April 28, 2007
- Jeff Gordon wins pole at Phoenix: #24-Jeff Gordon won the Budweiser Pole for the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 192.069mph for his 4th pole of 2007 and 60th of his career, now the leader for the modern era [1972-present, 1 more then DW]. The rest of the top-10 are #38-Gilliland [who teid Gordon’s speed, but tie goes tot the highest in OWNERS pts], #11-Hamlin, #14-Marlin, #88-Rudd, #78-Kenny Wallace [best of the non top-35’s], #25-Mears, #48-Johnson, #10-Riggs and #6-Ragan. The non-top 35 teams that made the race were: #78-Wallace, #10-Riggs, #60-Said, #00-Reutimann, #4-Burton, #36-Mayfield, #15-Menard and #44-Jarrett [used his final champ prov of 2007 and is now OUT of provs].
For qualifying results/starting lineup see my Starting Lineup/Qualifying Results/Order Page.(4-28-2007) - Nine do not qualify for the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway: #55-Waltrip, #83-Vickers, #22-Blaney, #84-Allmendinger, #21-Schrader, #09-Wallace, #34-Lapage, #37-Andretti and #49-Bliss.(4-28-2007)
- Stock Car Fans:
#24-Jeff Gordon took the Bud Pole today at Talladega Superspeedway. Gordon and David Gilliland ran identical times…..to the thousandth of a second (49.857…..192.069 MPH), but since Gordon is waaaaay ahead of Gilliland in Owner Points, he gets the spot. This was the second pole in a row for Jeff, his 4th of the season, and the 60th of his Nextel Cup career. He’s now solo in 4th on the all time pole list and next up is Cale Yarborough…..ten ahead at 70.
David Gilliland (2nd) has his best starting spot since he had the pole at Daytona in February.
Sterling Marlin (4th) has his best starting spot since he qualified 3rd at Bristol in August of 2004!
Ricky Rudd (5th) has his best starting spot since he had the outside pole at the 500 in February.
Kenny Wallace (6th) has his best starting spot since he timed in 4th at Martinsville in October of 2003!
Casey Mears (7th) has his best starting spot since he lined up 3rd at Lowe’s last October.
David Ragan (10th) ties his career-best starting spot this weekend. He started 10th at Texas two weeks ago….but that race lined up by points since qualifying was stormed out. His previous best starting spot by time was 27th at Martinsville earlier this month.
David Reutimann (14th) has his career-best starting spot this weekend. His previous best was 24th at Atlanta in March.
Paul Menard (19th) tied his career-best starting position today. He also lined up 19th at Las Vegas in March.
Dale Jarrett (43rd) uses his last Champions Provisional to make the field this week. He’ll need to time in from here on out or move into the Top-35 in Owner Points (he’s currently 37th, 64 markers out of 35th).
STREAKIN….Jeff Gordon has 6 Top-5 starts in a row.
Denny Hamlin has 5 Top-10 starts in a row.
Jimmie Johnson has 5 Top-10 starts in the last 6 races.
All kinda cryin’ about fast cars going home this week, but when you decide to make this an impound race, what else should you expect? Course, we really don’t know how fast some of those Trouble Train types were since its like we were running two different races. In any event, the TT included Michael Waltrip, Brian Vickers, Dave Blaney, A. J. Allmendinger, Ken Schrader, Mike Wallace, Kevin Lepage, John Andretti, and Mike Bliss. This is the first race that Dave Blaney has missed this season (and first for the Bill Davis car to be MIA since Atlanta in October of 2004), and the first race where we won’t have a #21 Woods Brothers car since we were here in April of 2000!(Stock Car Fans)(4-28-2007) - Talladega Qualifying Fast Facts
.. Jeff Gordon won the Bud Pole for the Aaron’s 499, his 60th Bud Pole in 482 career Nextel Cup races. He moved into fourth on the all-time Bud Pole winners list, breaking a tie with Darrell Waltrip.
.. This is his third Bud Pole this season. He also started first at Texas when qualifying was canceled. This is Gordon’s seventh top-10 start in 2007 – all top-fives.
.. This is Gordon’s first Bud Pole in 29 races at Talladega.
.. David Gilliland (second) posted an identical qualifying time to Gordon’s. Gilliland will start second based on the tie-breaker which is current year car owner points. This is his third consecutive front-row start in a restrictor-plate race. He won the bud Pole for the Daytona 500 this season and the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega last October.
.. Denny Hamlin (third) posted his best Nextel Cup start at Talladega. Hamlin also started third in both of his Busch Series races here (2005 and 2006).
.. Sterling Marlin (fourth) posted his second top-10 start of 2007 and his best start since he started third at Martinsville in August 2004.
.. Kenny Wallace (sixth) posted his best start since he started fourth at Martinsville in October 2003. That was also Wallace’s most recent top-10 start.
.. This is the first time that the Wood Brothers have not qualified for a race since this race in 2000.(NASCAR)(4-28-2007) - Kyle Busch Walks Away From Scary Crash in Busch race: #5-Kyle Busch walked away from a spectacular crash early in Saturday’s Busch Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. Busch was running second as the field drove off turn four on the 2.66-mile oval to complete lap 27 of the 117-lap Aaron’s 312. Busch suddenly darted up the banking as he prepared to pass #9-Kasey Kahne for the lead. #33-Tony Stewart, in third, followed and appeared to hit Busch’s car. Busch then bounced off the car driven by #24-Casey Mears and turned across the track and into the wall. Busch’s car was on its side as it struck the outside barrier, then skidded on its roof down the banking and onto the grass infield, where it began barrel-rolling as flames erupted from under the hood. The #5 Chevy finally stopped on its wheels and Busch quickly scrambled from the cockpit. He walked straight to a waiting ambulance for the mandatory ride to the infield medical center.(Associated Press)(4-28-2007)
- Cat M-Series scheme for Blaney at MIS in June: #22-Dave Blaney is scheduled to run a brand new special paint scheme at Michigan in June, featuring the CAT logo on the hood and the M-Series motor grader on the rear decklid & quarter panels. See an image of the scheme on my #22 Team Schemes page.(4-28-2007)
- Repeat: Dodge staying in NASCAR: While auto industry analysts and executives await the outcome of the sale of DaimlerChrysler, which could happen in the next month, Dodge officials insist they will remain in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series no matter what the outcome of the sale. “We believe in the marketing value of the sport and the awareness it provides for the Dodge brand. The NASCAR fan base is an excellent fit for Dodge and the vehicles we manufacturer. We have long term commitments to the sport and to our teams, and we will, without question, keep these commitments. As we’ve said many times, Dodge is in NASCAR to stay,” said Mike Accavitti, director, Dodge Motorsports and SRT Marketing.(SpeedTV.com)(4-28-2007)
- HBO Pay-Per-View and Eldora Speedway Make History to Support Victory Junction: The old school dirt upon which professional stock car racing was built will play host to today’s racing stars when the third annual Nextel Prelude to the Dream presented by Old Spice takes place June 6 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. And for those not lucky enough to grab a seat for the dirt late model race featuring 25 world renowned drivers as they battle for dirt supremacy, HBO Pay-Per-View will present the event live to the entire nation. Proceeds from this ground-breaking telecast will support the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the Tony Stewart Foundation. The all-star race will feature such racing icons as Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Bobby Labonte and more. All will pilot 2,300-pound dirt late model stock cars capable of putting out over 800 horsepower. The live broadcast will begin at 7pm/et, with an immediate replay and subsequent replays throughout the week and the following weekend. HBO Pay-Per-View’s first ever racing telecast has a suggested retail price $24.95 and available to more than 61 million pay-per-view homes. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming in the pay-per-view industry. Ordering information and up-to-the minute racing information is available at www.hbo.com. More info on my Racing Charities page.(True Speed Communication PR)(4-28-2007)
- Daytona International Speedway Launches Celebrity Tickets for Charity: Daytona 500 winners Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Mario Andretti, Grammy Award nominee Jewel, TV host Kelly Ripa, and action sport legend Tony Hawk, among others, will put their artistic talents to the test to help commemorate the 50th running of NASCAR’s crown jewel stock car race, the 2008 Daytona 500. Daytona International Speedway (DIS) announced its “Celebrity Tickets for Charity” competition, where the design of the most sought-after ticket in motorsports history will be chosen from submissions provided by celebrities, with fans having a voice in the decision. Program spokesperson and three-time Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon and DIS President Robin Braig launched the program at Talladega Superspeedway and unveiled several celebrity designs. Celebrity spokesperson Carson Daly also participated in a media tour from New York City to kick off the program. Voting begins Tuesday, May 1. Fans are encouraged to click on the “Celebrity Tickets for Charity” banner on daytona500.com as often as they like to view and vote for their favorite celebrity ticket designs. The top 10 most popular designs, based on fan voting, along with the members of a blue ribbon panel that will determine the winner, will be announced at Michigan International Speedway Friday, June 15. The winning design will be announced during the Pepsi 400 (July 5-7) weekend in Daytona Beach. Once the winning design is chosen, all original celebrity artwork will be auctioned online with the proceeds benefiting The Jeff Gordon Foundation, which supports children with life-threatening diseases. Tickets to the 50th running of the Daytona 500 go on sale Wednesday, May 9, 2007. To vote for ticket designs, purchase tickets, or for ticket information, visit daytona500.com.(DIS PR)(4-28-2007)
- Sunday Marks 20th Anniversary of Davey Allison’s First Cup Win: Sunday’s running of the Aaron’s 499 will mark the 20th anniversary of the first Cup victory for Alabama native Davey Allison, who captured the spring race at Talladega Superspeedway on May 3, 1987 on his way to winning Rookie of the Year honors. It was one of two victories that season for Allison, making him the first Cup driver to win multiple races in his rookie season. Allison’s victory came in only the ninth race of the season. He edged out Terry Labonte, Kyle Petty and Dale Earnhardt, who had won six of the first eight races that year. Allison went on to win 19 times in his Cup career – including victories at Talladega Superspeedway in 1989 and 1992 – and posted a total of 66 top-five finishes and 92 top-10s. Even though Allison died on July 13, 1993 at age 32 from injuries sustained in a helicopter crash, he still accomplished enough in his shortened career to be named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.(TSS PR), it was also the same race that forced NASCAR to go to restrictor plates on the engines to slow down the cars when Bobby Allison [Davey’s Dad] got airbourne on the frontstretch and torn down yards of the catch fence, almost going into the stands. In qualifying for that race Bill Elliott set the all time pole speed record for any track in Cup, with a speed of 212.809mph.(4-28-2007)
- Kodak returns to the track, on the #12: #12-Ryan Newman will run a special “Think” themed #12 Kodak Dodge this Sunday (April 29) in the Aaron’s 499 Nextel Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. “Think” is part of a new campaign by Kodak to challenge consumers to think about how much they spend on ink. Kodak’s new EasyShare inkjet printers, available now at Best Buy, use premium ink that can save up to 50 percent on printed documents and photos. The Talladega race marks the first time since 2005 that a Kodak car will compete in a Nextel Cup event. Look for more news about the “Think” campaign and the #12 Kodak Dodge in the near future.(ketchum PR), see images of the scheme on my #12 Team Schemes page.(4-28-2007)
- Dale Jr’s Busch team to honor fallen Blue Angel Pilot: 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 Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. 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. “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at JR Motorsports are with Kojak’s friends and family,” Huffman said. “I had the opportunity to meet him when I flew with the Blue Angels back in February, and Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. met him the year before, so his death hit us hard. I wanted to do something to honor our fallen friend, and this just seemed like the right thing to do.”(JR Motorsports PR)(4-28-2007)
- Kyle Busch Walks Away From Scary Crash: #5-Kyle Busch walked away from a spectacular crash early in Saturday’s Busch Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. Busch was running second as the field drove off turn four on the 2.66-mile oval to complete lap 27 of the 117-lap Aaron’s 312. Busch suddenly darted up the banking as he prepared to pass #9-Kasey Kahne for the lead. #33-Tony Stewart, in third, followed and appeared to hit Busch’s car. Busch then bounced off the car driven by #24-Casey Mears and turned across the track and into the wall. Busch’s car was on its side as it struck the outside barrier, then skidded on its roof down the banking and onto the grass infield, where it began barrel-rolling as flames erupted from under the hood. The #5 Chevy finally stopped on its wheels and Busch quickly scrambled from the cockpit. He walked straight to a waiting ambulance for the mandatory ride to the infield medical center.(Associated Press)(4-28-2007)
- Santos to Make Busch Debut at Richmond: Bobby Santos III will attempt to make his Busch Series debut next month at Richmond International Raceway, as Riley-D’Hondt Motorsports will field a Toyota for Santos in conjunction with Bill Davis Racing. Santos, a BDR development driver, has an open-wheel background. He is scheduled for 10 Busch races this year. BDR’s Gene Nead will be the crew chief.(SceneDaily.com)(4-28-2007)
- Wyler Racing teams up with American Commercial Lines: Wyler Racing has announced that American Commercial Lines (ACL) has signed on as a sponsor of the #60 Con-way Freight Toyota in the Craftsman Truck Series. ACL joins an impressive catalog of sponsors supporting Wyler Racing and three-time Craftsman Truck Series’ Champion Jack Sprague in their bid for the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship. ACL’s insignia will first appear on the #60 Con-way Freight Toyota on June 8th during the Sam’s Town 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.(Wyler Racing PR)(4-28-2007)
- Roush Fenway Racing to field part-time ARCA team with Darnell: UPDATE 2:Darnell scores second place finish: Roush Fenway Racing has announced that it will begin fielding a part-time ARCA RE/MAX Series team in 2007 with multiple drivers at the wheel. The #99 team will debut this weekend at Kansas Speedway with Erik Darnell, driver of the #99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford in the Craftsman Truck Series, assuming driving duties. Darnell competed in the ARCA RE/MAX Series in 2005. In five career starts, Darnell’s best finish is a fourth place at The Milwaukee Mile. Longtime Roush Fenway Racing employee Jeff Campey has been named crew chief of the #99 Ford Fusion. Most recently Campey worked as Roush Fenway’s Craftsman Truck Series shop manager. Campey has spent time atop the pit box, having called races for Greg Biffle and David Ragan.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(4-24-2007)
UPDATE: Roush Fenway Racing has announced that Simply Wow, a division of Source Direct Holdings, will sponsor it’s #99 Ford Fusion in the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Kansas Speedway on April 27 and at Kentucky Speedway on May 12. Roush Fenway Racing driver Erik Darnell will be behind the wheel for both events.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(4-26-2007)
UPDATE 2: Erik Darnell, driving the #99-Simply Wow Ford, scored a second-place finish in Roush Fenway Racing’s 2007 debut in the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Kansas Speedway on Friday night. Darnell had to fight hard for his runner-up finish, after starting the race in the 41st position following a procedural rule infraction before qualifying.(Roush Fenway PR)(4-28-2007)
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