April 27, 2007
- Hyder / MWR part ways? UPDATE: been told that David Hyder, former #55 Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) crew chief, who was suspended for the fuel violation at Daytona in Feb, has parted ways with MWR. Hyder has been working at the MWR shop.(4-27-2007)
UPDATE: David Hyder, one of two Michael Waltrip Racing employees suspended by NASCAR in a cheating scandal at Daytona in February, parted ways with the team on Friday. “As of this morning, Michael Waltrip Racing and David Hyder have ended their employment relationship,” Waltrip said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. Hyder and team director Bobby Kennedy were both put on indefinite suspension and Hyder was fined $100,000 by NASCAR after an illegal substance was found in the intake manifold of Waltrip’s No. 55 Toyota during an inspection prior to the season-opening Daytona 500. Kennedy remains on the team payroll but is still suspended. Both NASCAR and the team have investigated the incident, but no results of those investigation have been made public.(Associated Press)(4-27-2007) - Tony Stewart Fined And Placed On Probation: NASCAR announced today that Tony Stewart, driver of the #20 Chevy, has been fined $10,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31, 2007 for failing to fulfill his post-race media obligation following the Subway Fresh Fit 500 race last Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway. Stewart violated Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-H (any member who violates 7-2B: Failure to meet obligation of an accepted entry; failure to fulfill post-race media obligation – with addition to the winning driver, the second and third-place drivers and the highest finishing rookie of the year candidate must also report to the media center upon the conclusion of the race) of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series rule book.(NASCAR PR)(4-27-2007)
- NAPA looking? UPDATE 2 denied hearing that NAPA Auto Parts is looking at options for their sponsorship in the Nextel Cup Series. NAPA has been the sponsor for Michael Waltrip in the Cup Series since 2001, first with the #15 DEI Chevy, then since 2006 on the #55 car. Supposedly NAPA is talking to Richard Childress Racing (RCR) as a possible replacement sponsor for Cingular, should AT&T not win its lawsuit against NASCAR to have the AT&T decals put on the #31 Chevy AND with Roush Fenway Racing as a sponsor for the #16 Ford Greg Biffle drives. Current sponsor Ameriquest has opted out of the sponsorship after the 2007 season.(4-25-2007)
UPDATE: been told there is no truth to the rumor that RCR is in contact with NAPA regarding sponsorship for the #31.(RCR)(4-27-2007)
UPDATE 2: Michael Waltrip knows that his team needs to overcome its struggles this season, but he is disputing published reports that his #55 Toyota sponsor, NAPA, is exploring options elsewhere. “NAPA has … had a lot of trials and tribulations; they’ve been really very supportive of getting this whole thing turned around. …,” Waltrip said Friday morning at Talladega Superspeedway. “This is the first year. I read on the Internet that NAPA was looking. They are; they’re looking for us to do a better job.”(SceneDaily.com)(4-27-2007) - Final Phoenix TV ratings drop 8.3%: Fox’s broadcast of last Saturday night’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup race earned a final Nielsen Media Research rating of 4.4 and a 9 market share, Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Daily reports. The race earned the highest rating of any weekend sports event, but the rating was 8.3% lower than the 4.8/9 the race earned in 2006.(SceneDaily.com), see the TV Ratings for 2007 and the chart on my 2007 TV Ratings page.(4-27-2007)
- Brooklyn beats Philly for #00 Pizza scheme: David Reutimann’s #00-Toyota Camry will be sporting a paint scheme hyping Domino’s Brooklyn Style pizza, the winner of the company’s “Great Debate” in which fans chose Brooklyn over the Philly Cheese Steak pie in a matchup intended to mirror the sporting competition between New York and Philadelphia. The two-week promotion drew more than 50,000 voters online and at Phoenix and Texas Motor Speedway, where 25,000 slices were served.(USA Today), see images of the schemes on my #00 Team Schemes page.(4-27-2007)
- NASCAR responds to Stewarts comments UPDATE 4 Stewart penalized: NASCAR called Tony Stewart’s comments “very, very disappointing.” “NASCAR has been running races since 1948, and we place the safety of the drivers at the top of the list,” said spokesman Jim Hunter. “We have more people and more resources than ever officiating our races. The safety of the drivers is our first priority. It has always been that way and will continue to be that way. There are thousands of talented race drivers out there who would consider it an honor to compete in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.”(Associated Press), see more on Stewart’s comments below.(4-26-2007)
UPDATE: been told that NASCAR didn’t allow the #20 Home Depot team to unload the car until Tony Stewar went to the NASCAR Hauler to discuss his comments about NASCAR and the debris cautions/staging races.(4-27-2007)
UPDATE 2: Tony Stewart met with NASCAR officials early this morning after a week in which he first skipped out on postrace media obligations following his second-place finish at Phoenix and then bashed the sanctioning body on his weekly radio show. According to the NASCAR entry blank, “the second and third place drivers, and the highest finishing Rookie of the Year candidate, must also report to the media center upon conclusion of the race.” Since he left the track without fulfilling his obligation to speak to TV reporters or appear in the media center, Stewart has lashed out at NASCAR on his weekly radio show. Stewart met with officials at 7:00am/et, and NASCAR did not let his Joe Gibbs Racing team unload its car from the transporter until that meeting ended at 7:35am. Other competitors had unloaded their cars and begin work when the garage opened at 7am. Stewart is scheduled to meet with the media Friday.(SceneDaily.com)(4-27-2007)
UPDATE 3: ……..The remarks infuriated image-conscious NASCAR officials, who called Stewart in to address the issue at 6 a.m. Friday, the hour the garage opened. “It’s a little tender for me to sit down right now,” Stewart quipped. But it wasn’t a joke to NASCAR, which was expected to announce penalties later Friday. Series officials watched from the back of the media center as a humbled Stewart made his comments, which contrasted starkly with his remarks Tuesday. “To be honest, the group that I spoke with this morning is a group of peers that I trust. If they tell me the stuff is out there, I believe them,” he said. “I should have went to them instead of just saying it out in public. That’s frustration that’s been building up with all these debris cautions.”(NASCAR.com)
UPDATE 4: SPEED reported that NASCAR has fined Stewart $10,000 and place Stewart on probabtion for the rest of the 2007 season for failing to fulfill his obligation to speak to TV reporters or appear in the media center at Phoenix.(4-27-2007) - Talladega Goodyear Tire Notes: Both the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series will run the same tire codes at Talladega this weekend . . . Goodyear ran this same tire set-up with great success at Talladega last October, after the track was re-surfaced . . . this is the only NASCAR track at which these tire codes will be run in 2007 . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Talladega . . . the air pressure in those liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire. Estimated Pit Window for the Nextel Cup cars are every 34-36 laps, based on fuel mileage.(Goodyear PR), more notes, the codes, pressures on my Talladega Race Info page.(4-27-2007)
- NASCAR Statement Regarding Its Day In Court: NASCAR presented its case to the court today [about allowing AT&T to sponsor the #31 car] and we eagerly await a decision. NASCAR is defending every driver, team and track involved with NASCAR. The court’s ruling will be important to protect the very flexible and open environment that allows for hundreds of sponsors to successfully participate in NASCAR. It’s important to remember that Sprint Nextel is a cornerstone sponsor that benefits the entire industry by way of its contribution to the championship points fund, technology bringing fans closer to the sport and its massive marketing and advertising campaigns. NASCAR will continue to protect the industry in any future attacks on our key partners.(NASCAR PR)
AND Jeff Burton’s #31 Richard Childress Racing Chevy will bear the familiar Cingular markings for at least two more weeks. There was no decision Thursday on AT&T’s request for an injunction to have its logos placed on Burton’s car. Instead, U.S. District court judge Marvin H. Schoob listened to almost four hours of arguments from NASCAR, AT&T and Nextel and then set May 7 as the deadline for briefs to be submitted in the case. At Thursday’s preliminary injunction hearing, NASCAR attorneys defended the decision to prevent Cingular – the primary sponsor of the #31 car – from changing its branding on the car to the AT&T blue globe. Cingular merged with AT&T in December, and AT&T is phasing out the Cingular brand. Cingular is arguing that its rights include changing its brand name to AT&T. “We have changed our name, but we are the same company as we were before we changed our name,” said David Balser, attorney for AT&T Inc.(Associated Press)(4-27-2007) - International Motorsports Hall Of Fame Inducts Donlavey, Hendrick, Ingram, Johnson, Rainey, Smith: The 17th Annual International Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony marks a class of some of the greatest achievers in motorsports history ever inducted into this prestigious Hall of Fame. On Thursday night, the black tie ceremony at the Speed Channel Dome located outside Talladega Superspeedway honored the storied careers of the 2007 class – Junie Donlavey, Ray Hendrick, Jack Ingram, Warren Johnson, Wayne Rainey and Bruton Smith along with 2006 Driver of the Year Jimmie Johnson, reigning Nextel Cup Series Champion, as well as eight-time ARCA RE/MAX Series Champion Frank Kimmel. Longtime car owner Junie Donlavey was inducted by former NASCAR driver, Harry Gant. Ray Hendrick was inducted by Alabama Gang member and former NASCAR champion, Bobby Allison. Jack Ingram was inducted by NASCAR Vice-President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter. “The Professor” was Warren Johnson, inducted by Bob Frey. Wayne Rainey was inducted by longtime TV personality Dave Despain. Entrepreneur Bruton Smith was inducted by NASCAR legend Junior Johnson.(TSS PR)(4-27-2007)
- Robby tests at VIR: #7-Robby Gordon tested at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) on Wednesday, April 25th in preparation for the road coaurse race at Infineon Raceway.(4-27-2007)
- Huffman Honoring Blue Angels Pilot at Talladega: As a silent tribute to Lt. Cmdr. Kevin “Kojak” Davis, Shane Huffman has removed his name from above the door of the #88 Navy Chevy and replaced it with a special Blue Angels decal for Saturday’s Busch race at Talladega. Lt. Cmdr. Davis, 32, of Pittsfield, Mass., died Saturday when his No. 6 F/A-18 Hornet crashed during an air show in Beaufort, S.C.(JR Motorsports PR)(4-27-2007)
- Special Scheme for Kahne at Talladega: Shedd’s Spread Country Crock is launching its national ‘Spread the Sharing’ campaign at Talladega by placing their logo on the hood of the #9 Country Crock Dodge. The program supports America’s Second Harvest. The hood will forego all Country Crock branding, to emphasize the impact that sharing can have on the world. The hood logo will be a brown plate with a fork and knife on either side, with the words “Please Share” across the plate.(Hungry Drivers PR)(4-27-2007)
- Sam Hornish Pulling Double Duty at Richmond — Busch and IRL: Sam Hornish Jr. will attempt to do something no other driver has ever done at Richmond International Raceway: qualify for both an IndyCar Series and Busch Series race at America’s Premier Short Track. Hornish will attempt to run the Circuit City 250 Busch Series race on Friday, May 4 “under the lights.”(Richmond International Raceway PR)(4-27-2007)
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