May 1, 2012
- Energy Transfer Partners to merge with Sunoco: UPDATE: Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. and Sunoco, Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement whereby ETP will acquire Sunoco in a unit and cash transaction valued at $50.13 per share, or a total consideration of approximately $5.3 billion, based on ETP’s closing price on April 27, 2012. This combination will create one of the largest and most diversified energy partnerships in the country by expanding ETP’s geographic footprint and strengthening its presence in the transportation, terminalling and logistics of crude oil, NGLs and refined products. By acquiring Sunoco, ETP will also own Sunoco’s general partner interest and the incentive distribution rights (IDRs) in Sunoco Logistics Partners, as well as Sunoco’s 32.4 percent interest in Sunoco Logistics Partners’ limited partner units and Sunoco’s branded retail business, which generates additional stable cash flows from a portfolio of approximately 4,900 retail locations in the U.S. Sunoco’s logistics and retail businesses will continue to maintain headquarters in the Philadelphia area consistent with their current operating presence. In addition, under the merger agreement, Sunoco will continue its plans for exiting its refining business as previously announced, as well as continue its plans for the proposed refinery joint venture being discussed by Sunoco and The Carlyle Group. The transaction has been approved by each company’s board of directors and is expected to close in the third or fourth quarter of 2012, subject to approval of Sunoco shareholders and customary regulatory approvals.(in part from a pdf PR at sunocoinc.com), no word on how or if this will affect the sponsorship of NASCAR and use of Sunoco Racing Fuel in NASCAR.(4-30-2012)
UPDATE: Bob Owens, Sr. VP of Marketing for Sunoco, has published a letter to distributors indicating: “This corporate ownership change should be transparent and seamless. The iconic Sunoco brand, and our support of NASCAR will continue, as we strive to ‘keep people moving’.”(5-1-2012) - Overnight TV Ratings for Richmond: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing on FOX averaged a 3.4/6 on Saturday night for the race from Richmond International Raceway. That’s flat with last year’s performance of a 3.4/7 for the same race. Through nine races, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 4.4/9 in the meters, off -6% from last year’s 4.7/10. See TV Ratings from all the 2012 races as well as the 4 year comparison chart on the 2012 TV Ratings page.(4-30-2012)
- Brian Keselowski’s future plans up in the air: #92-Brian Keselowski, posted the following message to Facebook, Monday evening, “sorry everyone, but it looks like a no go on [Talladega] this weekend. Not sure where we go from here, but its not looking good right now. Im looking for work in and out of the sport, and hope to get things back going soon.”.(5-1-2012)
- Bank buys Mayfield’s home at foreclosure: Despite losing his home Monday, former race car driver Jeremy Mayfield could still be forced to pay more than $500,000 on it. For now, he has 10 days to move out of the house. On the steps of the Catawba County Courthouse, Mayfield’s foreclosed property went up for auction. A small group gathered to hear the details of the 400-acre property, but in the end, there was just one bid. Carolina Farm Credit, the same bank that loaned Mayfield millions of dollars to buy the property in 2006, won the auction. The bank bid less than the $2.3 million Mayfield owed on the home, meaning the bank could still go after the former NASCAR driver for the difference. Records show Mayfield had mortgage payments of $19,000 a month, but had not paid a bill since April 2011. The winning bid kicks of a 10-day upset period, where another buyer could come forward and make an offer. If not, Mayfield has until May 10 to leave the home. Mayfield was not at the auction. In a text message, his wife, Shana, only offered one comment: “It is what it is.”(WSOC)(5-1-2012)
- NASCAR announces hires for development of digital platform: With the launch of the new NASCAR.COM digital experience scheduled for Jan. 1, 2013, NASCAR Digital Media announced today a key hire with the addition of Colin Smith. Formerly Raycom Sports’ vice president, new media and distribution, Smith was named managing director, digital platform for the sanctioning body’s digital properties. Smith, a veteran digital media executive, will report to Marc Jenkins, vice president of NASCAR Digital Media. Smith will be responsible for the business of NASCAR’s digital platform which includes NASCAR.COM as well as the tablet and mobile experience. Under Smith’s purview will be e-commerce, subscription products, site optimization and content development. NASCAR Digital Media also announced that John Martin, who joined NASCAR Media Group in 2007 from Turner and has worked with NASCAR’s media division in some capacity since 2000, will lead the operations group of the NASCAR Digital Platform as managing director of digital operations. Earlier this year NASCAR and Turner Sports announced that the sanctioning body will manage business and editorial operations for its digital platforms beginning in 2013. Under this new partnership, NASCAR will assume operational control in 2013 of all of its interactive, digital and social media rights including technical operations and infrastructure of all NASCAR digital platforms.(NASCAR)(5-1-2012)
- Facts about Talladega Superspeedway:
• Construction began on what was then known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway on May 23, 1968.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on Sept. 14, 1969.
• The name changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989.
• Fourth repaving completed on Sept. 19, 2006.
• There have been 85 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Talladega Superspeedway since the track opened in 1969; two a year every year except the inaugural season, which had just one.
• Richard Brickhouse won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
• Bobby Isaac won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole in September 1969. Isaac won the first three poles there.
• 35 different drivers have won poles. Bill Elliott leads all drivers with eight poles.
• 41 different drivers have posted victories, led by Dale Earnhardt Sr. (10). Twenty drivers have won more than once.
• Jeff Gordon leads all other active drivers in victories, with six. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is second among active drivers in victories with five.
• Richard Childress Racing has won more than any other organization at Talladega with 12 wins.
• 33 of 85 races have been won from a top-two starting positions, including 13 from the pole; 23 have been won from a starting position outside the top 10. The most recent driver to win from the pole was Jeff Gordon in 2007 (spring).
• The furthest back in the field a race winner started was 36th, by Jeff Gordon in 2000.
• Mark Martin’s pace in the 1997 spring race set an all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup record for the fastest race ever. He won the caution-free race with an average speed of 188.354 mph and covered the 500-mile distance in two hours, 39 minutes and 18 seconds.
• The 2010 spring race set the all-time and track records for lead changes (88) and lap leaders (29). Last season’s spring race tied the 2010 record for most lead changes with 88 (amongst 26 lap leaders). The previous highs were 75 lead changes (set on May 6, 1984) and 28 lap leaders (set on Oct. 5, 2008). Both previous records also were set at Talladega.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. had four consecutive victories (October 2001 through April 2003), the most ever by a driver there. Buddy Baker (three – May 1975 through May 1976) is the only other driver to win more than two consecutive races there.
• Since the inception of electronic scoring in 1993, every race that has ended under green has had a margin of victory under half a second.
• The 2011 spring race tied the 03/16/2003 Darlington race won by Ricky Craven for the all-time record of the closest series finish (0.002 seconds) since the inception of electronic scoring.
• Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway winner: Bobby Hillin Jr. (07/27/1986 – 22 years, 1 month, 22 days).
• Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway winner: Harry Gant (05/06/1991 – 51 years, 3 months, 26 days).(NASCAR)(5-1-2012) - Homestead tickets on sale Tuesday: Tickets for NASCAR’s Ford Championship Weekend go on sale to the general public Tuesday (May 1) at 9:00 a.m. EST. This fall will mark the 11th consecutive year champions will be crowned in South Florida for NASCAR’s top three national series – the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series- the weekend of November 16-18. Tickets are available online at www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com and by calling 866.409.RACE. Prices start at $55 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup season-ending race. Fan amenities continuing this year include:
• Exclusive benefit for Three-day Package – Fans purchasing a three-day package will have on-track access for post-race celebrations for all three championship races.
• Kid’s Pricing – Kids 12 and under are free in general admission sections to both Friday’s Camping World Truck Series Championship and Saturday’s Nationwide Series Championship. Youngsters 12 and under will be admitted for half-price in reserved grandstands to Sunday’s Sprint Cup Championship.(HMS)(5-1-2012) - Teams have bumper covers confiscated: UPDATES: All three Richard Childress Racing teams and all three Turner Motorsports teams replaced the upper front bumper covers on their Nationwide Series cars Thursday after NASCAR confiscated modified bumper covers during inspection. Nationwide teams went through inspection Thursday at Richmond International Raceway to prepare for practice Friday morning and the race Friday night. Any penalties will be announced next week. No crew members were ejected from the track. Included in the group were the cars of series points leader #2-Elliott Sadler, who drives for RCR and has a four-point lead on Roush Fenway Racing’s #6-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Along with Sadler, other drivers who had their front bumper covers confiscated were RCR’s #3-Austin Dillon and #33-Kevin Harvick and Turner’s #30-James Buescher, #31-Justin Allgaier and #38-Kasey Kahne.(Sporting News)(4-26-2012)
UPDATE: Elliott Sadler, interviewed on SiriusXM Radio Monday afternoon said that the team crew chiefs and car chiefs had been placed on probation and fined $10,000. NASCAR has not yet officially announced the penalty.(5-1-2012)
UPDATE 2: NASCAR announced that six NASCAR Nationwide Series crew chiefs had been fined and placed on probation for violations during this past weekend’s event at Richmond International Raceway. In addition, the teams’ respective car chiefs have also been placed on probation for the remainder of the year. Crew chiefs Luke Lambert (#2 team), Danny Stockman (#3 team), Trent Owens (#30 team), Jimmy Elledge (#31 team), Ernie Cope (#33 team), and Mike Shiplett (#38 team) have each been fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Additionally, the teams’ respective car chiefs – Phil Gould (#2), Robert Strmiska (#3), Shannon Rursch (#30), Ronald Hornaday III (#31), Paul Balmer (#33), and Christopher Meyers (#38) – have likewise been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. The rules violations referred to Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20-A of the rule book); 20A-2.1E (streamlining of the contours of the car, beyond what is approved by the series director will not be permitted. Installation of air directional devices, underpans, baffles, shields or the like beneath the car or the car’s hood and fender area, front firewall, floor, rear firewall area, rear deck and quarter panel will not be permitted. If, in the judgment of NASCAR officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance, will not be permitted. All cars must remain standard in appearance); 20A-3.10A (front upper bumper cover must be from the respective OEM manufacturer and must be approved by NASCAR. The front lower bumper cover and rear bumper cover must be from an approved manufacturer and must be approved by NASCAR. Once approved, the front lower bumper covers may be used on all approved models. NASCAR officials may use bumper covers provided by the respective manufacturer as a guide in determining whether a competitor’s bumper cover conforms to the specifications of the NASCAR rule book. Unless otherwise authorized by the series director, cutting and reshaping of bumper covers will not be permitted.)(NASCAR)(5-1-2012) - Richmond TV Ratings: ESPN2’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway on Friday night, April 27, earned a 1.0 household coverage rating (0.9 U.S. rating), averaging 1,391,701 viewers, according to the Nielsen Company. Viewership was up slightly from the last time the race aired on ESPN2 in 2010. Last year’s race aired on the SPEED network. In 2010, the race aired on ESPN2 and earned a 1.1 household coverage rating, averaging 1,357,449 viewers.(ESPN)(5-1-2012)
- Kenny Wallace back in the driver’s seat at Talladega: Kenny Wallace will pilot RAB Racing with Brack Maggard Chassis #38 in Saturday’s Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway. This chassis last saw action in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, where Wallace led a lap early and had a strong run going, but an unavoidable multi-car incident on lap 104 eliminated the St. Louis native prematurely, crediting him with a 29th-place finish. American Ethanol returns as the primary sponsor of the #99 RAB Racing machine this weekend.(RAB Racing)(5-1-2012)
- Truex returns to the #20: Ryan Truex steps back into the #20 Grime Boss Toyota Camry this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway with Joe Gibbs Racing. The 20-year-old Mayetta, N.J. native earned his fourth consecutive top-10 finish his last time out with the organization at Bristol Motor Speedway, finishing 10th. Inseven events with JGR, he has claimed one top-five and five top-10 finishes, and has an average start of 7.0 and average finish of 9.14 in the #20.(Joe Gibbs Racing)(5-1-2012)
- JD Motorsports loses hauler to fire: UPDATE: JD Motorsports, the #01 Chevy in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, suffered a total loss to their hauler on Sunday evening when it caught fire at their race shop. There were no injuries and the tractor was detached and pulled away before suffering any damages. However, their hauler loaded with equipment, some uniforms, back-up parts, engines, shocks and springs for their operation was a total loss. The only good part was the primary and backup #01 Restaurant.com Chevys for this weekend’s NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway were not on the hauler. The race shop itself didn’t suffer any damage, as well. “The fire department told me the fire started near the refrigerator on the hauler;” said Johnny Davis, team owner. “That’s powered by propane, like everyone else’s is on these haulers. It started around 7 p.m. and we were able to detach the tractor before anything happened to it and get that out of the way. The hauler itself is a total loss; almost everything on there is burnt beyond use. Luckily, the fine folks at Robby Benton Racing (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series) stepped up and will let us use their hauler for this weekend’s race. We were also fortunate enough to have Black’s Tire helps us out to get to race this weekend, too. On behalf of everyone on my team, we’d all like to thank them for their help.”(JD Motorsports)(4-30-2012)
UPDATE: HalfOffDeals.com, a co-Sponsor of the JD Motorsports #01 Restaurant.com Chevy driven by Mike Wallace, NeoFill’s discount deals program, would like to help the team rebuild following the total loss of the team’s hauler in a fire on Sunday evening at their race shop. “Restaurant.com and HalfOffDeals.com are already partnering to provide an incredible value for consumers,” said Jim Varga, CEO and Founding Partner of NeoFill. “Now, we want to make it even better and help to take care of our JD Motorsports and NASCAR families at the same time by donating 10% of sales to the JD Motorsports team.” Visit www.HalfOffDeals.com/donate to purchase a $200 eGift Card to Restaurant.com for only $35 with 10 percent from all related sales going back to the team throughout the month of May. All in all, Restaurant.com offers diners the opportunity to choose from nearly 50,000 dining deals at more than 18,000 neighborhood restaurants nationwide.(JD Motorsports)(5-1-2012) - Second start of the season for Sweet: Brad Sweet, will make his second start of the season in the #38 Great Clips Chevy this weekend at the famed Talladega Superspeedway. His first start of 2012 came at Auto Club Speedway where he proved impressive by bringing home a sixth-place finish. Sweet shares driving duties of the #38 with Kasey Kahne this season with Kahne scheduled to compete in 15 races and Sweet competing in the balance of the 33-race schedule.(Turner Motorsports)(5-1-2012)
- NASCAR reinstates crew member Ryan Sebek: NASCAR has reinstated crew member Ryan Sebek upon his successful completion of NASCAR’s Road to Recovery Program. Sebek had been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR April 13, 2010 for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.[Sebek was a crew member for the #76 team in the Camping World Truck Series at the time of his suspension.](NASCAR Integrated Markient Communications)(5-1-2012)
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