May 1, 2008
- Final Talladega TV Ratings up: NASCAR on Fox got back on track last weekend with a strong 5.7/13 (9.0 million viewers) for Sprint Cup racing from Talladega. That’s a +6% gain over last year’s 5.4/14 and it marks the first time in a month that a FOX NASCAR race has enjoyed year-to-year ratings growth (only one race in the last month was actually down, two others were flat year-to-year). Sunday’s 5.7/13 also made the Talladega race the weekend’s highest-rated sports programming. For the season-to-date, NASCAR On FOX is now averaging a 6.3/13 (10.5 mill.), a +3% gain over last year’s 6.1/13 (10.2 mill.). Sunday’s Talladega coverage kicked off with an expanded pre-race show that posted a 3.0/8 (4.5 mill.) from 1pm until the 2:22pm/et green flag. The expanded pre-race show earned the same rating as last year’s 53 minute pre-race show.(FoxPR), see more about the TV Ratings on my 2008 TV Ratings page.(5-1-2008)Comment here
- Marlin in the #40 at Darlington: Sterling Marlin will rejoin Chip Ganassi Racing as a temporary replacement for injured #40-Dario Franchitti at the May 10 Sprint Cup race at Darlington. Marlin said he also will be a standby for Franchitti for the May 25 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte [Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Coke 600]. Veteran driver Ken Schrader has been signed to replace Franchitti for Saturday’s Cup race [at Richmond]. Marlin already was scheduled to drive for #09 Phoenix Racing at Richmond. Marlin said he will test at Charlotte for Ganassi on Monday and Tuesday. He will not participate in the Sprint Cup All-Star race on May 17 in Charlotte. His daughter — a senior at Columbia Academy — is graduating from high school that weekend.(Tennessean)(5-1-2008)Comment here
- Lauren Wallace…”I’m a hundred miles away, son, ready to strike”: I get asked about ‘Lauren Wallace’ [no, it is NOT Warren, see geico.com or geicogarage.com], often, saw this article and figured I’d post it for folks to check out: The toughest, coolest, most ruthlessly ambitious driver in motorsports was born in Richmond, resides in Chicago, doesn’t have a driver’s license and is more familiar with the nuances of Hamlet than those of Denny Hamlin. Meet Lauren Wallace, the fictitious pre-adolescent pepperpot whose quest to replace distant cousin Mike Wallace behind the wheel of the No.7 GEICO Racing Camry is the premise for a series of popular and wickedly funny television commercials created for GEICO by the Richmond-based Martin Agency. Many believe Lauren to be a flesh-and-blood prodigy who one day will shove opponents out of his way on the high banks at Daytona. That perception is a tribute to the work of Eddie Heffernan, a 14-year-old actor who has breathed honest-to-goodness life into Lauren’s voice, mannerisms and ill-concealed contempt for his adult cousin. “As an actor, I can sort of relate to [Lauren the driver],” said Heffernan, who will not appear at Richmond International Raceway this weekend. “I’m probably not as cocky as Lauren is, but I understand his passion. Believe me, when I need to be, I can be pretty competitive.” Nor is that the only similarity. Lauren is a take-no-prisoners go-kart driver. Heffernan, a freshman at a Chicago-area public high school, says laps at a go-kart track near Nags Head, N.C., have long been personal highlights of his family’s vacation trips to the Outer Banks. “Every Christmas, I used to ask my parents for a go-kart,” he said. “One year, I actually got one. I drove it until it broke down.” See full story at the Richmond Times Dispatch.(5-1-2008) Comment here
- Hamlin Announces Foundation at Richmond: #11-Denny Hamlin will launch his new charitable foundation with the running of the Denny Hamlin 175 at Southside Speedway, the track where he cut his teeth in Late Model racing, in Midlothian, Va. on Thursday, May 1. The Denny Hamlin Foundation will focus primarily on raising awareness and funding for the specific needs of individuals afflicted with Cystic Fibrosis and will donate all proceeds from the charity event to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). Moving forward, in addition to CFF, the foundation also will support chronically ill children with other debilitating illnesses.(PR)(5-1-2008)
- Charter colors for Robby at RIR: Robby Gordon will race the #7 Charter Communications Dodge this weekend at Richmond International Raceway.(RGM), see image of the scheme on my #7 Team Schemes page.(5-1-2008)
- ESPN on ABC Talladega TV Ratings Score Big Jump from 2007:ESPN on ABC’s live telecast of Saturday’s Aarons 312 Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway scored big increases in ratings and household impressions over last year’s race, continuing an upward trend to series TV numbers in 2008. The race earned a 2.6 rating and 2,962,000 household impressions, increases of 28 and 29%, respectively, over the same categories for last year’s ABC telecast (2.1; 2,291,000). The event also earned the largest numbers for a Nationwide Series race on the ESPN networks since live NASCAR racing returned to ESPN in 2007, eclipsing the previous high of 2.4/2,699,000 for the March, 2007, event from Las Vegas that aired on ABC. The Talladega telecast also earned large increases across the board in important demographic categories, increasing 67% in Males 18-34, 50% in males 55 and older and 44% in persons 55 and older. Cable ratings for the series have also increased in 2008. The average rating for the five Nationwide Series events that have aired on ESPN2 is 1.9, a 10% increase over the 1.7 from this point last season. ESPN2 numbers do not include the rain-delayed event from California Speedway in February that was run on a Monday. ESPN’s multi-platform approach to NASCAR coverage is also showing increases in areas other than television. ESPN.com’s motorsports section has grown 32% in visits during 2008, and ESPN’s Fantasy Racing was up 43% in visits and 15% in page views during the Talladega weekend as compared to the same weekend last year. ESPN-owned Jayski.com was up 16% in visits during Talladega weekend.(ESPN PR)(5-1-2008)
- Steak-umm debut at Richmond: #01-Regan Smith and his team will be unveiling a new sponsor at Richmond — Steak-umm, the best known sandwich steak brand in the country. The company is using a special Steak-umm paint scheme on the #01 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet to promote their burgers.(DEI), see image of the scheme on my #01 Team Schemes page.(5-1-2008)
- Kenseth Back in Black: For the second time in 2008, Matt Kenseth’s #17 Ford will be painted black with the DEWALT NANO Technology paint scheme. Kenseth will also sport these colors at Darlington, the All-Star race, Bristol and the second Richmond race in 2008. The #17 crew will be unloading car RK-574 this weekend at Richmond, a brand new car.(Roush Racing), see images of the scheme on my #17 Team Schemes page.(5-1-2008)
- Richmond Rookie Notes: #01-Regan Smith was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the April 27 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. Smith scored a 21st-place finish and captured top rookie honors for the fourth time in nine races this season. He also led the race once for one lap and was the only Raybestos Rookie to lead at Talladega. Smith and #77-Sam Hornish Jr. share the lead in the Raybestos Rookie standings (86-86) entering the May 3 Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Since 1975, Brian Vickers (2004) and Morgan Shepherd (1981) are the only Raybestos Rookies to win a pole for the spring race at Richmond. Since 1975, only one Raybestos Rookie has won the spring race at Richmond: Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2000. Earnhardt Jr. led the race just once covering the final 31 laps and officially scored his second career win by .159 seconds over Terry Labonte. Only once since 1975 have TWO or more Raybestos Rookies finished in the top-10 in the Crown Royal 400. In 1979, Joe Millikan finished sixth followed by Terry Labonte, who claimed an eighth place finish.(Raybestos/Camp & Assoc), see standings, history and more on my 2008 Rookies Page.(5-1-2008)
- Bahre Makes Large Donation To Loudon: Bob Bahre has sold his NASCAR racetrack in Loudon, but he’s not forgetting the track’s neighbors. Without fanfare, Bahre gave Loudon selectmen $450,000 this month and asked them to split it between a half dozen churches, the town library and students struggling to afford college. He said he didn’t want them to make a big deal about where the money came from. Bahre helped many community organizations in the 20 years he ran the New Hampshire International Speedway before selling it last fall for $340 million. Library trustees and church elders are considering how to spend the money, and Merrimack Valley High School predicts the gift will help up to 15 of their students attend college in the fall.(wmur.com)(5-1-2008)
- Nationwide TV Coverage Change: Friday night’s ESPN production of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race from Richmond International Raceway has been moved to ESPN Classic and also will be simulcast on ESPN360.com and SPEED. The telecast begins at 7pm/et with NASCAR Countdown. The change was made to accommodate NBA playoff game six between Washington and Cleveland. Additionally, for fans without ESPN Classic, a special encore presentation of the race from start to finish will air that evening following the NBA game beginning at approximately 9:30pm on ESPN2.(ESPN)(5-1-2008) Comment here
- Race Fever 2008 Raises over $171,000 thanks to Drivers and Fans:More than 1,300 race fans, from 30 states and Canada, helped raise over $171,000 to benefit the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB) Foundation at the 23rd Annual Race Fever. Race Fever was held Friday evening, April 25, in the Speed Channel Dome at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. The event was hosted by racing legend Darrell Waltrip, former Auburn basketball coach Sonny Smith, and media personality Mike “The Bagman” Bagley. A total of 16 Sprint Cup and Nationwide drivers made appearances at Race Fever-many repeat attendees including Kyle Petty, Bobby Labonte, Kurt Busch, David Ragan, Joe Nemechek, Marcos Ambrose, A.J. Allmendinger, Brian Vickers, Paul Menard, Kevin Lepage, Travis Kvapil, David Gilliland, Scott Wimmer, Kelly Bires, Brad Coleman and Cale Gale. Race Fever is the largest source of unrestricted funds for the AIDB Foundation, the private fundraising arm of AIDB. Through five campuses in Talladega and nine regional centers throughout Alabama, AIDB serves more than 13,500 children and adults who are deaf, blind and multidisabled each year.(PR)(5-1-2008)
- MWR Adds Chief Marketing Officer to Executive Staff: Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) expanded the depth of its executive staff today, announcing the hiring of Terry Bassett as Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer as part of the young company’s organizational growth. Bassett, with over 20 years of sports marketing experience, will oversee the sales, marketing, media relations, licensing and sponsor service divisions for MWR, entering its 15th month competing on the NASCAR Sprint Cup level. Bassett comes to MWR after a two-year stint with the Miami Dolphins and previously worked for International Speedway Corp and Penske Motorsports, Inc. Several executive additions have solidified MWR since company founder Michael Waltrip formed an equal ownership partnership with Rob Kauffman in October of 2007. Calvin Wells III serves as the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, with Larry Johns serving as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Eric Warren as Vice President and Technical Director and Ty Norris as Vice President and General Manager.(Michael Waltrip Racing)(5-1-2008)
- Dale Jr. to interview Danica on radio: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. is scheduled to interview popular Indy Racing League driver Danica Patrick this week during his XM radio show, “Dale Jr. Unrestricted.” The interview with Patrick, who won the Indy Japan 300 in April, will air nationwide on the XM Sports Nation Channel 144 this Thursday at 7:30pm. Encore broadcasts will air at 10:30pm on Thursday and 1:30pm and 6:30pm on Saturday.(5-1-2008)
- Nationwide Series Live in Prime Time from Richmond: UPDATE 2: Moved to ESPN Classic & Speed: NASCAR drivers and fans consider Richmond International Raceway one of the most competitive tracks in the sport, and racing on the .750-mile track takes on even more excitement at night under the lights. ESPN2 will have a live, prime-time telecast as the Nationwide Series races at Richmond Friday night, May 2, beginning at 7 p.m. with NASCAR Countdown. The telecast also will air in high definition on ESPN2 HD. Marty Reid will be the lead announcer for ESPN2’s coverage, joined in the booth for analysis by Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN DISH Tech Center. Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by Wallace and Brad Daugherty in the ESPN pit studio.(ESPN PR)(4-28-2008)
UPDATE: Friday night’s ESPN production of the Nationwide Series race from Richmond has been moved to ESPN Classic and also will be simulcast on ESPN360.com and SPEED. The telecast begins at 7 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. The change was made to accommodate NBA playoff game six between Washington and Cleveland. Additionally, for fans without ESPN Classic, a special encore presentation of the race from start to finish will air that evening following the NBA game beginning at approximately 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2.(EPSN PR)(5-1-2008)
UPDATE 2: Here is the revised broadcast plan for the race:
* The live telecast of the race in its originally scheduled time slot (7–10:00 p.m. ET) will air simultaneously on both SPEED and ESPN Classic.
* ESPN2 will join the race live immediately following the Cavaliers – Wizards game and will also re-air the race in its entirety immediately following the conclusion of the race broadcast.
* Both NASCAR.com and ESPN.com will stream the race live.
* ESPN and SPEED will begin on-air promotion today (Thursday, May 1).
* SPEED’s live coverage from Richmond begins at 1:00 p.m. ET with NASCAR LIVE and will continue straight through the live broadcast of the race until 10:00 p.m. ET.(NASCAR PR)(5-1-2008) - Peanut Shop of Williamsburg Sponsorsing Rensi at Richmond: Team Rensi Motorsports driver Bobby Hamilton, Jr. hopes to prove false the old racing superstition of peanuts leading to bad luck in a NASCAR race. The #25 Peanut Shop of Williamsburg Ford will take the green flag on Friday night in the Lipton Team 250 at Richmond International Raceway.(Team Rensi PR)(5-1-2008)
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