April 20, 2010
- Texas Facts and Notes:
• Denny Hamlin won the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. It was Hamlin’s 10th series victory in his 159th start. He joins Jimmie Johnson as only the second multiple-race winner of the season. It was Hamlin’s first win at Texas in his 10th start there.
• Hamlin led once for the final 12 laps.
• With the victory, Hamlin moved from 18th to 11th in the Sprint Cup standings.
• Joe Gibbs Racing posted its 48th career Cup win overall and just its second win at Texas.
• It was Toyota’s first win at Texas. It was the manufacturer’s second victory in eight races this season.
• The top 10 consisted of four Chevrolets, three Toyotas, two Fords and one Dodge.
• Jimmie Johnson (second) has finished first or second in five of the past eight races at Texas. Johnson became the 14th driver in series history to surpass 10,000 laps led. Johnson leads the points by 108 over Matt Kenseth.
• Kyle Busch (third) scored his best finish of 2010.
• Kurt Busch (fourth) scored his third top-5 at Texas and in 2010.
• Kasey Kahne (fifth) broke a streak of three finishes outside the top 15.
• Greg Biffle (10th) has finished in the top 10 in seven of eight races in 2010, most of all drivers.
• Tony Stewart finished 32nd in his 400th career Cup race after winning his first pole in more than four years. Stewart led 74 laps.
• Jeff Gordon (31st) led a race-high 124 laps before being involved in a late-race wreck.
• Jeff Burton (12th) was running at the end of the race for the 500th time in 555 career races.
• There were 29 lead changes, tying the previous record set in 2000.(ESPN.com)(4-20-2010) - Reports: Pennzoil/Shell to leave RCR…to Penske?: Shell/Pennzoil is expected to leave Richard Childress Racing and driver #29-Kevin Harvick at the end of the season and will sponsor a car at Penske Racing – likely for 2004 Sprint Cup champion #2-Kurt Busch – beginning in 2011, according to sources familiar with the situation. An announcement concerning the Shell/Pennzoil sponsorship is expected to come Wednesday. According to sources, the leading candidate for the Pennzoil sponsorship is Busch, whose contract with Penske runs out at the end of this year but team owner Roger Penske has said he planned to pick up the option and just needed to negotiate terms with Busch. Busch’s current sponsor, Miller Lite, could move to #12-Brad Keselowski, whose car does not have sponsor logos but gets support from Verizon, which cannot be on the hood of a Sprint Cup car because of Sprint’s sponsorship of the series. With Shell/Pennzoil as a sponsor, that means that Mobil likely is going away since Mobil and Shell are competitors. Mobil sponsors Penske Cup driver #77-Sam Hornish Jr., a three-time Indy Racing League champion who has competed in Sprint Cup since 2008. Shell/Pennzoil has been with Harvick since 2007, while Busch has been the Miller Lite driver since 2006 [and Miller has been with Penske since 1991]. The departure of Shell/Pennzoil from RCR leaves that organization looking for a sponsor. Harvick’s contract expires at the end of this year. Team and sponsor representatives did not immediately return messages seeking comment (SceneDaily)
AND Richard Childress Racing has been informed that Shell-Pennzoil will not return to the organization in 2011 according to team sources. Sources say the Shell-Pennzoil brand will move to Penske Racing next season for a multi-year deal where it will enjoy a business-to-business relationship with both Penske Automotive Group and Dodge. PAG is the second largest publicly traded retailer in the U.S. and operates 316 retail automotive franchises. Shell-Pennzoil will also have a presence on Penske’s IndyCar Series cars. Kurt Busch is will drive the #22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge in 2011. Busch was set to become a free agent at the end of the season, but this deal ensures he will stay at Penske beyond 2010. As a result, Busch will vacate the #2 Miller Lite Dodge. One scenario mentioned has Brad Keselowski moving into the ride.(FoxSports)(4-20-2010) - Tire testing at Indy, 14 teams to test UPDATE: there is a two-day Goodyear Tire test scheduled at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday & Wednesday, April 20-21, 2010. Teams scheduled to test: #14-Stewart, #48-Johnson, #29-Harvick, #78-Smirh, #42-Montoya (Chevy’s); #17-Kenseth, #9-Kahne, #38-Conway (Ford’s); #12-Keselowski (Dodge); #18-Busch, #13-Papis, #00-Reutimann, #7-Gordon & #82-Speed (Toyota)(4-19/20-2010)
UPDATE: Fourteen NASCAR Sprint Cup teams tested Tuesday, April 20 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, preparing for the 17th annual Brickyard 400. Teams from each Sprint Cup manufacturer were on hand to rubber in the track and test different configurations with Goodyear tires and the new NASCAR-mandated spoiler that will be used during the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 25. The private testing continues on Wednesday, April 21. “It’s a little bit different feel,” Kyle Busch said of the new spoiler and tire combination. “I’m never really good here. This is a place I struggle at. We’re trying to get better and find something that really works for us. Right now, the tires are good.” Despite his self-proclaimed struggles, Busch expects the 2010 Brickyard 400 to feature the same strong competition as past years despite the new spoiler. “To me, it’s not much different than what we had here last year with the wing, so we’re working on just trying to get a better balance for me,” Busch said. Two-time Brickyard 400 winner Tony Stewart also was optimistic about the new spoiler and tire combination. “The spoiler is a little bit of a balance change,” Stewart said. “It’s not going to be a huge deal on the Goodyear side. It’s more for the team side of finding the balance and what they have to do.” And even with so many career starts at IMS and two Brickyard 400 victories, Stewart still loves to race at Indianapolis. “Oh, God, yeah,” Stewart said. “It’s a part of my life.”(IMS Site)(4-20-2010)
UPDATE: The test is scheduled to end Wednesday. There is no charge to attend, but spectators are restricted to the south end of the property near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. Lap times will not be released, Speedway officials said.(Indianapolis Star)(4-20-2010) - New Ford engine to run at Talladega: Ford Racing’s ‘FR9’ engine will take another step toward full implementation this weekend as all cars under the Roush Fenway and Richard Petty Motorsports umbrella will be running the new piece at Talladega Superspeedway. This will mark the first points race in which a majority of Fords in the field will have the ‘FR9’. At Daytona, teams ran it in practice, qualifying and the Gatorade Duels, but only Bill Elliott, Matt Kenseth and Elliott Sadler ran it in the Daytona 500.(Ford Racing)(4-20-2010)
- Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream Date Announced: On Wednesday, June 9, the most celebrated dirt track in all of motorsports will host the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream. Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, will once again be the site of the all-star dirt Late Model race featuring more than 25 world renowned drivers as they battle for dirt supremacy on the half-mile clay oval, all of which will be presented live to the entire nation on HBO Pay-Per-View® with proceeds from the telecast supporting four of the nation’s top children’s hospitals. The sixth annual event will be headlined by the Gillette Young Guns: Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano. All will join Tony Stewart, the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and owner of Eldora Speedway, and many others including fellow Sprint Cup champions Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth. All will pilot 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock cars capable of putting out over 800 horsepower. Ordering information and up-to-the minute racing information is available at either www.PreludeToTheDream.org or www.HBO.com.(True Speed Communication/HBO), see more on my Racing Charities page.(4-20-2010)
- Texas TV Ratings: Monday’s “make-up” NASCAR Sprint Cup Race from Texas averaged a 2.1/7 in the metered markets. That’s flat with the Martinsville Race (2.1/6) which also was a make-up race that aired on a Monday (3/29/2010). Yesterday’s 2.1/7 is a +50% increase over what FOX affiliates typically average in that window in April (1.4/4). Greensboro led all markets with a 6.3/16, followed by Dayton (5.2/14), Birmingham (5.1/12).
See past TV Ratings for the ratings and comparision chart on my 2010 TV Ratings page.(4-20-2010) - Budweiser to MWR? Michael Waltrip Racing’s Ty Norris was entertaining representatives from Budweiser this weekend at Texas. Norris has a history with Budweiser dating back to his Dale Earnhardt Inc. days when Budweiser was sponsoring the #8 Chevy. With Kasey Kahne parting ways wih Richard Petty Motorsports at the end of the season, it’s likely that Budweiser will be entertaining offers.(FoxSports)(4-20-2010)
- Reutimann offered extension: David Reutimann has been offered a contract extension from Michael Waltrip Racing to continue driving the #00 Toyota. Reutimann, who has struggled this season with three engine failures – including Monday at Texas – says he’s been more interested in turning this season around rather than concentrating on the future. “This is my last year,” said Reutimann of his contract. “I haven’t talked to anyone else. The only people I’ve talked to is our own team. I really haven’t put the focus on what’s happening next year like I should because we’ve had a terrible start to the season.”(FoxSports)(4-20-2010)
- #90 to run at Charlotte: Keyed Up Motorsports announced that the #90 Chevy will return to Sprint Cup action in the Coca Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway [May 30th]. Keyed Up Motorsports team owner Raymond Key and crew chief Doug Richert decided to take off a few races to restructure the team and build focus on the remainder of the 2010 Season. The team announced that driver Scott Riggs will be behind the wheel at Charlotte. Keyed Up Motorsports has sponsorship opportunities available at this time.(Keyed Up Motorsports)(4-20-2010)
- Kurt Busch to test at GMP: #2-Kurt Busch, crew chief Steve Addington and crew are expected to be testing again at Gresham Motorsports Park this week (Wednesday, April 21). They are scheduled to be testing their “PRS-709” Miller Lite Dodge Charger. That car debuted at Bristol on March 21 (led most laps and finished third) and will be raced again on May 1 at Richmond.(TRPR)(4-20-2010)
- Stewart takes blame for Texas wreck: #14-Tony Stewart led five times for 74 laps in Monday’s rain-postponed Samsung Mobile 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, but Stewart’s 400th career Sprint Cup start ended badly when he was involved in a late-race multi-car accident that left him with his first DNF (Did Not Finish) of 2010. Stewart, who started from the pole and led the race’s first 15 laps, was in sixth place on lap 312 of the 334-lap race when a caution came out for David Reutimann’s blown engine. When the lead lap cars pitted one lap later, Stewart and crew chief Darian Grubb elected to take only two tires along with the teams of Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle and Kyle Busch. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth elected to take four tires, which put them behind the six drivers who opted only for right-side tires.
The race restarted on lap 317 with Burton leading, Stewart in second and Hamlin in third. Stewart fell back slightly and as he entered turn four, he and four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon, who had restarted eighth, made contact and set off a wild, nine-car accident on the frontstretch. In addition to Stewart and Gordon, the wreck collected Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya, A.J. Allmendinger, Paul Menard and Carl Edwards. The #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy suffered heavy damage all the way around and was unable to continue, forcing Stewart to take his only finish outside the top-30 this season. The two-time Sprint Cup champion was checked and released from the Texas Motor Speedway infield medical center without injury. “I came off of (turn) four there and bounced off of Jeff’s (Gordon) right rear,” Stewart said. “It was just a pendulum and I lost it and got into his right rear, and then I got us to where neither one of us could get away from it. Somebody put me three-wide in (turns) one and two and that got me up to where I got a lot of junk on my tires and that started it. It was my fault. I feel bad about it, about doing something stupid like that. I didn’t plan on getting loose, but it is 100 percent my fault.” Following the accident, Stewart and Gordon spoke to each other after exiting their damaged racecars. “I think he (Gordon) was worried that I was going to be upset about it on his side,” Stewart said. “It wasn’t his fault, obviously. I got a chance to see it in the infield care center, it is definitely my fault. I apologize to all the teams and drivers that got caught up and their fans for it. We had a really good car there and just a shame that it happened.”(SHR)(4-20-2010) - Race and Commercial Breakdown of the 2010 Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, or wonder how often your driver was focused on, here is the breakdown for Monday’s race. Fox was the broadcast team for this event.
Total number of commercials: 118
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 65
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 52
Start time to record race/commercial periods: 12:01 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 4:04 PM
Total minutes: 243
Minutes of race broadcast: 182
Minutes of commercials: 61
Number of missed restarts: 0
Number of ‘mystery cautions’ (debris not shown): 0
‘Digger the Gopher Cam’ Sightings:
Animated Digger shots: 8; Still Digger shots: 0; Total: 8
Number of Digger shots not otherwise identified as such: 18
Total race brdcst time 182 Total comm. brdcst time 61
For more, stats, driver focus see my 2010 Commercials page.(4-20-2010) - See the full transcript of Kasey Kahne and Rick Hendrick discussing Hendrick Motorsports signing Kahne to drive for them in 2011 and/or 2012 on my Kahne – Hendrick transcript page
- Hermie Sadler to drive for RAB at Richmond: Former NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year and current television analyst for SPEED, Hermie Sadler, will race in the “Bubba Burger 250” on Friday, April 30 at Richmond International Raceway. Sadler will pilot RAB Racing’s #09 TNA Wrestling Ford. The event will be Sadler’s first Nationwide Series start since 2004. Sadler, an Emporia, VA native will head back home to a track that he is very familiar with. The 40-year-old veteran has 26 career starts at the .750-mile D-shaped oval in NASCAR’s top-3 touring series including 19 starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Sadler enters next weekend’s event with two top-5, three top-10 and seven top-15 finishes at this historic track. Total Non Stop Action Wrestling (TNA), is the second largest wrestling company in the world that utilizes some of the world¹s best known and up-and-coming wrestlers in the ring today. TNA and Sadler have had a long term relationship and will be the primary sponsor on the #09 Ford at Richmond.(RAB Racing PR)(4-20-2010)
- Talladega Rookie Notes:
• Colin Braun was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. Braun scored a 13th-place finish and collected top rookie honors for the second time this season.
• Brian Scott leads James Buescher by two points (71-69) in the overall Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway.
• Three Raybestos Rookies have scored a top-10 finish this season: Scott, Buescher and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
• Scott Lagasse Jr. was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2009 Aaron’s 312, scoring an eighth-place finish.
• A Raybestos Rookie has scored a top-10 finish in each of the past 10 consecutive Aaron’s 312 races at Talladega
• The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in 18 races at Talladega is second by Steve Park (1997) and Jon Wood (2005). (Raybestos / Camp & Assoc PR)(4-21-2010) - Talladega race officials named: Nashville recording artist Brittini Black will sing the National Anthem for Saturday’s Aaron’s 312. Dr. Bart Owen of Alabama Raceway Ministries and the Talladega Superspeedway Security Services Chaplain, will deliver the invocation prior to the race. Thomas Green, Todd Schroeder and Andrew Coughlan of the Wounded Warrior Project, will deliver the driver’s command as Grand Marshall and Gerard Claseman, winner of the Aaron’s Weekend of Your Dreams sweepstakes will wave the green flag.(Talladega PR)(4-20-2010)
- Special logo on the #52: Donnie Neunberger’s #52 IHOP Chevy will honor the West Virginia miners who lost their lives during the recent mining tragedy. West Virginia International House of Pancake store owner Bob Sharp have been supporting rescue teams by providing them with food during these difficult times.(NASCAR PR)(4-20-2010)
- Choctaw Casino Resort returns to the #01: The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has partnered with JD Motorsports for a primary sponsorship of the #01 Choctaw Casino Resort Chevy in the April 24 Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Talladega Super Speedway. The #01 car, driven by veteran racer Mike Wallace, represented Choctaw this past Monday at Texas Motor Speedway.(J-D Motorsports PR)(4-20-2010)
- PC*Miler returns to Randy Moss Motorsports; first up, Starr at Kansas: Transplant GPS returns to Randy Moss Motorsports as a partner for the 2010 season beginning with the race at Kansas Speedway on May 2. After a highly successful partnership in 2009, the two organizations decided to continue their alliance for a second consecutive year. Transplant GPS, which is known for its PC*MILER Navigator all-in-one GPS for professional drivers, will have their logo featured prominently on the hood of three Randy Moss Motorsports-prepared Toyota Tundras throughout the 2010 season with veteran drivers David Starr and Mike Skinner taking turns behind the wheel. The pilot of the #81 Toyota Tundra, David Starr, will wear the PC*MILER Navigator colors for the race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, May 2. The PC*MILER Navigator will return to the hood of David Starr’s #81 RMM Tundra at O’Reilly Raceway Park on Friday, July 23. Both Starr and the #81 RMM Toyota Tundra team finished in the top-10 at ORP in 2009 and hope to visit victory lane this year. On Sunday, July 11, PC*MILER Navigator will adorn the #5 Toyota Tundra as Mike Skinner fights to defend his title.(Randy Moss Motorsports PR)(4-20-2010)
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