April 27, 2010
- Different colors for Harvick at Richmond: Reese’s, a sponsor of Richard Childress Racing #29 Chevy from its beginning, kicks into high gear this weekend in Richmond as Talladega winner, Kevin Harvick and the #29 team bring the bright orange Reese’s racing machine to the track to launch the Reese’s “Save $1.00” promotion. Reese’s, the No. 1 selling candy bar in the United States, has teamed up with Coke to offer $1.00 off the purchase of a King Size Reese’s with a 20 oz. Coke or Coke Zero, which together make the perfect pit stop. Look for the No. 29 Reese’s Racing team on the track and the Reese’s Perfect Pit Stop coupons at your local store.(RCR), see an image of the scheme on my #29 Team Schemes page.(4-27-2010)
- Mears named to #36 ride: Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) has named Casey Mears driver of the #36 Chevy, team owner Tommy Baldwin announced. Mears will be behind the wheel of the #36 starting this weekend at Richmond International Raceway for the Heath Calhoun 400. Mears takes over for Johnny Sauter, whose two-race stint as driver of the #36 ended this past weekend at Talladega, where he finished 41st. “I’m excited to have Casey on board with the #36 and TBR,” Baldwin said. “It’s nice to have someone behind the wheel that is not only marketable but a proven driver as well. We look forward to getting out there at Richmond and seeing what we can do.” Mears began the year driving for #90-Keyed-Up Motorsports and also served as #11-Denny Hamlin’s backup driver after Hamlin’s knee surgery. Mears is eagerly anticipating another chance in the Sprint Cup Series. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to go racing again,” Mears said. “Tommy is working hard over at TBR and he is really looking to build something there. It’s great to be part of that and I’m looking forward to this weekend at Richmond.”(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(4-27-2010)
- #39 to honor U.S. Army Health Care Personnel: The paint scheme on Ryan Newman’s #39 U.S. Army Chevy for Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway will pay tribute to the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) and the men and women who comprise the highly-trained Army Health Care Team. During the Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400 Cup event, Army Medicine will be showcased on the hood and rear quarter panels of the #39 car along with the AMEDD logo on the hood. The race name is in honor of Calhoun, an Army retiree (101st Airborne) and Purple Heart recipient. The Army Health Care Team is one of the largest comprehensive systems of health care in the country. It is made up of six corps, each with a specific function:
· Dental Corps — oral surgery, prosthodontics, endodontics, periodontics and orthodontics
· Medical Corps — more than 40 specialties, including internal medicine, neurosurgery, pathology and psychiatry
· Medical Service Corps — behavioral psychology, entomology, hospital administration and nuclear engineering
· Medical Specialist Corps — patient care, wellness education, injury prevention
· Nurse Corps — critical care nursing, medical surgical nursing and community nursing
· Veterinary Corps — animal medicine, veterinary public health, food inspection and research
As an incentive for medical-career students to join the Army Health Care Team, the U.S. Army offers a range of financial assistance and educational benefits. “It will be a privilege to drive a car honoring the Army Health Care Team which works by the motto – to save, to heal, to serve,” said Newman. “Each time I visit Walter Reed Army Medical Center I am overwhelmed with the professional care and professional services that are provided to our brave and wounded Soldiers.” The following will be special guests of the U.S. Army Race Team in Richmond:
· Maj. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho, Deputy Surgeon General, United States Army and Chief, United States Army Nurse Corps.
· Maj. Arthur De Luigi, a medical doctor who specializes in physical medicine and sports medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Prior to his second year of medical school at Lake Erie College (Erie, Pa.), De Luigi entered the Army’s Health Professionals Scholarship Program, which paid more than $100,000 of his medical school costs. De Luigi served two deployments in Iraq.
· Army Staff Sgt. Adam Ellsworth, a native of Woodbridge, Va., who served three deployments — two in Iraq and one in Kosovo. He also served on an humanitarian mission in the Gulf coast following Hurricane Katrina.(US Army Racing), see an image of the scheme on my #39 Team Schemes page.(4-27-2010) - Johnson takes blame for incident with Gordon: #48-Jimmie Johnson took the blame for making a mistake that ultimately led to teammate #24-Jeff Gordon’s wreck at Talladega Superspeedway. Johnson said he was trying to slide in front of Gordon late in Sunday’s race so the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers could draft together toward the front. But, he said Gordon was coming too fast. Johnson’s move instead had the effect of a block, and Gordon was forced off the apron in a defensive move. His momentum gone, Gordon slide back in traffic and was caught moments later in a multi-car crash. “I misjudged the closing rate,” Johnson said. “We all make mistakes, I am no different. Certainly, that was my fault. I made the mistake there.” Gordon, who drove his damaged car to a 22nd-place finish, was furious with his teammate after the race. “The 48 is testing my patience, I can tell you that,” Gordon said Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. “It takes a lot to make me mad.” Johnson was involved in his own accident later and finished 31st. Johnson had already left the track when Gordon, also a four-time series champion, talked of his frustration with his teammate. “I would have stuck around if I knew what was waiting for me,” Johnson said. But Johnson again dismissed any notion of a rift with Gordon. The two tangled a week ago at Texas Motor Speedway, but downplayed any potential tensions. “There’s no doubt after the fact that frustrations are high, the wreck just compounded it,” Johnson said. “I think he was speaking out of frustration.(Associated Press)(4-27-2010)
- CMS Chef honored: Michael Rosen, certified executive chef (CEC), of Charlotte, N.C., received the American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF) Southeast Region Chef Professionalism award at the 2010 ACF Southeast Regional Conference held at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, Birmingham, Ala., April 24–26. Rosen is executive chef at The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C. At The Speedway Club, Rosen is responsible for all kitchen operations of the dining room and banquet facilities.(American Culinary Federation)(4-27-2010)
- NASCAR’s Ernie Irvan to Speak at Boys & Girls Clubs: Former Daytona 500 champion and stock car hall of fame driver Ernie Irvan will be the featured speaker at the eighth annual Steak and Stake Dinner on April 27 in Dalton hosted by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Gordon, Murray & Whitfield Counties. The Steak & Stake dinner will be held at the Carl Rollins Unit on 1013 Underwood Street. Doors will open at 6pm for tours and dinner will begin at 7pm.
Irvan’s NASCAR career accomplishments and highlights include 15 victories (including the Daytona 500 and Talladega), 68 Top-5 finishes, 124 Top-10 finishes and 22 poles with more than $11 million in winnings. After retiring from professional racing in 1999 due to his second head injury, the 51-year-old Salinas, Calif. native established a foundation, Race 2 Safety, to promote head injury awareness and prevention, especially among children. Race 2 Safety has provided more than 3,000 bicycle helmets to children and teens across the Southeast. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Gordon, Murray & Whitfield Counties provide after school and summer programs for kids in such areas as leadership, health and fitness, the arts, educational and career development, life skills and opportunities for youth. The Clubs, with five locations in the three counties, have more than 1500 members. For more information on www.bgcgmw.org.(Chattanoogan)(4-27-2010) - MIS employees upcycle for a cause: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. At least that’s what the employees of Michigan International Speedway say. The staff of the track, in partnership with TerraCycle, have pledged to upcycle paper and plastic goods that would normally be thrown into the garbage. In return, TerraCycle will pay MIS Cares, the track’s charity component, up to two cents for every piece collected so the wrappers can be turned into cool, every-day products such as pencil bags, laptop cases, flower pots and toys. “We have pledged to do everything we can, not only as a business, but as individuals, to minimize our effects on the environment and set a positive example that ‘every little bit counts,’” speedway President Roger Curtis said. So what can be upcycled? Drink pouches, potato chip bags, candy bar wrappers, cookie wrappers, energy bar wrappers, pens, markers and highlighters — you name it. Just about anything can be upcycled by TerraCycle. Wrapper collection boxes are in the racetrack’s breakrooms. Collected wrappers will be sent to TerraCycle, who will make a donation back to MIS Cares. TerraCycle collection boxes have also been placed in area Subway stores. All wrappers collected will benefit MIS Cares. MIS Cares is the charitable component of Michigan International Speedway that raises money and distributes dollars through grants to non-profit groups in the region. Some organizations that have been or are being assisted by MIS Cares include Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Boys and Girls Club of Lenawee County, Hospice of Lenawee, Boy Scouts Great Sauk Trail Council, Allegiance Heart Center in Jackson, Mich., the Ryan Newman Foundation and The Conservation Fund through its charity, Racing for Wildlife. MIS Cares has several fund-raising events planned for 2010 including “Fish Your Bass Off,” a bass-fishing tournament, Aug. 12 on Wampler’s Lake right down the road from MIS, and a NASCAR Day party at Jerry’s Pub on May 21. Watch for details on www.MISpeedway.com.(MIS)(4-27-2010)
- Fans Invited to Sneak Peek of Video Scoring Tower Tonight: Richmond International Raceway is hosting a Sneak Peek of its new, state-of-the-art Video Scoring Tower, which will officially debut at this weekend’s April 30-May 1 NASCAR Doubleheader, featuring the Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and the BUBBA burger 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. At 7:30 pm/et on Tuesday, America’s Premier Short Track will run showcase its prized offseason addition with video, graphics and racing timing and scoring, just like you’ll see this weekend when NASCAR returns to Richmond. Fans may enter the property at the Main Gate, located at the corner of Laburnum Ave. and Meadowbridge Rd. Guests should proceed towards the track and enter the grandstands at Gate 70. The new Video Scoring Tower at Richmond International Raceway is the tallest in all of motorsports, standing 153-feet tall. It features four LED video screens at the top, measuring 38-feet wide by 24-feet high. They will feature live race action, highlights, replays, pre- produced video and graphics. The leaderboard stretches 67-feet high by 13-feet wide and provides real-time running order, lap times, point standings and Chase standings. Tickets are on sale now for this weekend’s NASCAR Doubleheader Weekend, featuring Saturday night’s Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Saturday’s tickets start at $40 and can be purchased by going to rir.com or calling 866-455-RACE (7223).(RIR)(4-27-2010)
- Phoenix Racing team for sale: UPDATE 2: James Finch, the defending winner owner [#09 Chevy in Cup, #1 Chevy in NNS] of this weekend’s Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway, is putting his Phoenix Racing operation up for sale. For a price, the new owner would acquire a 70,000 sq. ft. building complete with 35 race cars, all the machinery and two houses on nine acres in Spartanburg, S.C. “I’ve had a real good time,” Finch said. “But it’s time to do something else. Offer me a fair price then give me half and we’ll have a deal.” Finch fielded cars for a variety of drivers in NASCAR’s Cup and Nationwide Series as well as ARCA. He won 12 NNS races with six different drivers on nine different tracks. But his most coveted win came at Talladega last year as Finch provided rookie Brad Keselowski with an opportunity to earn his first Sprint Cup victory. Finch took his entire share of the $312, 075 purse and offered it to Keselowski for his parents, lifelong racers who campaigned in ARCA and NASCAR with their family-owned operation. Keselowski made his NASCAR debut behind the wheel of the K Automotive Ford truck in 2004 at Martinsville. “I did some cool things for my parents with that,” Keselowski added. “That was something I was proud to be able to do to help them out financially because they’re going through some hard times. It’s cool to be able to be there for them.” #1-James Buescher is Finch’s latest protégé. The 20-year-old from Plano, Texas, finished the last two races of the season for Finch in the NNS and is currently 19th in the point standings. His best finish this season was eighth at Daytona.(FoxSports)(4-24-2010)
UPDATE: James Buescher is not worried about his future with the #1 Phoenix Racing Nationwide Series team. FoxSports broke news last week that James Finch’s Phoenix Racing team, a longtime NASCAR fixture, is up for sale. The 20 year-old Buescher tells Frontstretch.com that this news has no effect on the team’s operations this season. “I don’t have any doubt,” said Buescher at Talladega Sunday morning, in regard to whether or not the #1 Chevy will complete the rest of the season. “We’re here through Homestead. James Finch, at the beginning of the year, told me we’re running through Homestead, then we lost Miccosukee [an Indian-run casino and resort and longtime Phoenix Racing sponsor in both the Cup and Nationwide Series]. He still says we are running through Homestead. If he says he is going to do something, then he is going to do it. I really don’t have any doubt of that.” (Frontstretch)(4-27-2010)
UPDATE 2: James Finch is putting the brakes on Phoenix Racing. Nine weeks into his 22nd season as a NASCAR owner, the Panama City native has put his Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams up for sale. The Bay County businessman, who owns Phoenix Construction, said he has spent close to $2 million of his own money since February, when Phoenix Racing lost its primary sponsor, Miccosukee Resort and Gaming. Finch said The Miccosukee Tribe elected a new chairman who discontinued a contract to sponsor 35 Nationwide and 18 Sprint Cup races, leaving Phoenix without the majority of its financial backing. Finch, 59, said Phoenix will finish this season, and that he hopes to sell an “up-and-running team.” After considering his options since the end of last season, Finch came to the decision to sell his racing operation a couple of weeks ago. Finch said he is asking $12 million for nine acres in Spartanburg, S.C., where his racing team is located. Included are 35-40 cars, two houses, a 70,000-square-foot shop and equipment including the trailers. Since publicly announcing Saturday that Phoenix was for sale, Finch said he has received about 100 inquiries, of which “one or two might be legitimate.” Finch said he is meeting with prospective buyers this week in Texas. Finch said he plans to sell his #09 Sprint Cup and #1 Nationwide teams as a package, or his Nationwide team individually. He won’t sell his Sprint Cup team without the Nationwide team included. Phoenix will honor its season-long contract with Nationwide driver James Buescher, and has used two drivers, Aric Almirola and Mike Bliss, in its Cup car.(News Herald)(4-28-2010) - Congrats to #27 Red Man Racing Car Chief, John Reese, and his wife Sara on the birth of Stella Reese. Stella was born April 27th at 2:04 p.m. CT in Nashville, TN. Stella is 19 and a half inches long and weighs just over six pounds.(4-27-2010)
- Split/Second on the #20 at Richmond: Disney Interactive Studios will have their upcoming game, Split/Second, on the #20 car at Richmond. Split/Second is an action racing game putting the player as a contestant on a reality TV show with a massive city set rigged for destruction. Players trigger explosive events that alter the track and take out opponents. Split/Second is set to release in May 18, 2010 on both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 gaming systems.(JGR PR)(4-27-2010)
- Pressley returns to the #23: For the second time this year, Coleman Pressley will take over the wheel of the #23 Chevy for R3 Motorsports in Friday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway in the Bubba Burger 250. Pressley, a third-generation NASCAR driver, made his debut with R3 Motorsports at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. This will be his second start at the .75-mile oval of RIR. Last year, he qualified a career-best 13th with another team, but dropped out with overheating problems just 16 laps into the race.(R3 Motorsports PR)(4-27-2010)
- Kansas Fast Facts – Mike Skinner:
*Skinner will be competing in a brand new Toyota Tundra prepared specially for the 167-lap race at Kansas Speedway.
*Mike Skinner drove to victory at Kansas Speedway just one year ago to record his first win of the 2009 season, and his first win with his new team at Randy Moss Motorsports.
*Skinner starts up front…In the last four races at the 1.5-mile oval, Skinner has started on the front row on three occasions and recorded back-to-back poles in 2006 and 2007.
*Skinner is the only driver to have piloted a Toyota Tundra in every NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.(Randy Moss Motorsports PR)(4-27-2010) - Lilly Trucking becomes associate sponsor for RWR: Lilly Trucking, a Virginia based trucking company that specializes in reliable transportation of fine machinery and parts for the paper industry, will be an associate sponsor for all Rick Ware Racing entries for the remaining 2010 season. The sponsorship will span 36 events across the NASCAR Nationwide, Camping World Truck, and ARCA series. Lilly’s first event will be with the #6 truck of Brian Rose and the #47 truck of Brett Butler this weekend in the NASCAR Camping World series O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at the Kansas Speedway. (Rick Ware Racing PR)(4-27-2010)
- BeBevCo signs Carl Long to drive at Kansas: BeBevCo and Daisy Ramirez Motorsports are proud to announce that NASCAR veteran Carl Long will again pilot the [#01] KOMA UNWIND ‘ Chillaxation Drink ” Chevy in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250, at KANSAS Speedway Sunday, May 2, 2010, 1:00pm Eastern. Coming off a 23rd place finish at NASHVILLE a few weeks ago with Dillon Oliver driving, We are looking for another solid run keeping all the fenders and wheels on the KOMA UNWIND Chevy ,” Said Daisy Ramirez . “As we continue to build equipment and infrastructure our expectations will continue to grow as well. We just moved into our own 23,000 square foot shop as our foundation and will continue to make adjustments and additions” added Daisy.(Ramirez Motorsports PR)(4-27-2010)
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