April 26, 2002
- NASCAR/Petty Movie UPDATE: Dennis Quaid is revved up by a film project delving into the story of NASCAR legend Richard Petty and his complicated relationship with his father Lee, who was an up-and-coming driver until he was injured in a crash. “Any Given Sunday” producer Dan Halsted has put together the funds to develop a “Great Santini”-like story of a son trying to measure up to his father. The younger Petty went on to become NASCAR’s winningest driver, but had to go a long way to prove himself to Lee, who’ll be played by Quaid. The pic will be exec produced by John O’Hurley, John Myrick and Robin Sharp, and they’re out to writers right now.(Yahoo Entertainment – thanks Matt)(11-13-2001)
UPDATE: The star of “The Rookie” is slated to be father of “The King” of NASCAR in an upcoming movie. Dennis Quaid has pledged to play Lee Petty in an untitled movie chronicling the racing careers of Lee and Richard Petty in the late 1950s and ’60s. Richard Petty is NASCAR’s all-time winningest driver with 200 victories. The movie will focus on the father-son relationship, as Richard struggles to meet the high expectations Lee had for him. “It’s not as much about the grinding of the wheels as it is the relationship of the two best racers in NASCAR,” John O’Hurley, executive producer of the upcoming film, said Wednesday in Greensboro. The actor to play Richard Petty hasn’t been finalized. The movie has gotten a thumbs-up from Richard Petty and Petty Enterprises, said Bill Scott, executive vice president of Petty Enterprises in Level Cross south of Greensboro. Lee Petty died in April 2000. Scott said he and other Petty officials will talk about the script when they are on the West Coast for the NAPA Auto Parts California 500 race this weekend. “We’re working with people we trust,” said Scott. “O’Hurley, Quaid – they’re obviously some people who have influence to get things done in Hollywood.” O’Hurley, who played clothier J. Peterman on the television show “Seinfeld,” says producer Dan Halsted (“Any Given Sunday”) will produce the Petty movie.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-26-2002) - Robby Gordon and Spiderman: Robby Gordon and Richard Childress Racing’s #31 Cingular Wireless team are joining forces with superhero Spider-Man for the NASCAR Winston Cup events at California Speedway and Richmond. The comic book hero will ride along with Gordon and the Cingular Wireless Chevrolet Monte Carlo at Fontana and Richmond in a special paint scheme celebrating his jump to the big screen. Spider-Man, Columbia Pictures’ highly anticipated action adventure film, is scheduled for release worldwide on May 3. Cingular Wireless has launched a special promotional campaign in conjunction with its partnership with the movie. The campaign – supported by TV, print and radio advertising, direct mail, and in-store placement — is the most ambitious ever for a wireless carrier in conjunction with a Hollywood movie. Cingular, the nation’s second largest wireless carrier, developed the campaign with Sony Entertainment. Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man will be released May 3 by Columbia Pictures and stars Tobey Maguire as the web-slinging superhero. The film also stars Willem Dafoe as the villainous Green Goblin, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, James Franco as Harry Osborn, Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben, Rosemary Harris as Aunt May and J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson.(Robby Gordon site), see an image of the car on my Paint Scheme Gallery(4-26-2002)
- Wind Tunnel to Close? UPDATE 3 – Correction – NOT the one NASCAR uses: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has announced plans to close the full-scale wind tunnel at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., by Sept. 30, 2004. Over the years, the facility has been used by many NASCAR teams, which in 1999 were reported to be paying $1,400 an hour to test in the tunnel. One report said that as many as two or three teams used the wind tunnel each month, with bills exceeding $40,000 for multiple-car tests.(Winston Cup Scene daily newsletter)(4-23-2002)
UPDATE: As part of a national initiative to optimize government-owned wind tunnels, NASA’s Langley Research Center will shut down its 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel and transition work to other facilities. The tunnel is scheduled to be put in mothball status September 30, 2004. “Mothball” status means that the facility could be made operational within six to 12 months and that maintenance to the tunnel would be limited to facility preservation only. Research tests are booked at the tunnel through September 2003 and all those tests will be completed. The Center anticipates that no civil service jobs will be lost as the tunnel’s staff of 18 researchers and technicians will be reassigned to other facilities. Doesn’t mention NASCAR use in the story.(NASA)(4-24-2002)
AND more from the Daily Press(in part): NASA Langley will lose about half the research conducted at one of its oldest and busiest wind tunnels because of a planned shutdown in two years. And future wind-tunnel shutdowns cannot be ruled out. The aeronautics center announced that it was stopping all but maintenance operations at the 16-foot Transonic Wind Tunnel, which has conducted research on everything from jet fighters to wheelchairs. Many people think that the closing, part of a nationwide look at such centers, should have little effect in the community. NASA Langley hopes to shuffle work to its National Transonic Facility, but some research will be lost to other agencies. The primary users at NASA Langley are split mostly between the military and the space agency itself. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are the top three industry users. Representatives with those businesses couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday on how the wind tunnel’s shutdown might affect their future use of the center. Two centers would be likely recipients of the work that NASA Langley could no longer perform: the Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tennessee and NASA’s Ames Research Center in California.(no mention of NASCAR in this article)(4-24-2002)
UPDATE 2: been told by many sources that the wind tunnel that NASA is closing in the 16 ft. transonic tunnel. This is not the NASA tunnel that Old Dominion owns/operates and conducts tests for NASCAR teams. For more info on the tunnel, see their site at www.lfst.com. So not sure why this was made such an issue by WCS.(4-25-2002)
UPDATE 3 – Correction: The Langley Research Center wind tunnel that NASA has announced plans to close is not the facility used for testing by NASCAR teams, as reported in Tuesday’s Scene Daily. The facility used by the NASCAR teams, the Langley Full-Scale Wind Tunnel operated by Old Dominion University, will remain open.(Winston Cup Scene daily newsletter)(4-26-2002) - Bigger Car…sooner? Johnny Benson’s fiery exit from Sunday’s Talladega 500 once again raises the issue of how difficult it seems for drivers to get out of their cars after wrecks, and it could prompt NASCAR to move even faster on its proposed “big greenhouse” car. The new design, which has been studied for more than a year, is tentatively scheduled to debut at Talladega in April 2003. But there is the possibility that NASCAR might bring it out earlier, at Talladega this fall. The chief obstacle is economics; teams would have to build new cars because crews and drivers are reluctant to cut and weld any greenhouse roll bars, for fear of weakening the safety roll cage. Benson’s #10-Valvoline Pontiac caught fire when he was caught up the 26-car crash on the backstretch late in the race. And Benson had trouble getting out of his car, which he said points out the need for NASCAR to move faster on its plans to widen the driver’s window. At Texas Motor Speedway three weeks ago, Michael Waltrip had similar difficulty getting out of his burning [BGN] car.(Winston Salen Journal)(4-26-2002)
- Rusty Honor: As part of the NASCAR After Dark festivities, defending NAPA AUTO PARTS 500 winner Rusty Wallace (#2 Miller Lite Ford) will be immortalized today at California Speedway during a Walk of Fame induction ceremony inside Gate 12 at 6 p.m. Wallace will place a plaque in the ground, sign his name and leave his footprints in cement alongside each of the previous California Speedway race winners.(Calif Speedway Site)(4-26-2002)
- Trading Cards at the CHP booth: Guests visiting the California Highway Patrol (CHP) booth at California Speedway’s Gate 12 have the opportunity to pick up a free set of trading cards featuring Winston Cup stars Wallace; Tony Stewart (#20 Home Depot Pontiac); Bobby Labonte (#18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac); Ward Burton (#22 Caterpillar Dodge) and Kevin Harvick (#29 Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet), along with a CHP card. Each card comes with a designated driver message.(Calif Speedway Site)(4-26-2002)
- Pork – the other white meat – primary sponsor on the #26 for more races: Travis Carter Enterprises announced that Frank Kimmel, three-time ARCA champion, will continue to drive the #26 Ford with primary sponsor “Pork. The Other White Meat” for several additional Winston Cup races. Kimmel has driven at Texas, Martinsville and Talladega in the #26. Several members of Kimmel’s ARCA team, including crew chief Bill Kimmel, will continue to assist Donnie Wingo and the Travis Carter team on pit road. The National Pork Board, along with Advance Auto Parts, participated in the last three consecutive Winston Cup races. While the National Pork Board will continue with the Travis Carter team for the next several races, Advance Auto Parts will focus its efforts on the remaining ARCA Re/Max events. The National Pork Board will also continue their support of the ARCA team. A team sponsor, the National Pork Board initiated its Pork Racing Program in early 2000 to increase awareness of and demand for pork throughout the country. “The decision to continue as the primary sponsor for the #26 car was based largely on the relationship we’ve established with the Travis Carter team and the tremendous value we have seen from the first three Winston Cup races,” said John Hagerla, National Pork Board assistant vice president for retail and foodservice marketing. “Our goal is to help America’s pork producers by increasing exposure to and demand for pork — and NASCAR allows us to reach an even greater number of our sports marketing target audience.”(Catchfence). Joe Nemechek is in the #26 at California as Kimmel has an ARCA commitment.(4-26-2002)
- Little returns to Cup action at California: Sunday’s NAPA Auto Parts 500 at California Speedway will mark Chad Little’s return to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Little will pilot the #74 StaffAmerica Chevrolet for BACE Motorsports, as the three-time NASCAR Busch Series Championship team is set to make their debut in the Winston Cup Series.(Chad Little Site – see an image of the car there)(4-26-2002)
- Chad Harris to run BGN race at Lowes? Chad Harris won the Late Model Stock race last Saturday night at New River Valley Speedway. With the victory, Harris earned a chance to qualify for the May25 Busch Grand National Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C.(Roanoke Times), not sure why or with what team.(4-26-2002)
- California Qualifying Rained out – Sprague to start first: Qualifying was rained out at California Speedway for the Auto Club 300. BGN points leader, #24-Jack Sprague will be on the pole. For the starting lineup, see the BGN Racing site, which is two years old today, congrats. Or at MotorsportsOne.(4-26-2002)
- Parker to honor cousin: Defending Auto Club 300 winner, #36-Hank Parker, Jr. will race with a special decal in memory of his 26-year-old cousin, who passed away in a car accident one week ago. It will read “In Memory of Amber.” (Calif Speedway Site)(4-26-2002)
- Burton to have special scheme at Calif: GAIN Laundry Detergent will debut a new paint scheme this weekend in California at the Auto Club 300. Not to worry though, driver Jeff Burton will still be driving the famed orange and green car that Darrell Waltrip so fondly refers to as “pork chop”. GAIN has added palm trees to the car to introduce the new Island Fresh scent detergent. “The paint scheme will help GAIN build awareness for our new Island Fresh scent,” says Cindy Mattingly, Racing Manager for GAIN. “The scent is both tropical and exhilarating and is available in stores now in powder and liquid form. Now the smell says clean three ways with Regular, Gentle Breeze and Island Fresh.”(Roush Racing)(4-26-2002)
- #19 gets sponsor for California: Tim Sauter and the #19 AP Performance Racing team announced a one-race sponsorship with Global Industrial Contractors, Inc. (GIC) for this weekend’s Auto Club 300 NASCAR BGN race at California Speedway. Corporately located in Shafter, CA, Global Industrial Contractors is an industrial construction company that does HVAC, electrical and mechanical design, installation and construction. GIC’s customers are Fortune 500 companies in the food service and industrial construction industry across the United States and Hawaii. GIC was formed in 1996 by owner and company president, James C. Whitener, who brings over 20 years experience in the construction industry to the customer. Sauter’s #19 AP Performance Racing Chevy is without a full-time sponsor this season. Sauter plans to race the entire 2002 BGN schedule regardless of securing sponsorship. This is the third time this season the AP team has accepted a one-race sponsorship association and the team has responded since posting a season’s best 10th-place finish in Nashville and a Top-10 qualifying effort in Talladega.(Motorsports Management Group PR)(4-26-2002)
- #49 gets California sponsor: Caliber Collision Centers, an Irvine-based operator of high-quality collision repair facilities in California and Texas, announced an agreement for the second year in a row to sponsor Jay Robinson Racing car #49 to be driven by Andy Kirby in the NASCAR BGN race at the California Speedway in Fontana.(BusinessWire)(4-26-2002)
- #49 Assoc sponsor for May: The “r3bmotorsports.com Power of the Fans” logo will be literally flying high at NASCAR Busch Series races in May. The logo, which represents the sponsorship effort of the members of the R3B Motorsports Fan Sponsored Racing Club, will be on the Jay Robinson Racing #49 as an associate sponsor. In addition, the logo will by flying high over the pits, as the sign on the end of the pit board sign pole during the team’s pit stops. R3B members from 11 states; New York to Georgia and as far west as Iowa, will join the team trackside at May Busch races in Richmond, Nazareth and Charlotte. As a benefit of their membership, they will get an up close view of all the racing action and have access to places many fans only dream of. More information on the R3B Motorsports Fan Sponsored Racing Club can be found on the r3bmotorsports.com website, or by calling toll-free 1-866-R3B-5277.(4-26-2002)
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