April 19, 2006
- Sad News – Chuck Warren: Chuck Warren died on Monday April 17 after a valiant fight against cancer at the age of 78. He left behind a son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter and countless friends from the racing community. Although Warren is not a household name among today’s racing fans, he was well known and well respected by the NASCAR community in his day. Warren got his start in auto racing working as a crew member for a local Ashtabula, Ohio short track racer in the late 1940s. He moved to Florida in the early 1950s and took a job as body shop foreman for Stephens Pontiac in Daytona Beach, a new-car dealership known for its sponsorship of race cars. While in that position, Warren worked with the original factory-backed Pontiac racing team of Ray Nichels with driver Cotton Owens in their 1957 win on the beach at Daytona. It was the first NASCAR victory for Pontiac. Warren formed a working relationship with Daytona’s own Smokey Yunick through the Stephens body shop. He became the paint and body man for the Yunick team, applying the famous black and gold colors to the legendary Pontiacs for several seasons. After leaving the Yunick team and the Stephens dealership, Warren secured a position with the Champion Spark Plug Co., where he served on the team which represented the product on the NASCAR circuit. During the off season, part of Warren’s job was to visit all the race shops and install the electrical wiring in the race cars. He also implemented a plan to provide lunches for race team crew members at the track. Warren later moved to the Prestolite Company where he instituted the first pit crew competition, later adopted by the Unocal Co.(NASCAR Media)(4-19-2006)
- Sad News – King Hodges: King Hodges, the Vice President and General Manager of Langley Speedway passed away. Thurs. [Apr 20] night practice is cancelled due to visitation that will be held in his honor from 6:30 – 8:30 at Amory Funeral Home in Grafton, Va. The track will be closed on Friday for his funeral which will be held at 1:00 pm at Williamsburg Baptist Church, Richmond Road in Williamsburg. Amory Funeral Home in Grafton, Virginia is handling the arrangements. Anyone wishing to send cards, flowers or food may contact the track.(4-19-2006)
- Martin part-time Cup in 2007? UPDATE denies part-time Cup sched rumor: #6-Mark Martin is hedging on his vow to not return to Nextel Cup in any part-time capacity after moving to a full-time Craftsman Truck Series ride next year. He now says if the right opportunity presents itself, he might consider doing Cup races that run in conjunction with truck events.(Tampa Tribune)(4-14-2006)
UPDATE: #6-Mark Martin, who was at Lowe’s Motor Speedway to help promote the upcoming NASCAR All-Star race at the 1.5-mile track, said Tuesday that he has no plans to run a partial Nextel Cup schedule in 2007 and that he’d likely only drive a Cup car if a Roush Racing teammate is injured and unable to drive. “I’ve got to be careful about saying ‘never,’ but there may be a situation where I fill-in or whatever,” said Martin. “I’m just not going to say it couldn’t happen. … There is some wiggle room and I just can’t say ‘never,’ but there’s no plans.”(Speed Channel)(4-19-2006) - Special Stanley Scheme at Talladega: Scott Riggs will run a special Stanley Tools scheme on the #10 Evernham Motorsports Dodge at Talladega Superspeedway on April 30th, Stanley FatMax Xtreme Tools, which is part of the ten race primary sponsorship with Stanley Tools. See an image of the scheme on my #10 Team Schemes page.(4-19-2006)
- 650 for Mikey: #55 NAPA Auto Parts driver Michael Waltrip will make his 650th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) this weekend. Waltrip sits 15th overall in career NASCAR Cup Series starts and is fourth among full-time active NEXTEL Cup Series drivers.(Wasserman Media Group/NAPA PR)(4-19-2006)
- France backing all-star race locale: NASCAR Chairman Brian France offered his strongest endorsement yet for keeping the all-star race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway during a speech Tuesday at the Charlotte Business Journal’s annual Power Breakfast, the Business Journal reports. France, who has flirted with the notion of relocating the Nextel All-Star Challenge in recent years, said reinvigorated corporate and community support for the race has put it on more solid ground. The all-star race has attracted crowds of 120,000 to 140,000 in recent years. This year’s race is May 20. “I think the all-star race has done very, very well here,” France said during the speech in front of more than 1,000 civic and business leaders gathered at the Charlotte Convention Center. “Historically, big events tend not to move around much unless they’re not working well. [Charlotte civic leaders] have started to rally around the [motorsports] industry and the all-star race. Community leaders have sorted [an earlier lack of attention] out.” The NASCAR chairman also said the uncertainty of moving events around on the schedule is a “bad business model” because it discourages track operators from investing in their events and venues. A recent higher profile for the all-star race and related events has made France more bullish on having it in Charlotte: “I hope we’ll be able to keep it here.” Even France’s endorsement included a bit of wiggle room. He reiterated his stance that every race is subject to re-evaluation on a yearly basis. Still, the positive comments on the all-star race in Charlotte represent France’s strongest public backing of keeping it in place. Corporate and political leaders began rallying around the all-star race when NASCAR officials began discussing a possible relocation of the event in 2004. Since then, a local organizing committee has been formed with state and local government agencies contributing money to create ancillary events tied to the race.(SceneDaily.com)(4-19-2006)
- #74 withdraws from Phoenix and skip Talladega: McGlynn Racing announced that Derrike Cope and the #74 Dodge will withdraw from this weekend’s Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Speedway. The team will also skip the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega. During this period, Derrike and the team will be conducting testing for upcoming race events that are important to team sponsors. Having 35 spots guaranteed to the larger teams presents a significant challenge to the smaller, less funded teams. Since the team is not in a position to challenge for the top 35 points position at this time the team feels the best course of action is to skip select races to concentrate more effort on those they do enter. McGlynn Racing and Derrike continue to receive great support from of each of our current sponsors and are always searching for additional sponsors to improve upon equipment and hire personnel to make us even better,” said Ryan McGlynn, General Manager for the team. For more information on McGlynn Racing, visit www.McGlynnRacing.com.(McGlynn Racing PR)
AND hearing that McGlynn Racing/Cope are conducting a private test session with a European driver and sponsor next week at an undisclosed location. The purpose of the test is to audition the driver for a possible second McGlynn car later this season. If the driver is hired by McGlynn Racing, Cope will mentor the driver as he learns the ropes in ARCA and the Busch Series then onto Cup competition late in 2006 and full time Cup Series in 2007. Cope will remain the primary driver of the #74 car. The visiting driver and representatives of the major sponsor will be visiting the team to finalize the proposed partnership. An announcement is expected soon after the testing is complete.(4-19-2006) - Pennzoil to sponsor Kluever at Texas in Nov.: Pennzoil and Roush Racing announced that Pennzoil Platinum will be the primary sponsor for the #06 Ford Fusion entry driven by Todd Kluever in the NEXTEL Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway on November 5. Kluever’s seven-race schedule will consist of Chicagoland, July 9; Michigan, August 20; California, September 3; Kansas, October 1; Lowe’s Motor Speedway, October 14; Texas, November 5 and Phoenix, November 12. The other six races will be sponsored by his current Busch Series primary sponsor, 3M.(Roush Racing PR)(4-19-2006)
- Rookie News and Notes – Pre-Phoenix, Post Texas: Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the April 9 Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Hamlin finished fourth, his best finish in 14 career NEXTEL Cup Series starts. He led the race three times for 41 laps, and took top rookie honors for the third time this season and for the second time in the last three races.
For the first time this season, Hamlin grabbed the lead in the Raybestos Rookie standings. He leads Clint Bowyer by three points (71-68) entering the April 22 Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Martin Truex Jr. finished eighth at Texas, his first top-10 finish of the 2006 season. The Samsung/RadioShack 500 was the first race this season where TWO or more Raybestos Rookies have finished inside the top 10.
The Samsung/RadioShack 500 is the only race this season where THREE or more Raybestos Rookies led at least one lap in the same race: Hamlin, Truex Jr. (once for two laps) and J.J. Yeley (once for two laps). See more Rookie Notes and Standings on my Rookies page.(Raybestos PR)(4-19-2006) - NASCAR Announces Nashville Penalties: NASCAR announced that Joe Shear Jr., crew chief of the #43 Ford driven by Aaron Fike and Chris Wright, crew chief for the #35 Ford of Regan Smith, have each been fined $10,000 and placed on probation until December 31, 2006 following rule violations at Nashville. Shear was found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules: Section 20A-12.8.1A: Roof height too low in post-race inspection) of the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book. Additionally, Fike was penalized 25 NASCAR Busch Series driver championship points and team owner Mike Curb was penalized 25 NASCAR Busch Series owner championship points for violating Sections 12-4-A and 12-4-Q (20A-12.8.1A). Wright was in violation of Sections 12-4-A and 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules: Section 20A-12.3: Shock Absorbers).(NASCAR PR)(4-19-2006)
- Chris Wimmer and Keith Coleman Racing part ways: UPDATE: Chris Wimmer will no longer drive for #23-Keith Coleman Racing and will pursue other opportunities. “I’m sorry this relationship did not work out as I had hoped it would. I’m looking forward to new and better opportunities.”(Wimmer PR)(4-17-2006)
UPDATE: Keith Coleman Racing announced that Tallahassee native Marc Mitchell will take over the driving responsibilities for the #23 KCR Chevy for this weekend’s Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 in Phoenix.(KCR PR)(4-19-2006) - Ravenswood Wine Sponsorsing David Green at Phoenix: Ravenswood Winery announced their sponsorship of the #27 Brewco Motorsports car in the NASCAR Busch Series for 2006. This is Ravenswood Winery’s first NASCAR team sponsorship and they will act as primary sponsor of the #27 Brewco Ford at Phoenix International Raceway in April, Watkins Glen International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway in August. Ravenswood will be an associate sponsor for the Brewco #66 car in the remaining Busch Series races.(Ravenswood PR)(4-19-2006)
- National Pork Board new sponsor for ThorSport Racing: ThorSport Racing has secured the National Pork Board as an associate sponsor for the #13 Chevy driven by Kerry Earnhardt and the #88 Chevy driven by Matt Crafton in the Truck Series. Starting with the May 19 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, the National Pork Board will adorn both Earnhardt and Crafton’s trucks for the remainder of the 2006 season.(thorsport.com)(4-19-2006)
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