April 16, 2008
- Water closes Kentucky Speedway: Soggy conditions below ground, however, left Kentucky Speedway track workers dealing with water seeping onto portions of the 1.5-mile track that led to the cancellation Tuesday of a scheduled ARCA RE/MAX Series test session. Track officials reacted swiftly and announced that the track will be closed to any on-track testing for at least the next two weeks. “We want to make sure it’s safe for the race car drivers and the teams,” Kentucky Speedway spokesman Tim Bray said. “We’re taking a proactive approach to it. We have everybody’s interests in mind. The track is fine. There’s just been so much water that we just need to make sure that what’s under the track is dried out.” The snow and rain that have flooded parts of the region since February is being blamed. Track workers spent several hours Tuesday trying to dry the surface and concentrated their efforts on problem spots in Turns 3 and 4. Thirteen ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers were at the track Tuesday. The speedway will open its 2008 season with the ARCA RE/MAX Series May 10. “The test session will not be rescheduled, based on our schedule, what we’re looking at ahead here,” ARCA RE/MAX Series spokesman Don Radebaugh said. The temporary shutdown comes as nine Sprint Cup teams were scheduled to spend today [Wednesday] testing their cars at the speedway. Joe Gibbs Racing, Penske Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Gillett Evernham Motorsports, which tried to test last week at the track but could not because of the seepage, were among those scheduled. “We’re monitoring it and want to make sure we’re ready when the bell rings,” Bray said. “Today was just unfortunate. It’s not a huge deal because we’re aware of it, and we are taking every step to make sure it’s ready to go when we go racing.”(Cincinnati Enquirer)(4-16-2008)
- Schrader to the #70 at Talladega? hearing Ken Schrader may drive the #70 Haas CNC Racing Chevy at Talladega. #49 BAM Racing is skipping Talladega and moving to a part-time schedule.(4-15-2008)
UPDATE: Haas CNC Racing is pleased to announce that Ken Schrader will drive the #70 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevy during the upcoming race weekend at Talladega. “I’m definitely very excited about the opportunity to drive for Haas CNC Racing,” Schrader said. “It is a younger team that is going through the growing process but yet has all of the elements in place. The team has an outstanding relationship with Hendrick Motorsports, and we know they have a proven engine program,” he added. “We certainly don’t have to second guess the equipment.”(Haas CNC Racing)(4-16-2008) - Joe Gibbs Racing Test at Rockingham: The Joe Gibbs Racing test team spent all day on Wednesday April 16th at the Rockingham Speedway gathering information for all of their Sprint Cup Series race teams. The Joe Gibbs Racing Test team used JGR developmental driver Joey Logano throughout the comprehensive test day.(Rockingham Speedway PR)(4-16-2008)
- Stanton Barrett Hires His Dad to Drive at Mexico: In an apparently unprecedented move, Stanton Barrett has hired his 65-year-old father, Stan Barrett, to drive the SBM Motorsports #31 in this weekend’s Nationwide Series event in Mexico City. Stan Barrett, a former driver and Hollywood stuntman, will attempt to make the field for Sunday’s Corono Mexico 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. The first man to break the speed of sound on the ground in 1979, will pilot the Stanton Barrett Motorsports #31 Chevy while his son, Stanton, will drive the team’s #30 entry.(SceneDaily.com), Stan Barrett has made 19 Cup starts with 2 top 10 finishes, his best being a 9th at Talladega in 1981, this will be Barrett’s Nationwide Series debut.(4-16-2008)
- The King’s Hat Makes Visit to Troops in Iraq: With 200 wins and seven championship in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, “The King” Richard Petty is firmly woven into the fabric of Americana as a true icon. While those numbers place him at the top of his profession, “The King” is dually noted for his generous giving of time and energy in support of others. As a member of the Dodge Motorsports family, Petty routinely takes part in Dodge’s satellite conference calls over the Freedom Calls Satellite network. The video conference calls connect men and women on the front lines of Iraq with their favorite Dodge NASCAR drivers before certain races. While at the Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in March, Petty was involved in one such call with a group of United States Army engineers from the Coalition Network Operations and Security Center (CNOSC). When the group commented on Petty’s signature cowboy hat, he made sure that the group had one of their own. “Our soldiers sacrifice so much to allow us to live in a free country,” said Petty. “When they asked me to send them one of my Charley One Horse hats I thought that was the least I could do. It meant the world to me that one of my hats could provide them with a little relief from what they deal with on a daily basis.”
Petty is also heavily involved with the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA). The PVA works to maximize the quality of life for its members and all people with spinal cord injury and dysfunction (SCI/D) as a leading advocate for health care, SCI/D research and education, veterans’ benefits and rights, accessibility and the removal of architectural barriers, sports programs, and disability rights. “Race car drivers are often called heroes, but the men and women of our military are the real heroes,” continued Petty. “Not only do they need our support when overseas, but also when they return to their lives back home.”(MCG Sports/Petty Enterprises)(4-16-2008) - Special Tribute For NASCAR’s 60th Anniversary Honors Champions Past and Present: The past and present of NASCAR will converge on stage during the International Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on April 24. Standing side-by-side will be Raymond Parks, owner of the car driven by Robert “Red” Byron to the first NASCAR championship in 1949, and Jimmie Johnson, the driver who won the most recent NASCAR Cup title in 2007. Both Parks and Johnson will have their championship trophies with them during the presentation. The moment will be the highlight of a special tribute honoring the 60th anniversary of NASCAR’s formation. After a short video tribute, all of the past champions who are members of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame – both drivers and car owners – will be recognized. Those who will be present for the ceremony include NASCAR legends Ned Jarrett, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Junior Johnson, Ray Fox, Red Farmer and Everett “Cotton” Owens, who is also being inducted into the IMHoF that night as a member of the Class of 2008. Past Inductees that will also be in attendance include Carroll Shelby, Johnny Rutherford and Mel Kenyon. Parks was an active car owner from 1938 to 1955 and one of the most successful owners during the early days of NASCAR. Parks’ teams won all five beach races held at Daytona Beach, Fla., in 1945 and 1946, as well as the first NASCAR-sanctioned race in 1948. A native of Georgia, Parks teamed up with a number of stock-car racing’s driving pioneers, including Lloyd Seay, Roy Hall, Bob Flock, Fonty Flock, Ed Samples, Jack Smith, and Gober Sosebee. But it was Parks’ relationship with Byron that proved to be the most successful. In 1949, Byron competed in six of the eight official NASCAR races held that year, winning two and finishing in the top-five in two others. He won $5,800, earned 842½ points and went into the record books as the first NASCAR champion, beating out eventual three-time champ Lee Petty. Ironically, Byron is one of the six people being inducted into the IMHoF this year. He and Owens are joined in the Class of 2008 by land speed record breaker Art Arfons, drag racing guru Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, car fabricator Frank Kurtis and Winston promoter Ralph Seagraves. Opened in April of 1983, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to the preservation of the history of motorsports. Each year, the annual International Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is held on the grounds of the museum to honor those men and women chosen for induction from among the greatest names in all of motorsports. The 2008 ceremony will be held April 24, at the SPEED Channel Dome, adjacent to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Individual tickets for the evening are $125 and a table of eight may be reserved for $1,000. Tickets and tables are available by calling 1-256-362-5002. For more information on tickets for the upcoming Aaron’s Dream Weekend, guests should call the Talladega Superspeedway Ticket Office at 1-877-Go2-DEGA, (1-877-462-3342) or visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.(TSS)(4-16-2008)
- Penske hires Stremme as test driver; Hornish rumors? UPDATE: In an effort to enhance its NASCAR Sprint Cup testing program, Penske Racing announced that David Stremme has joined the team as a test driver, effective immediately. In this role, Stremme will participate in Penske Racing’s comprehensive testing program in an effort to accelerate the understanding of the new Sprint Cup Series Dodge Charger that made its full-season debut in 2008. “It’s a rare opportunity to have someone of David’s caliber to work with Kurt, Ryan and Sam to help us improve our NASCAR Sprint Cup program,” said Tim Cindric, president, Penske Performance, Inc. “David raced the new car and understands what it takes to compete at the highest levels.” Stremme, 30, grew up in a racing family in South Bend, Indiana. After competing successfully in local and regional events throughout the Midwest, he moved to national NASCAR competition in 2003. Stremme has made 74 starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series since 2005. In 2008, Stremme has made seven starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, posting two top-five and three top-ten finishes. “It’s an honor to be working with an organization with as much history and heritage as Penske Racing,” said Stremme. “I look forward to a lot of productive testing so I can assist their NASCAR teams to run up front, make the Chase and hopefully win many Championships in the future.” Stremme will continue his role as a driver for Rusty Wallace, Inc. where he will be running the majority of the NASCAR Nationwide Series races during the 2008 season.(Penske Racing)
AND: And there have been hints that Penske’s newest driver, Indy star #77-Sam Hornish Jr. may not be having all that much fun on the NASCAR tour. Hornish is 33rd in the standings and has yet to have a really decent run. Speculation is that if Hornish decides to return to Indy-car racing, then Penske would have Stremme standing by to fill the ride.(Winston Salem Journal)
AND MORE: Sam Hornish Jr. back to the IRL? That was the wild story floating amongst the media at Phoenix last weekend. And the announcement that Penske Racing had hired David Stremme as a test driver only added fuel to the fire. Listen up, conspiracy theorists. Here’s the real deal: Hornish is doing just fine in NASCAR. As a rookie, he’s been able to keep his car in the top 35, keep his nose clean and gain the respect of his fellow drivers. NASCAR is where both he and boss Roger Penske want him to be. Back in February, Hornish told me [Yahoo’s Bob Margolis] that if he could get back behind the wheel of an Indy car it would only be for the Indy 500 – the race – as far as both himself and team owner Penske are concerned.(more at Yahoo Sports)(4-16-2008)
UPDATE: David Stremme told Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius SpeedwayTuesday that he has not discussed anything but testing with Penske Racing. Asked about rumors of Sam Hornish, Jr., returning to the Indy 500, Stremme said, “I don’t know anything about that. I think Sam is doing a heck of a job (in the Sprint Cup Car), and nobody has talked to me about filling in for him; at Lowe’s Motor Speedway or anywhere else.”(4-16-2008) - RHR Motorsports Names Associate Sponsors for Richmond: JANDRSUPPLY.com and DCAUTOWRAPS.com will provide major associate sponsorship support of rookie driver Ryan Hackett and RHR Motorsports #76 Ford when it makes its 2008 Nationwide Series season debut at Richmond on Friday night, May 2. JANDRSUPPLY.COM will also be supporting the team throughout the 2008 Nationwide season. RHR Motorsports is still looking to acquire major sponsorship for the remainder of the 2008 season.(RHR Motorsports PR)(4-16-2008)
- Reutimann Testing: Hearing that #99-David Reutimann is testing at Iowa Speedway today.(4-16-2008)
- MC2 Energy Drink Sponsoring MacDonald Motorsports at Mexico: MacDonald Motorsports and driver DJ Kennington announced that MC2 Energy Drink has partnered with the organization as the primary sponsor for the Corona 200 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Beverage Plus, a major producer of 38 quality beverages being sold to consumers through supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide, creates the MC2 Energy Drink.(MacDonald Motosports PR)(4-16-2008)
- Wyler Racing to carry Autism Awareness Month logos in Kansas: With Autism Awareness Month winding down, the Wyler Racing #60 Wyler.com Toyota will carry special Autism Speaks logos during the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 race weekend at Kansas Speedway on April 25 and 26. One of the team members that is affected personally by autism is driver Terry Cook. Cook’s son Cody has recently been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified, or PDD-NOS. “It is very personal for us because of our son Cody,” Cook said. “We are very fortunate because Cody’s diagnosis isn’t as severe as other cases. But when we heard the doctor tell us that he was on the autism spectrum, it was very scary. Like a lot of people in our generation, our only exposure to autism was the movie ” Rain Man. ” But we’ve done a lot of research and educated ourselves. The key thing for us was early intervention. Because of that the doctors and specialists we’ve seen say our son has a much better chance at living a ‘normal’ life. That’s part of the message we want to deliver. If you think there is the slightest issue with your child, please get it checked out. It could be that there’s nothing wrong, but if there is it’s not something that will get better by itself. Early intervention is very important.(Wyler Racing PR)(4-16-2008)
- Hooper named as new crew chief for Key Motorsports: Curtis W. Key has announced that former driver and now Crew Chief Lance Hooper has been hired to assume that position with the Key Motorsports organization. Hooper succeeds veteran Gary Showalter who had held the Crew Chief’s position at Key Motorsports and the team’s #40 Chevy race trucks since May of last season. Hooper had been Crew Chief for the #13 ThorSport Motorsports team before being released just before the Martinsville race late last month. The first race for the Lance Hooper-led #40 Chevrolet will be the NCTS event at the Kansas Speedway on Saturday, April 26.(Key Motorsports PR)(4-16-2008)
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