work completed thus far in Turns 10 and 11 is not as extensive as in the Inner Loop or The Carousel but they are still full of activity. Half of the gravel trap in Turn 10 has been removed and the remaining dirt is being packed and leveled to allow for paving to begin next week. The curbing that was already in place has been extended by approximately 350 ft. The tire barriers in Turn 11 have been removed and preparations are being made to pour the foundation for the cement wall that will be used to hang the new SAFER barrier.

  Tickets for the entire 2010 season including the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, August 5-8, and Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen, July 2-4, weekends are on sale now! Fans can take advantage of advanced sale prices and new options by calling the Watkins Glen International ticket office at 866-461-RACE (7223) or logging on to the official website, www.TheGlen.com.(WGI)(4-16-2010)

• Bires out at JR Motorsports; McMurray driving 9 races: UPDATE 4: Arpin in? JR Motorsports will undergo a driver change to its #88 NASCAR Nationwide Series team effective this weekend when the series races at Texas Motor Speedway, general manager and co-owner Kelley Earnhardt announced. The organization has released 25-year-old Kelly Bires from his contractual driving duties of the #88 Chevy. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Jamie McMurray, driver of the #1 Bass Pro Shops/McDonalds Chevry for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, has agreed to a deal that puts him in the #88 JR Motorsports Chevy for nine races. Those races include the six upcoming Nationwide Series events – Texas (April 17), Talladega (April 24), Richmond (April 30), Darlington (May 7), Dover (May 15) and Charlotte (May 30) – plus Chicagoland (July 9), Atlanta (Sept. 4) and the return trip to Charlotte (Oct. 15). Hellmann’s will be the primary sponsor in all but two of those races, and the Suave Men brand will be featured on the #88 at Chicagoland Speedway.(JR Motorsports PR)(4-13-2010)>
  UPDATE: Today on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, hosts Rick Benjamin and Danny ‘Chocolate’ Myers spoke with JR Motorsports owner Kelley Earnhardt about the team’s decision to release driver Kelly Bires from the #88 NASCAR Nationwide Series car.
  Kelley Earnhardt: “We made a driver change this morning with the decision to terminate Kelly and put Jamie McMurray in our car for the next, I believe he’ll be in the next six races and about nine races overall for us. In this business, with the way the sponsorships are going and the way the business is going, sometimes you have to make these tough decisions and it’s no different for us. It’s never something that’s easy to do. Kelly [Bires] is a fantastic guy but the chemistry on the team with our #88 crew, it just wasn’t working out for us and that’s extremely important to have all of the pieces of the puzzle together.”
  Host/Rick Benjamin: “We had speculated and we’re thrilled that you could make a few moments to come on with us here and explain more about how these things are working. It’s very business driven in this sport today. Is it fair to say that the sponsor of the car had a chunk to do with this? I mean, obviously you didn’t win any races with Kelly, you didn’t have any but one top 10 in that six-race run.”
  Kelley Earnhardt: “No, I don’t want to pin this on our sponsors at all. They did not specifically ask for a change. This was a call more from internally here at JR Motorsports with our ownership group and myself and Tony Jr. and Mr. Hendrick and Dale. We are a competitive, good team. Our team, Tony Sr., he’s led our team to a Championship contending team for the last two years. We’ve finished third in the points. We’re a top five running team and that’s what we sell our sponsorship on. So we want to keep ourselves in that position so that we don’t have sponsorships that are in jeopardy. In this case, Hellman’s, they are a great partner with us. They do a lot of their marketing around Dale Jr. with our #88 car. And it’s not necessarily driven by the driver in that car, per say, but it’s important to them to have the performance on the racetrack and have our car up front so, it’s part of it.”
  Host/Chocolate Myers: “The business part of it I understand. You’re in business and you’ve got to protect your business. The other thing you talk about is chemistry. Why are teams successful? Because they’ve got everything going in the right direction. They have that chemistry. When you get to a point where that chemistry is just not working you can’t be successful. You can’t be successful when you don’t have every person on the team pulling in the same direction. Don’t know if that’s what the case was there [but] the results weren’t where you wanted them to be. They weren’t bad but you also said you guys expect to run in the top 5 week in and week out. You were running in the top 20. The results weren’t there. I guess all that played into the decision to go in a different direction?”
  Kelley Earnhardt: “Well, it did. For us it was obvious that we needed a change because of what you just said. The chemistry, the dynamics, our results, they haven’t been where we’ve wanted them. I drive cars – although on a much smaller level in the late model series – when you don’t get along with your crew chief and your team and you don’t feel like your team is behind it, it could be one person – doesn’t even have to be the crew chief in that scenario – that you feel like is pulling against you, you’re constantly questioning yourself, the team’s questioning your abilities and what you’re doing, the team’s questioning themselves, they know that they’re better than that. And you usually have so much stuff going on in your mind that is working against you that you can’t overcome that and I feel like, in this situation, that the chemistry just wasn’t there with everyone on the #88 team and like you said, Chocolate, you can’t work in that direction because it doesn’t come back around.”(Sirius PR)(4-13-2010)
  UPDATE 2: Sources tell Frontstretch that [Steve] Arpin is now the leading candidate to take the seat with the team that was formerly held by Kelly Bires.When asked about the chances of seeing him in a JRM car in the near future, Arpin revealed, “I’ve been working hard with JR Motorsports, actually since before Rockingham last year. We’ve developed a great relationship, and we definitely keep in touch. We’re definitely doing as much as we can to get an opportunity to get me in the seat. Our original plan over the offseason was, working hand in hand with the folks at JRM, to run the #7 car in all the races that Danica wasn’t running. [But] we’re definitely still talking a bunch. There’s nothing set in stone yet, but we’re definitely working on it.”(Frontstretch)(4-14-2010)
  UPDATE 3: Earnhardt Jr. said he hopes Landon Cassill earns more races in his cars and said that ARCA Series driver Steve Arpin could see time in a JRM car as well. He said his goal is to have a young driver establish himself and be in the #88 car at the end of the year going into 2011.(Scene Daily)(4-16-2010)
  UPDATE: ARCA driver Steve Arpin will make his NASCAR debut next weekend at Talladega when he drives the #7 car for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series, JRM co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. told SBNation.com on Friday. Arpin, a 26-year-old Canadian, will also run the Richmond race in JRM’s 7 car the following week. Landon Cassill was originally scheduled to drive the Talladega and Richmond races but will return at Dover.(SB Nation)(4-16-2010)
• Bowyer replacing Townley: UPDATE 5: Clint Blower will replace #21-John West Townley for the rest of the day at Phoenix. Townley wrecked midway through the day’s only practice session.(4-9-2010)
  UPDATE: Jamie Little reported during ESPN2’s qualifying coverage that Townley has been fired from the team and the future of the #21 car is up in the air.(4-9-2010)
  UPDATE 2: Richard Childress Racing is denying that Townley has been released.(4-9-2010)
  UPDATE 3: Despite reports that John Wes Townley was removed from the seat of the #21 Chevy in the Nationwide Series, Richard Childress Racing Vice President of Competition Mike Dillon confirmed on Saturday that the driver is still under the company’s employ. Team officials are scheduled to meet with Townley on Tuesday to discuss his schedule going forward according to Dillon. On Friday, Richard Childress parked Townley after the 20-year-old driver wrecked during practice and placed Clint Bowyer in as a substitute. But damaging equipment has been a reoccurring theme for Townley, who in five starts has only completed one full race – Las Vegas, where he finished 15th. (Fox Sports)(4-11-2010)
  UPDATE 4: Sources tell Frontstretch.com John Wes Townley has NOT been released as driver of Richard Childress Racing’s #21 Chevy in the Nationwide Series. After a hard wreck at Phoenix, Townley was replaced for Friday’s race by Cup driver Clint Bowyer, leading to rampant speculation about his future. ESPN reported that Townley had been fired, a claim adamantly denied by Richard Childress Racing. Instead, the plan is to “put him in timeout,” according to a source, making the 20-year-old sit and stew over an ugly early season start. So far this season, he’s without a top 10 finish while spinning out in four of five races, picking up an underage drinking citation in Las Vegas along the way. So RCR has informed him someone else will drive the car at Texas, evaluating the program before Townley will return to the seat at Talladega the end of the month. There’s no word yet on who that replacement will be, but it’s widely expected to be RCR’s Clint Bowyer or Jeff Burton. Zaxby’s is also expected to continue funding the car for Texas and beyond. Townley’s father is one of the founders of Zaxby’s restaurants, which came over in a package deal with his son to keep Childress’ Nationwide Series team afloat in 2010.(Frontstretch)(4-11-2010)
  UPDATE 5: Interviewed on ESPNs Nationwide Series qualifying, Richard Childress said that Townley is still employed by the team. Clint Bowyer will drive the #21 again next weekend. Beyond that, nothing has been set.(4-16-2010)
• Frank Cicci / Get Green Racing partners with Rentech: UPDATE: At a time when NASCAR is seeking ways to reduce pollutants and unnecessary waste, Frank Cicci a Nationwide Series veteran, has partnered with sponsor, Rentech, for NASCAR’s first environmentally friendly race team.”Rentech is excited to be a part of the first green mission NASCAR team to encourage consumers and businesses to be more environmentally aware in their choices,” stated Rick Penning, Executive Vice President of Technology and Commercial Affairs. “It is an opportunity to reach a broad audience to support the need for developing renewable synthetic fuels that decrease our dependence on foreign supply and are more environmentally friendly.” Rentech is developing the United States’ first renewable synthetic fuels and renewable power facility from green waste in Rialto, California. Cicci has named Todd Bodine to drive the Get Green Car. Cicci’s Nationwide teams have had 752 starts and visited Victory Circle 19-times.(Auto123), no details available on when they might race.(4-14-2010)
  UPDATE: A team official denied that Bodine will be the driver, although the team website still lists Bodine as the driver as of Friday afternoon. Officials with Todd Bodine also said that he intended to run the full Camping World Truck Series season and that no Nationwide races are currently planned.(4-16-2010)
• K’NEX sponsoring the #88 at Dover: K’NEX, America’s building toy company, is partnering with Dover International Speedway and JR Motorsports to celebrate the release of the first NASCAR licensed building sets from K’NEX and to launch the 2010 events at the Monster Mile with the “Guess the Number of Parts” contest. The contest is part of a big weekend for K’NEX, as the brand will appear as primary sponsor on the #88 JR Motorsports Chevy during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Heluva Good! 200 race on May 15.(K’Nex PR)(4-16-2010)
• Choctaw Casino Resort on the #01: Choctaw Casino Resort will be the Primary sponsor of the Mike Wallace #01 J-D Motorsports Chevy for the Texas Nationwide Series event. Choctaw Casino Resort, headquartered in Durant, Oklahoma, jumped at the opportunity promote their resorts with the top ten-ranked Mike Wallace team.(JD Motorsports PR)(4-16-2010)
• Kligerman, #42 team to return at Talladega: Parker Kligerman and Team 42 Racing will be attempting to qualify for the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24. This race will be the fifth of the year that the team will attempt. Talladega was not originally on the team’s schedule for this season, but with the rainout at Daytona in February, the team, unlike many others who lost their primary restrictor plate cars to wrecks, has a pristine car ready to go. There is also the fact that the Aaron’s 312 will be the last restrictor plate race for the current Nationwide Series cars. The Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona on July 2nd will be the first race for the new Nationwide cars that will be used full-time in 2011. As a result, there is the impetus to make use of the available car now, since after Talladega, it will be nearly useless.(Frontstretch)(4-16-2010)
• Benson to return to Berlin Raceway: Berlin Raceway is proud to announce that former NASCAR Champion Johnny Benson, Jr. will compete at the track on Saturday, May 8. Benson will drive the #51 NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for NASCAR star Kyle Busch, in preparation for the June 15 special. The Grand Rapids native driver will again return home to compete in the CRA Super Series sanctioned event, which is presented by Keyser’s Port City Racing. The last time Benson saw racing action at Berlin was when he was severely injured in his own ISMA SuperModified. Benson will be looking to help dial in the setup for 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion Kyle Busch. Busch will return to the driver’s seat of his Camry in an attempt to capture the checkered flag in his second attempt at the track in his template car, in a race named Rowdy’s Revenge [June 15th].(Berlin Raceway PR)(4-16-2010)
• Carmichael Hard Charger Award returns to AMA MX: With the season-opening Rockstar Energy Hangtown Classic just around the corner, MX Sports Pro Racing and Ricky Carmichael announce the return of the Ricky Carmichael Hard Charger Award for 2010. While the Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T.) continues to develop his stock car racing résumé by competing in the NASCAR-sanctioned Camping World Truck Series, his legacy is forever enshrined in motocross history by giving the now prestigious award to the rider who passes the most competitors in a single moto each weekend.(SPEEDtv PR)(4-16-2010)

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