April 18, 2006
- Sad News – Barbara Cleveland: Services for Barbara Cleveland, 49, of Pahrump, who died April 15 in Pahrump, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Pahrump Winery. Barbara is the wife of former Pahrump Valley Times NASCAR columnist Davve Cleveland [NASCAR Junky]. She was born July 22, 1956 in Queens, N.Y. She moved to Nevada in 1982 and to Pahrump in the early 1990s, with her husband David, who with his wife owned Valley Homes in Pahrump. Barbara was trained in classical ballet and acting, she loved camping, fishing, gardening, and photography, NASCAR and worked for many organizations engaged in the battle against pancreatic and other cancers. She is survived by her husband, David, of Pahrump; father Jerry Padell of Pahrump; Sister Linda of Connecticut; a niece and nephew, Amanda and Glenn Greenberg; and many loving friends.(Pahrump Valley Times)(4-18-2006)
- NASCAR, ESPN International announce venture: ESPN International will become the exclusive worldwide syndication agent for NASCAR outside of North America, officials for both groups announced. Beginning in 2007, ESPN International will handle the worldwide television syndication for NASCAR and will also help find broadcast partners on a country-by-country basis. Therefore, both companies will expand the scope of their operations. ESPN and ABC take over broadcasting of the portion of the NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule currently carried on NBC beginning next season. The group also has the rights to the Busch Series broadcasts as of 2007. “This agreement is an important step in the continued growth of NASCAR beyond the U.S.,” Robbie Weiss, international managing director for NASCAR, said in a news release. “We are excited to partner with ESPN International and their worldwide syndication team to help strengthen NASCAR’s reach and bring NASCAR to audiences all over the world.”(SceneDaily.com)(4-18-2006)
- Different Car Models the answer in Busch Series? NASCAR continues to look for a way to differentiate the Busch Series from the premiere Nextel Cup Series, in answer to critics who suggest Busch has become Cup Lite, with near-identical cars and a plethora of invading Nextel Cup drivers. One possible way: Change the Busch Series cars from sedans to the manufacturers’ “pony” cars—the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Toyota Solara. Sound farfetched? It isn’t. “It’s under discussion with NASCAR,” said John Fernandez, director of Dodge’s racing operation. “It isn’t to what I’d consider the serious stage, but it is under discussion.” Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology, said, “We’ve discussed it. And I’d like to see it. We need to do something about the Busch Series.” Given the production schedule of the Camaro and Challenger, it is unlikely those cars would be able to enter the Busch Series before the 2008 season, with 2009 a more likely scenario. By then Nextel Cup’s Car of Tomorrow redesign should be in place. One scenario would have the Busch pony cars built on modified platforms from the Nextel Cup cars used now, thus helping team owners who say the Car of Tomorrow seriously reduces the value of the old cars. Manufacturers are hoping that if it happens, NASCAR will allow the pony car racers.(AutoNews.com)(4-18-2006)
- #12 to run blue and purple scheme? UPDATE 3 – “MyCircle” and? got images from Penske Racing in Mooresville, NC from a reader in which the nose and smaller parts of the #12 Alltel Dodge of Ryan Newman is painted purple. See my #12 Team Schemes page.(4-6-2006)
UPDATE: hearing this scheme could run at Phoenix on April 22.(4-7-2006)
UPDATE 2: #12-Ryan Newman will make his eighth Phoenix International Raceway start and his 160th in NASCAR’s Cup Series this Saturday. The new paint scheme on the Alltel Dodge this weekend will be hard to miss. The paint [purple] scheme highlights a new feature that Alltel will launch soon. The team plans on showcasing the paint scheme in several upcoming NEXTEL Cup Series races.(Penske Racing PR).
UPDATE 3: have another image of the car, looks like the program will be MyCircle as is noted on the purple hood, see images of the scheme on my #12 Team Schemes page.(4-18-2006) - Special Scheme for #24 at All-Star race and other races: Jeff Gordon’s #24 DuPont car will once again carry the DuPont Performance Alliance colors at the Nextel Cup All-Star Challenge on May 20, 2006. Like last year, the car’s color scheme was designed by renowned NASCAR graphic artist Sam Bass. This special version of the #24 Chevy celebrates DuPont’s all-star collision repair centers and auto body shops throughout the United States. The paint scheme reverses the primary colors of the Fire and Flames design, and the Performance Alliance logo and name will be featured on the hood, side panels and TV panel. Gordon will also be wearing a matching Performance Alliance-themed uniform for the special event. The Performance Alliance logo will appear on the cars decklid or tv panel at Richmond [May]. Dover [June], Loudon [July], Pocono [July], Watkins Glen, LMS [Oct], Martinsville and Texas. See images of the three schemes on my #24 Team Schemes page.(4-18-2006)
- Sylvania scheme on #07 at Phoenix: Clint Bowyer’s #07 Richard Childress Racing Chevy will sport an orange and white Sylvania paint scheme this weekend at Phoenix. Headquartered in Danvers, Mass., OSRAM SYLVANIA is the North American lighting operation of OSRAM GmbH. Together they are the second-largest lighting and materials enterprise in the world, serving customers in more than 140 countries. Bowyer’s standard primary sponsor, Jack Daniel’s, is featured on the car’s lower-rear quarter panel and on the trunk lid this week.(RCR PR), no image yet, but Bowyer ran a Sylvania scheme on RCR’s #33 Chevy last year in this race.(4-18-2006)
- Graves Steps Down as Ganassi Team Manager: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced today that Andy Graves has resigned his position as team manager and will be reassigned to a different position within the company. “Andy Graves has been a passionate and valued member of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates for the past seven years,” said Team Owner Chip Ganassi. “I have an extremely high regard for him both professionally and personally and look forward to his continued contributions here at Chip Ganassi Racing.”
“It has been a privilege to work with Chip, Felix and the whole team over the last seven seasons,” said Graves. “These years with the team have been a part of my life that I will never forget and for that I am truly grateful. I am now just looking forward to the next chapter of my career here at Chip Ganassi Racing.” Graves was in his sixth season as team manager for CGRFS. He joined CGRFS in 2000 as one of its first employees and was promptly named team manager for the Indianapolis 500 team that would go on to capture the 2000 Indianapolis 500 crown. Graves was also instrumental in the transition from SABCO to CGRFS. On an interim basis the duties of team manager will be absorbed by the current management staff that is in place.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)(4-18-2006) - Portenga to attempt Phoneix: former Truck Series driver Steve Potenga will attempt to make the Subwy Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway in the #52 Ware Racing Dodge.(4-18-2006)
- Foyt out at Braun-Akins:: Ryan Moore will drive Braun Racing’s #38 Chevy in this weekend’s Busch Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, according to the team’s Web site. Moore replaces A.J. Foyt IV, who had his full-time schedule cut back before being let go by the team April 17. Foyt is under contract to Evernham Motorsports, which is affiliated with Dodge. Braun and Akins Motorsports, which fielded Dodges for Foyt, completed their merger with the #38’s team’s move to Chevy, leaving Foyt out of a ride because of the conflict with Dodge.(NASCAR Scene)(4-18-2006)
- Greenlight Racing drivers announced for Gateway: Greenlight Racing has announced its drivers scheduled to run at Gateway International Raceway on April 29th.. In the #07 will be Justin Martz (who drove the #63 Ford at Martinsville) and in the #08 will be Boris Jurkovic. Sponsorship has yet to be announced.(greenlightracing.com)(4-18-2006)
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