May 3, 2010
- The Entry List for the Showtime Southern 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway is posted, 46 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including:
Kevin Conway moves back in to the #37 which is in the top-35 and David Gilliland is listed in the #38 which is not. Terry Cook left the #46, Yeley to drive at Darlington
Not in top 35 of owners points for the first five races in 2010:
#09-Mike Bliss (2009 race winner as owner)(40th/10)
#13-Max Papis (39th/10)
#26-David Stremme (2009 race winner as owner)(37th/10)
#32-Reed Sorenson (49th/3)
#36-Casey Mears (38th/10)
#38-David Gilliland (36th/10)
#46-J.J. Yeley (44th/10)
#55-Michael McDowell (42nd/10)
#64-Todd Bodine (50th/1)
#66-Dave Blaney (43rd/10)
#87-Joe Nemechek (41st/10)
In the event qualifying is rained out or cancelled:
the eight who would make it [8]: #’s 09,26,38,36,13,87,55,66
missing the race would be [3]: #’s 46,32,64
See the full entry list at my Jayski’s Darlington Entry List.(5-3-2010) - Cook leaves #46 team UPDATE Yeley In: per his Facebook page, Terry Cook announced – “Terry Cook, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender, is no longer with Whitney Motorsports effective immediately. Terry, who has been serving as Team Manager/ Driver, was uncomfortable with the direction that the team was heading towards and opted to leave the team.” No word who will drive the #46 Dodge at Darlington.(5-3-2010)
UPDATE: per the Whitney Motorsports Facebook page, J.J. Yeley will drive the #46 Dodge at Darlington.(5-3-2010) - Richmond overnight TV Ratings posted: NASCAR ON FOX earned a 3.4/7 on Saturday night for racing from Richmond International Raceway. The 3.4/7 for the short-track race was down -8% compared to last year’s 3.7/7. With the green flag coming a half-hour earlier this year, initial tune-in for the race was off slightly. Despite the overall decline, FOX’s race earned a 3.5/7 in Primetime. That gave FOX a narrow win for the night in the metered markets over second-place CBS’s 3.4/6, but that slim margin is set to expand when national ratings are tabulated and NASCAR gets its usual small-market bump. For the season-to-date NASCAR On FOX is now averaging a 4.6/10 in the overnights, down -2% compared to 2009’s 4.7/10.(5-3-2010), for season TV Ratings, race-to-race and four comparison chart on my 2010 TV Ratings page.(5-3-2010)
- Warren back in NASCAR: Dr. Eric Warren will return to the NASCAR circuit starting on Monday. Warren, who worked as an engineer with Evernham Motorsports and Michael Waltrip Racing before joining the fledgling U.S. Formula One effort, will handle simulation projects for Richard Petty Motorsports.(FoxSports)(5-3-2010)
- E15 Fuel in 2011?: When NASCAR takes the green flag in 2011, race cars are expected to be fueled by E15 — a mixture of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. Hendrick Motorsports is already testing the fuel and Roush Yates engines will start development with E15 in the next few weeks. According to RYE co-owner Doug Yates, the conversion is important to the sport. “Change is scary, but it’s exciting as well,” Yates said. “We have to keep up with the changes in the world to stay relevant. We need to be moving ahead.” Although fuel injection remains on the drawing board for 2011,Yates agrees with other engine gurus in the garage that the fuel issue must take priority. “Fuel injection is in our future, but it wasn’t as simple,” Yates said. “It has to be fair for every manufacturer. Ethanol will be first because they want it in all three series. So it would have to work for carburetor as well as fuel injection.” Although NASCAR stepped up discussion on the introduction of E15 fuels nine months ago, manufacturers disagree on the time frame of bringing the program to fruition. While one engine builder suggested six months, another suggested that E15 could be used sometime in the next 16 races — just not during the title-deciding Chase for the Sprint Cup. In 2003, NASCAR inked a 10-year deal with Sunoco to be the official fuel supplier for the sport. Despite inquiries to Sunoco a week ago regarding the switch to E15, FOXSports.com has not received a response. One possible ethanol partner appears to be POET ethanol products of Wichita, Kan. POET gained attention last week when President Barack Obama visited the company’s Macon, Mo. plant.(FoxSports)(5-3-2010)
- Generations of NASCAR Luminaries to Attend Grand Opening: NASCAR Hall of Fame officials released the names of NASCAR drivers, owners and executives planning to participate in the Tuesday, May 11 grand opening of the 150,000-square-foot facility in uptown Charlotte, N.C. As part of the historic day, 15 lucky customers will get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to enter the NASCAR Hall of Fame with a NASCAR celebrity. Fifteen winners will be randomly selected from the names of everyone who has purchased an annual membership or ticket to visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 11. Tickets must be purchased before 11:59pm/et on May 4. The first five names drawn will get the unique honor of being the first to walk into the new NASCAR Hall of Fame at 10 a.m. Those five lucky fans will be accompanied by Inaugural Inductees Richard Petty and Junior Johnson, three-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion Darrell Waltrip, 5-time NASCAR Grand National Champion Jack Ingram and reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Ron Hornaday. The remaining 10 names drawn will get to enter the venue with a well-known NASCAR competitor at their respective entry time. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is a timed-entry facility, meaning customers enter by appointment at the top of every hour. The 10 lucky fans will enter with NASCAR superstars Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and others.NASCAR Champions and special guests confirmed to participate in grand opening activities throughout the day include Bobby Allison, Johnny Benson, Greg Biffle, Todd Bodine, Chuck Bown, Busch, Richard Childress, Brian France, Steve Grissom, Harvick, Mike Helton, Rick Hendrick, Hornaday, Ingram, Dale Jarrett, Ned Jarrett, Johnson, Kahne, Travis Kvapil, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Bud Moore, Joe Nemechek, Petty, Mike Skinner, Martin Truex Jr., Rusty Wallace, Waltrip and Rex White. More names may be announced at a later date.
The one-hour Opening Ceremony will begin promptly at 9:00am/et and culminate with Petty, Johnson, Waltrip, Ingram, Hornaday and five lucky fans officially opening the interactive venue. The opening ceremony will be followed by a free community celebration outside the NASCAR Hall of Fame 10:00am-8:00pm/et. In addition to Bomshel, Lee Brice and Love and Theft concerts, other free outdoor activities will include driver appearances, question-and-answer sessions, autograph sessions, strolling entertainment and food vendors.
The star of the show that day will be the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Tickets to enter the high-tech, interactive attraction are on sale now and can be purchased at www.NASCARHall.com or by calling 877-231-2010. Tickets are $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors and military, $12.95 for children 5-12 and free for children younger than 5. Memberships provide unlimited entry for one year and start at $25 for children and $50 for adults. Group discounts, facility rentals and sponsorships also are available by calling 704-654-4400. For schedule of events for the grand opening, see nascarhall.com.(NASCAR Hall of Fame)(5-3-2010)
- Showtime Southern 500 week declared: The week of the Showtime Southern 500 has once again been named Darlington Raceway week in South Carolina. The South Carolina Senate and House of Representatives recently passed a Concurrent Resolution decaling race week “Darlington Raceway Week in South Carolina, a week ‘Too Tough To Tame.’” The famed track’s 60 year history is a major reason that the South Carolina Senate and House of Representatives passed this Concurrent Resolution. The Resolution outlines the historical significance of Darlington Raceway and addresses the role the track played in building the foundation of what has become the number one spectator sport in the country. The Showtime Southern 500 week will shift into high-gear on Thursday with the sixth annual Car Hauler Parade making its way from the Florence Civic Center through the Darlington Square and finishing at the track. The racing action will rev up on Friday with a full day of on-track activity scheduled including practice and qualifying for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series Royal Purple 200 presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts on Friday night. Saturday the Showtime Southern 500 will take the green-flag at 7:30 pm [actually around 7:44pm/et]. with NASCAR’s biggest stars battling for the Johnny Mantz Showtime Southern 500 trophy under the lights. Tickets for both Friday and Saturday are still available and can be purchased by calling 866-459-RACE or at the track’s website, DarlingtonRaceway.com.(Darlington Raceway)(5-3-2010)
- Groundbreaking for casino at Kansas Speedway: Kansas Entertainment, LLC, commenced construction of Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway as Company representatives and local officials recently conducted a groundbreaking ceremony at Turn 2, the track-side site of the new facility. Kansas Entertainment is a 50/50 joint venture of Penn Hollywood Kansas, Inc, a subsidiary of Penn National Gaming, Inc.and Kansas Speedway Development Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of International Speedway Corporation. The following company representatives and local officials participated in the groundbreaking ceremony:
· Tim Wilmott, President and Chief Operating Officer of Penn National Gaming;
· Troy Findley, Lieutenant Governor of Kansas;
· William Falstad, Commissioner of the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission;
· Ed Van Petten, Kansas Lottery Executive Director;
· Jeff Boerger, President of Kansas Speedway Development Corporation; and,
· Joe Reardon, Mayor of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County.
The first phase of Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway includes a state-of-the-art casino and is expected to open in early 2012 with 2,300 slot machines, 61 gaming tables and 25 poker tables on a 100,000 square-foot gaming floor. Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway will also feature 28,000 square-feet of other amenities including restaurants, clubs and night-life attractions. The addition of the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway is estimated to bring nearly 440,000 tourists per year and created 1,050 full time positions; elevating the state to a first-class, year-round tourist destination.(Kansas Speedway)(5-3-2010) - Upillar.com to sponsor Jason Keller’s 499th start at Darlington: Upillar.com, a free nationwide classified ad website, will sponsor TriStar Motorsports Jason Keller #35 at Darlington this weekend. “We are very excited to introduce Upillar.com to NASCAR” stated Keith Barnwell General Manager of TriStar Motorsports. “We hope to have another great run like Talladega and Richmond, and show Upillar.com the value of sponsorship in the NASCAR Nationwide Series”. Jason Keller added “To put a new sponsor on our car here in my home state of South Carolina is exciting. We need everyone here to jump on board with TriStar Motorsports and welcome Upillar.com to NASCAR Nationwide Series racing. I am looking forward to representing Upillar.com.” Upillar.com is a family friendly, safe, online classified website that reaches from California to New York. Along with classified ads, upillar.com also offers real estate listings, jobs, motors, and soon will offer free online dating. Upillar.com is a great alternative for automotive dealerships, costing them only $750 a year to list their entire inventory, unlike many competitors that charge tens of thousands of dollars per year for similar service. Jason Keller finished 4th in Talladega, and starts his 499th race in Darlington. (TriStar PR)(5-3-2010)
- Chad McCumbee returns to the #09: UPDATE: Robby Benton, owner of the #09 RAB Racing Ford, tweeted Monday morning: “Chad McCumbee will drive our #09 NNS entry @ Darlington this weekend. Looking forward to working with him again!(5-3-2010)
UPDATE: Chad McCumbee grew up a little more than two hours away from Darlington Raceway. Funny that despite his many years years of racing and growing up a huge fan of NASCAR, the 25-year-old has been to the famed ‘Lady in Black’ just once. And that was a a spectator. On Friday, McCumbee not only will be at Darlington Raceway for the first time in over seven years, he be driving the #09 car for RAB Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Royal Purple 200, his second career start in the series. McCumbee’s car in Darlington will be sponsored by the gpsstore.com, which is based in Ocean Isle Beach. The online-based company has been a supporter of McCumbee’s young career in NASCAR. McCumbee’s future in the Nationwide Series car is not clear. He said if sponsors will come on board, more opportunities may arise. “Right now, the team is on a week to week basis with sponsors,” McCumbee said. “If all goes well, hopefully we’ll find more. But it is so disheartening as a driver because your hands are tied. Owners are struggling. Drivers are struggling. It’s a totally different world now than a few years ago.” McCumbee also is hopeful to have an opportunity to drive in the Camping World Too Tough to Tame 200 on Aug. 14 at Darlington. His chances to race again will ride on the ability to get a sponsor, he said.(The Sun)(5-3-2010) - Mears in the 21 for some races: Casey Mears finished 26th in his debut with Tommy Baldwin Racing at Richmond. He is slated to drive the #21 Zaxby’s Chevy for RCR at the NNS stand-alone events at Nashville and Kentucky next month. He is also interested in running this year’s Indy 500.(Hot Lap)
- Ruud on the #33 at Darlington: For the Royal Purple 200 this weekend at Darlington Raceway, Ruud Heating and Cooling will serve at the primary sponsor of the #33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Chevrolet. Ruud Heating and Cooling is the oldest member of the ‘Rheem Family of Quality Brands,’ with a 100-plus year reputation for reliability and durability.(KHI PR)(5-3-2010)
- Teams preparing for Pocono test: After taming Dover International Speedway, one of the most unique tracks on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule on May 14, four teams will head to Pocono Raceway to test prior to the series’ first visit to the triangular track on July 31 [Monday, May 17th – closed to public]. Germain Racing, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and SS Green Light Racing have confirmed they will attend the test at the 2.5-mile track in northeastern Pennsylvania. The track is unique in and of itself, as it has one of the longest straight-aways in any NASCAR series (3,740 feet) and boasts only three turns. July’s race will be 50 laps or 125 miles. Pocono and Darlington Raceway are the only two tracks not on last year’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule that are on this year’s schedule.(NASCAR PR)[More NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News & Notes are posted on the Dover Race Page.(5-3-2010)
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