April 24, 2005
- Johnson wins 1st Qtr Driver of the Year: #48-Jimmie Johnson won the Speed Channel Driver of the Year first quarter, 2005. The voting saw six drivers earning first place ballots, but Johnson had the most with six. With 93 points beat the Indy Racing League’s Dan Wheldon (at 86), and Nextel Cup runner-up Greg Biffle (74). Four-time series champion and four-time Driver of the Year, Jeff Gordon had three first-place votes he earned 49 points. A total of 17 drivers scored points in the first quarter voting, including fifth place Steve Kinser, with one first-place votes in the World of Outlaws series. Sebastien Bourdais, the defending Champ Car World Series champ was sixth. Noteworthy; Kevin Harvick racing in both the Nextel Cup and Busch series won the fan vote, and Carl Edwards who also drove in both series was second. Gordon was third.. More than 32,000 fans clicked their votes on the www.SpeedTV.comwebsite. In its’ 39th year, the Driver of the Year title is unique because it is the only award that encompasses all of the racing series in the United States and fan participation. A panel of 18 leading journalists from across the U.S. and a fan vote on Speedtv.com determine the winner. In quarterly voting, points are awarded on a declining 9,6,4,3,2,1 basis. Johnson will receive a trophy and a Maurice Lacroix wristwatch to be presented on Speed TV. President of the Speed Channel Driver of the Year Foundation is Barry Schmoyer, businessman and sportsman of Sarasota, Florida.(Speed Channel)(4-24-2005)
- Newman’s to visit animial welfare league UPDATE: #12-Ryan Newman and wife Krissie will visit the Arizona Animal Welfare League in Phoenix on Wednesday [Apr 20th]. The Newmans recently founded the Ryan Newman Foundation which focuses on animal welfare, wildlife preservation, and conservation and educational scholarships.(Penske Racing)(4-20-2005)
UPDATE: Ryan Newman paid a visit to the Arizona Animal Welfare League on April 20 while in town for the Subway Fresh 500 race at Phoenix International Raceway. Newman toured Phoenix’s largest and oldest no-kill animal shelter with his wife, Krissie, and executive director of the Ryan Newman Foundation, Rosalie De Fini. The mission of the Arizona Animal Welfare League is to provide excellent care, protection and loving compassion for the life of the animals entrusted to the shelter and to take a leadership role in promoting humane values for the benefit of all animals and people. Newman donated an autographed life-size standee, which the AAWL plans to auction off at their fall fundraiser. While in town, the Newmans are planning the Ryan Newman Foundation Benefit Dinner and Auction, which will be held in Scottsdale on November 11 prior to the Checker Auto Parts 500 race to be held at the Phoenix International Raceway on November 13. For more information about the Arizona Animal Welfare League, visit www.aawl.org.(Barking Dog Communications PR)(4-24-2005) - Bill Davis Racing/Dodge Lawsuits: A decision in the DaimlerChrylser/Bill Davis Racing legal battle, now almost two years old, could be on the horizon. Federal district court judge George Steeth is currently scheduled May 9 to hear a motion by DaimlerChrylser for partial summary judgment and a motion by BDR for summary judgment. The case stems from DaimlerChrysler dropping its factory support of BDR’s Dodge team in the Cup series. Chrysler sued BDR in Michigan state court May 2003, alleging breach of contract for helping Toyota with development of its NASCAR truck program. After getting the case moved to federal court, BDR counter sued, claiming DC had no basis for unilaterally voiding the contract, which was to have run through the 2006 season according to court documents. Chrysler alleges that BDR helping Toyota, which is not racing in the Cup series, violated a contract clause prohibiting teams from aiding a Dodge racing rival because the clause extends to any NASCAR series. In briefs filed for the upcoming hearing, DC alleges that BDR helped launch Toyota’s truck development program in High Point in April 2002 and that employees from BDR’s Dodge teams were active in the development work, including a BDR engineer garbed in a Toyota shirt at wind tunnel and track tests. DC also alleges that BDR supplied Toyota with Cup engine information which DC claims was to have been for a possible try at Cup racing in 2005.
In the filings, BDR claims that the non-compete clause applies only to the open promotion of a Dodge rival, and that BDR employees in Toyota shirts at development tests did not violate the clause because they would not be recognized as being affiliated with a Dodge team by the general public. DC argues that BDR violated the promotion clause by building show trucks for display at an auto show and Daytona International Speedway in February 2003 in conjunction for Toyotas announcement that it was entering the truck series in 2004. BDR alleges building the show trucks was not a violation because there was no general perception that a Dodge affiliated team built the truck. BDR also argues that its fielding Toyotas in the truck series should be disregarded because that came after its Dodge support was withdrawn.(High Point Enterprise)(4-24-2005)
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