April 21, 2015
- Harvick to be honored at the White House UPDATE: Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick and his #4 Stewart-Haas Racing team will be honored by President Obama at the White House on Tuesday, April 21. The visit will continue the president’s tradition of honoring athletes and sports teams for their efforts to give back to their communities. The event will be held at 2:45pm/et and will be streamed live by the White House website. Harvick most recently visited the White House in 2012 when President Obama welcomed the participants in the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.(4-17-2015)
UPDATE: The #4 Chevy took up residence on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday as Kevin Harvick was honored by President Obama for his 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. Obama welcomed Harvick, his wife DeLana, crew chief Rodney Childers and co-owner/teammate Tony Stewart for an afternoon ceremony under sunny skies and pleasant conditions in Washington. The only one missing – Harvick’s two-year old son Keelan, a fixture at many NASCAR races. “My son stayed home this time,” Harvick said. “We didn’t figure he was quite ready to terrorize the White House yet, with running around and everything he likes to do. Hopefully somewhere down the line, he gets to come back.” Harvick said just being at the White House was an honor but he was most happy for his crew, who got to experience the pomp and ceremony for the first time.(USA Today)(4-21-2015) - Sad News – Steve Byrnes: Mr. Steven Patrick Byrnes, age 56, of Fort Mill, S.C., went to be with the Lord on April 21, 2015.
Surviving are his wife of 22 years, Karen Byrnes; son Bryson, 12, a sixth grader at Charlotte Christian School; parents Jerry and Claire Byrnes of Charlotte; sister Betsy Byrnes of Charlotte; brother Dan Byrnes and wife Tammy of Charlotte; nephews Tyler, 21, and Dylan Byrnes, 17; and niece Samantha Byrnes, 13, of Charlotte.
Steve was born April 14, 1959, in Chicago, and was raised in New Carrollton, Md. He attended Church of Christ at Gold Hill Road, was a 1981 graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in Radio, Television and Film, and played football for one year at James Madison University before transferring to the University of Maryland.
Steve enjoyed a successful and highly respected television broadcasting career for 30 years. He joined the FOX Sports family in 2001, hosting and reporting for multiple NASCAR programs and serving as a pit road reporter for NASCAR on FOX’s broadcast of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races from 2001-2014. Most recently, he was the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports 1 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and was co-host of NASCAR Race Hub for the network.
Prior to joining FOX, Steve also hosted Darrell Waltrip’s Racers on TNN, worked as a pit road reporter for CBS, WTBS and TNN, and hosted a variety of NASCAR programs for The History Channel and TNN, for which he moved to Charlotte in 1985 and remained in the area ever since. His first on-air job was at WCIV-TV in Charleston, S.C., in 1982, after commencing his television career as weekend sports producer at WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., immediately following graduation from college. Steve also called play-by-play for a Carolina Panthers/Minnesota Vikings NFL game on FOX and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races for DirecTV Hot Pass.
Despite all his career accolades, Steve’s greatest accomplishment was his son, Bryson, who is growing into a more Godly, compassionate and respectable young man every day. Steve’s passion was spending every moment possible with Bryson, especially watching him play football and basketball and helping prepare him to play for the Charlotte Christian School football team as a seventh grader in the 2015-’16 school year. The other light of his life was Karen, with whom his relationship extended well beyond that of a spouse. The two were inseparable since meeting in 1988 while she was the public relations representative for Benny Parsons in his last season as a NASCAR driver.
Attending Appalachian State University football games was one of the family’s favorite activities, in addition to cheering for the University of Maryland’s football and basketball teams; the Washington Redskins; the Carolina Panthers; following NASCAR; and watching nephews Tyler and Dylan play baseball. Steve also delighted in gardening, travel with his family, photographing sports, nature and sunsets.
In addition to being a wonderful, loving and Godly husband, father, son and brother, Steve was an excellent friend, colleague and mentor to all who knew and loved him. His indelible impact extended even to the millions of television viewers who watched him every week over the years, as evidenced by the outpouring of public support he received following his cancer diagnosis in August 2013. Steve became a tangible example of strength, courage and fortitude to all who witnessed his battle with cancer and his personal crusade to spend as many days as possible with Karen and Bryson. He was honored to be designated as the keynote speaker at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life on June 7, 2014, in Charlotte, where he shared the inspiring story of his battle with hundreds of cancer survivors, caregivers and families during the Luminaria Ceremony that evening.
A public figure who always made time for others and made strangers feel like longtime and valued friends, Steve took particular solace in his private life with his family. He was always smiling, supportive, selfless and loving. Upon his original diagnosis, Steve quickly found the positive in the situation and put his entire focus into his treatments, simultaneously vowing not to miss a single moment with his son. His motto and daily inspiration became “Be present” in every moment of his family’s lives. Now Steve is present with the Lord, and until we see him again, he is present in our hearts and memories forever.
Steve, we give you back to the Lord with eternal love and great appreciation for His gift of you to us. We love you.
Funeral services are pending.(Fox Sports)
Memorials: In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Steve’s honor to any of the following:
Church of Christ at Gold Hill Road, 1055 Gold Hill Road, Fort Mill, SC 29708Charlotte Christian School, 7301 Sardis Road, Charlotte, NC 28270NASCAR Foundation, One Daytona Blvd., 6th Floor, Daytona Beach, FL 32114Charlotte Christian School – Byrnes Fund
Attn: Barry Giller
7301 Sardis Road, Charlotte, NC 28270(4-21-2015) - NASCAR Statement on Steve Byrnes: “NASCAR extends its condolences to the many friends, FOX Sports colleagues and family of Steve Byrnes. Whether you had the privilege of knowing him or if you watched him on television for the last three decades, Steve’s work ethic and authenticity made him a beloved individual inside and outside the garage. His level of professionalism was matched only by the warmth he showed everyone he met. He battled cancer with tenacity, and was a true inspiration to everyone in the NASCAR family. Simply stated, we’ll miss Steve dearly. Our thoughts are especially with his wife Karen and son Bryson during this difficult time.” – NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian France(NASCAR)(4-21-2015)
- Honor and Remember featured on #33 at Richmond: Circle Sport and team owner Joe Falk announce a special partnership with the national non-profit organization, Honor and Remember, Inc., to promote the national symbol honoring all fallen service members and their families. Alex Kennedy will pilot the #33 Honor and Remember Chevy SS featuring this emblem of remembrance during the April 25th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway. Honor and Remember was founded on Memorial Day 2008 to promote the adoption of a nationally-recognized flag to serve as a constant reminder of the brave men and women in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and to say thank you to the grieving families they left behind. Honor and Remember flags have flown at race tracks across the country and will be visibly prominent during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day Weekend. “We are truly humbled by Circle Sport’s willingness to help us in this noble cause,” states George Lutz, founder of Honor and Remember, whose son George Anthony Lutz II was killed by a sniper’s bullet while on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2005. “Having this message displayed on a NASCAR Sprint Cup car will raise tremendous awareness with millions of patriotic fans who understand the importance of honoring the fallen and supporting the families of these heroes.”(Circle Sport PR), see an image of the car on the #33 team paint schemes page.(4-21-2015)
- NASCAR Embarks on Third Annual Race to Green Effort: To commemorate one of the most innovative and holistic sustainability platforms in the country, NASCAR announced its third annual NASCAR Race to Green initiative. Beginning Monday and culminating with Saturday’s TOYOTA OWNERS 400 at Richmond International Raceway, NASCAR Race to Green will build awareness around the programs the governing body, industry and multiple partners have created to help protect and preserve the environment. This year, NASCAR and the Environmental Protection Agency are inviting fans to measure their environmental impact at NASCAR.com/green and receive tips from Official Partners on how to reduce their carbon footprint. NASCAR drivers will reward select fans who complete the online tool with personalized messages on social media using the campaign’s hashtag #NASCARGreen. During NASCAR Race to Green week the color green will be prominently displayed on race vehicles and at tracks across NASCAR national series, NASCAR Home Tracks and International Series. The NASCAR Green mark will be featured on the A-post of race cars, pit boxes, hauler flags and NASCAR officials’ uniforms. Drivers Austin Dillon and Elliott Sadler will run green-themed paint schemes during the weekend’s national series events. NASCAR Race to Green will also highlight the sustainability efforts of NASCAR Official Partners, who work closely with NASCAR, year-round, to amplify the reach of NASCAR Green.(NASCAR)(4-21-2015)
- Fans select Keselowski’s All-Star scheme: In honor of their 25th year together, Miller Lite and Team Penske let fans decide the paint scheme of Brad Keselowski’s #2 Miller Lite Ford for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in May. With 43 percent of the vote, the winner was “The Original” Miller Lite Blue Deuce, which made its debut with Team Penske on the #2 entry back in 1997 with driver Rusty Wallace. That season, the Blue Deuce went to Victory Lane at Richmond International Raceway. In second place with 37 percent was the “Gold” car. For the 2007 Daytona Shootout and NASCAR All-Star Race, Miller Lite unveiled this special gold color paint scheme to celebrate Miller Lite’s fourth gold award in the American-Style Light lager category at the World Beer Cup. The “Classic Pour” scheme earned the remaining 20 percent. From 2010-2012, there were plenty of trips to Victory Lane to celebrate in different variations of this paint scheme, including a 2010 sweep of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 as well as Miller Lite and Team Penske’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in 2012.(Team Penske), see an image of the car on the #2 team paint schemes page.(4-21-2015)
- Bristol Race and Commercial Breakdown: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday’s race. Began recording at the call to start the engines of the race at 2:20 PM, stopped at the rain delay at 2:43 PM; began recording again at 6:48 PM, then stopped at the waving of the checkered flag at 10:28 PM (all times are EST). Did not keep records for the pre- and post-race coverage, or rain delay coverage. Fox and FS1 were the broadcast team for this event.
Total number of commercials: 89
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 53
Number of traditional commercials (not split-screen): 85
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 52
Number of ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials during race broadcast (split-screen): 4
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 4
Number of times Fox utilized ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials during this broadcast: 1
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast (including company logos ‘floating’ in corners of the screen): 86
Total amount of time these brief promos take during broadcast: app. 4 min. 45 sec.
Start time to record race/commercial periods: 2:20 PM
Stop time for rain delay: 2:43 PM
Restart time to record race/commercial periods: 6:48 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 10:28 PM
Total minutes of complete race broadcast: 243
Minutes of race broadcast: 202
Minutes of traditional commercials (not split-screen): 41
Minutes of ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials (split-screen): 2
Number of missed restarts: 0
Number of ‘mystery cautions’ (debris not shown): 0
Total race brdcst time 202 Total comm. brdcst time 41
See full reports, sponsor links, much more details at CawsnJaws.com.(4-21-2015) - Top 10 Driver Ratings at Richmond International Raceway:
#11-Denny Hamlin 110.7
#4-Kevin Harvick 110.3
#18-Kyle Busch 109.8
#15-Clint Bowyer 99.6
#24-Jeff Gordon 99.3
#14-Tony Stewart 94.0
#31-Ryan Newman 92.5
#2-Brad Keselowski 91.6
#41-Kurt Busch 91.5
#99-Carl Edwards 89.1
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (20 total) among active drivers at Richmond International Raceway. Formula combining the following categories: Win, Finish, Top-15 Finish, Average Running Position while on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Maximum: 150 points per race.<
See an explanation how the Driver Rating is calculated at NASCAR.com.(NASCAR) - VroomBrands joins #97 team at Richmond: Obaika Racing announces VroomBrands, a unique vacation experience provider, delivering exquisite and memorable vacations from the four corners of the earth – to sponsor their Chevrolet #97 NASCAR Xfinity Series starting at Richmond International Raceway. VroomBrands, with a home office in North Carolina, offers the picture-perfect experience to satisfy all travel needs. Their salacious chunks of diverse cultures, sights and tours, cover Africa, Asia, North America, South America and the Middle East. As the first African-owned NASCAR team, Obaika Racing designed the paint scheme with their rich heritage in mind. The noteworthy Zebra print in reference to Safari packages offered by VroomBrands will be a memorable design for the Xfinity Series.(Obaika Racing)(4-21-2015)
- XFINITY Entry List:There are 41 cars on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond International Raceway. A few notes:
Timmy Hill is entered in the #13 again;
Carlos Contreras remains in the #15;
Denny Hamlin will drive the #20 for Joe Gibbs;
Dylan Lupton will be in the #25 for Athenian Motorsports;
Derek White will drive the #40;
Brennan Poole remains in the #42;
Erik Jones moves to the JGR #54;
Brandon Gdovic returns to the #55;
Jimmy Weller is back in the #90.(4-21-2015)
See the complete list on the Richmond entry list page. - Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown to be shown tap-delayed on NBCSN: The Denny Hamlin Foundation announced that the eighth-annual Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown, presented by FedEx, has partnered with NBCSN to present the April 23rd celebrity Late Model charity race held at South Boston Speedway. Thursday’s race is expected to air as a one-hour special in May amid the network’s coverage of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Showdown, which features top NASCAR drivers competing against the best regional Late Model drivers, again serves as a weekday prelude to the weekend NASCAR races at Richmond International Raceway. Proceeds from the 200-lap Showdown go to support the Denny Hamlin Foundation, which has donated $150,000 in grants to help fund the Denny Hamlin Cystic Fibrosis Research Lab at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU and support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-accredited Therapeutics Development Center at VCU. Last month, South Boston Speedway announced two new fan-friendly features for the Showdown, including a post-event fireworks show sponsored by Danville Toyota and Scion and a very limited special suite ticket package available to the first 25 people. The $200 package includes a suite ticket, invitation to the driver’s meeting and the opportunity to attend a celebrity driver meet-and-greet and autograph session. General admission tickets are still available for $25 and children, ages six and under, will be admitted free with a paid adult.(South Boston Speedway)(4-21-2015)
- Toyota to sponsor Kansas Truck race: Kansas Speedway officials announced today that Toyota will sponsor the May 8 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, naming it the Toyota Tundra 250. Since 2004, Toyota has four wins, 25 top-Fives, and 47 top-10 finishes in the Truck Series at Kansas Speedway, including winning the last two Truck Series races. Toyota began racing in NASCAR with its entry into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2004. Since then, Tundras have earned 131 victories along with seven manufacturer’s championships (2006-2010, 2013 and 2014). In addition, Tundra drivers have tallied five driver championships in the series with Matt Crafton most recently making series history by becoming the first back-to-back champion in the Camping World Truck Series.(Kansas Speedway)(4-21-2015)
- Keloorah features 12 concert acts over two NASCAR weekends at Michigan: NASCAR race fans and music festival fans both will have reasons to celebrate this summer at Michigan International Speedway. Keloorah, a music festival experience, will take place on Friday and Saturday of each NASCAR weekend at MIS this summer. Twelve acts, spanning country and alternative rock, along with several EDM Djs will perform at Keloorah. Keloorah kicks off on Friday, June 12, when country music takes center stage with Montgomery Gentry, Drake White and The Big Fire as well as Tim Dugger. Alternative rock rounds out the June weekend on Saturday, June 13, with American Authors, Bear Hands and IAMDYNAMITE. Then, on Friday, Aug. 14, alternative rock kicks off the festival with Kongos, Big Data and Saints of Valory, followed by country music on Sunday, Aug. 15, with Logan Mize, Dylan Scott, Tim Dugger and a special, headlining act to be announced later. Besides the live shows, there will be deejays, a go-kart experience, a video game arcade, an outdoor sports bar, tailgate games, foam parties and paint parties – all within the NASCAR event weekends and on MIS property. Keloorah is behind Turn 3, central to many of MIS’ MISCamping.com campgrounds. A Sunday admission ticket or infield or APEX wristband that allows access to the Sunday Quicken Loans 400 and/or Pure Michigan 400 will gain access to Keloorah on Friday and Saturday of those event weekends.(MIS)(4-21-2015)
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