May 3, 2006
- Lowe’s Motor Speedway testing – over: so far today, #41-Reed Sorenson wrecked, backing into the wall hard and #12-Ryan Newman spun, but didn’t hit anything. #9-Kasey Kahne received medical clearance Wednesday morning and is testing his #9 Dodge Dealers UAW-Dodge at Lowes Motor Speedway. “I feel great” said Kahne. “Obviously my hips and my shoulders are a little sore from getting hit in the side but they wanted to do some scans and just check me out and make sure everything was good and all the results were clear so we’re good to go.”(PRN’s Garage Pass Radio Show)
Afternoon Speeds: 71 cars took to the track in the afternoon session, with #38-Sadler the fastest at 181.622mph, followed by #20-Stewart 181.385, #18-Yeley 181.202, #42-Mears 181.087 and #31-Burton 180.832. Some notes: Johnny Sauter is testing a #70 Dodge for Haas CNC [not sure why not a Chevy like teammate #66-Green], Bill Elliott is testing a #00 Dodge, Terry Labonte is testing the #44 Chevy, Kevin Lepage is back testing the #49 Dodge…looks like the #61 team skipped testing, Carl Long is testing the #37 R.J. Racing Dodge [was the slowest of the session].
Evening Speeds: 65 cars took to the track Wednesday evening, speeds jumped up quite a bit with #40x-David Stremme leading the way at 186.929mph, almost 2mph over the next driver, #70-Johnny Sauter [now listed in a Chevy] at 185.179, then #21b-Ken Schrader 185.058, #32a-Travis Kvapil 183.874 and #11-Denny Hamlin 183.237. Michael Waltrip drove the #00 Dodge Bill Elliott had tested earlier; Carl Long and Kerry Earnhardt shared duties in the #37b Dodge. #37-Carl Long and #34-Chad Chaffin wrecked in the evening session.
See all the speeds from day 1 and 2 as well as and cumulative [best speed by driver overall with session listed] on my Lowe’s Motor Speedway Testing page.(5-3-2006) - Changes at the #49 team? UPDATE Wallace at RIR: rookie driver Brent Sherman, who drives the #49 BAM Racing Dodge, tested the car Tuesday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, but Kevin Lepage, who usually driver the #61 Ford [which was not on the speed charts Tuesday], tested the #49 in the evening session. Supposedly there could be another driver in the #49 as soon as Richmond, may be a part-time thing.
UPDATE: Mike Wallace is now listed as the driver of the #49 Dodge at Richmond per nascar.com’s entry list.(5-3-2006) - #74 Penalty Upheld: On May 2, 2006, the National Stock Car Racing Commission [Terry Eames, Humpy Wheeler, George Silbermann, Chairman] heard and considered the Appeal of McGlynn Motorsports. The appeal concerned three penalties issued by NASCAR following inspection on April 7, 2006 for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event at Texas Motor Speedway. The infractions concerned Section 12-4-A of the NASCAR Rule Book “Actions detrimental to stock car racing”; Section 12-4-Q “Any determination by NASCAR Officials that the car, car parts, components, and/or equipment used in the Event do not conform to NASCAR rules; and Section 20-5.9G(1) “External modifications to the intake manifold will not be permitted unless approved by the Series Director.” The penalties assessed were:
• Loss of 25 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Championship Car Owner Points for owner Raynard McGlynn.
• Loss of 25 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Championship Driver Points for driver Derrike Cope.
• $50,000.00 fine for crew chief Domenick Turse.
The Appellants acknowledged that the intake modifications violated the rules, but appealed the severity of the penalties. The Commission found that the penalties assessed are consistent with penalties for similar infractions of an overt nature in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Therefore it is the unanimous decision of the National Stock Car Racing Commission to uphold the original penalties assessed by NASCAR. The Appellants have the right under Section 15 of the Rule Book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Commissioner.(NASCAR)(5-3-2006) - Jarrett/Toyota offer..$20 million? UPDATE done deal? Toyota – The Japanese automaker has pumped in tens of millions of dollars into its teams to launch a Nextel Cup program in 2007. Car owner Michael Waltrip is rumored to be dangling a two-year, $20 million contract in front of Dale Jarrett to get him into a Toyota.(Speed Channel)
UPDATE: #99-Dale Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR Cup champion, is expected to help head up the company’s [Toyota] 2007 entry into the series, agreeing to join Michael Waltrip Racing next season. Several sources have confirmed that Jarrett, 49, informed Robert Yates Racing officials of his decision April 26. UPS, the primary sponsor of the No. 88 Ford, is also in the final year of its contract with the team. And sources have indicated that the overnight delivery service provider would like to remain with RYR, provided the team can sign a competitive driver rather than someone just embarking on a Cup career. If the latter is the case, it’s likely that UPS will make the move with Jarrett to Waltrip’s organization. RYR typically attempts to sign sponsors for the length of its drivers’ contracts. Because of that, those sponsors have some leverage in driver selection. Possible driver candidates that have been mentioned in the Toyota mix have included Richard Childress Racing’s Kevin Harvick and owner/driver Robby Gordon. However, car owner Richard Childress said April 29 that he is close to signing Harvick to an extension. Gordon, who has fielded his own team since 2005, has an existing relationship with Red Bull through his off-road racing efforts.(in part from SceneDaily.com)(5-3-2006) - Davis to run #89 for Shepherd: #0 Busch Series driver, Kertus Davis announced that he will attempt to make his first Nextel Cup start this weekend in Richmond for the Crown Royal 400. Davis recieved the call to drive the #89 Dodge, normally driven by Morgan Shepherd. “We’re really excited about this opportunity, and hope that we can put on a good show for everyone,” Kertus said. Davis is also entered to run the NASCAR Busch Series race in the #0 RaceGirl Chevy that he normally pilots.(kertusdavis.com)(5-3-2006)
- Inside Nextel Cup…with an audience? hearing Speed Channel is looking into testing their Inside Nextel Cupshow [Monday’s at 7:00pm/et] in front of a live studio audience at some point this summer.(5-3-2006)
- New colors for Bowyer at Richmond: Clint Bowyer’s #07 Chevy will feature a new look this weekend to highlight Prilosec OTC’s sponsorship of RCR. Bowyer’s mainstay sponsor Jack Daniel’s will be featured on the car’s lower-rear quarter panel and on the deck lid.(RCR PR), see an image of the scheme on my #07 Team Schemes page.(5-3-2006)
- Harvick/Childress close to a deal UPDATE: Richard Childress and #29-Kevin Harvick are close to a deal that would keep the driver with Richard Childress Racing well beyond the 2006 season. “I think (a deal) is real likely,” Childress said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. “We hope to get it done in the next couple of weeks.” Harvick, in the final year of his contract with RCR, was considered a major target for Toyota, which is entering NASCAR’s Nextel Cup series in 2007, especially after he voiced concerns late last season that his current team was not capable of winning a championship. Childress said he met with Harvick earlier this week and got most of the deal worked out.(Associated Press)(4-29-2006)
UPDATE: look for an announcement soon that Harvick has signed to stay with RCR thru 2009.(also see more at NASCAR.com(4-30-2006)
UPDATE 2: announcement could come as soon as Friday as RCR has a press conference scheduled at Richmond.
AND As Kevin Harvick and car owner Richard Childress continue their contract talks, teammate Jeff Burton hopes Harvick will stay at RCR. “I want Kevin to stay. Kevin is valuable to our effort. Obviously his talent speaks for itself. Kevin to me has proven to be a good teammate and I don’t want Kevin to go anywhere.” Burton says he hasn’t been the middle of the discussions because “It’s about what they want to do, it has nothing to do with what I want to do. I think Kevin’s only hang up is…can we do as a company what we need to do to be successful and to compete for championships. It’s nothing personal, it’s all just about performance. Kevin is talented enough and good enough he deserves to have a chance at the very best equipment he can get his hands on because if he has it he can be highly successful. I can speak from experience…he won’t go somewhere else and see a whole lot more than what he can see right here.”(PRN’s Garage Pas Radio Show)(5-3-2006) - #09 to skip Richmond; Wallace tests #52 at LMS: James Finch’s #09 Phoenix Racing Team has decided to not compete in this weekend’s Nextel Cup Series race at Richmond [they tested there] so they can pool all their efforts towards their #1 Miccosukee Gaming Dodge entry in the Busch Series race the day before at the same track. Mike Wallace will continue as the driver of the #1 car this weekend. Also, today Wallace tested the #52 car for Rick Ware at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Wallace will drive the #52 in the Nextel Open race later this month [May 20].(motorsportslounge.com)(5-3-2006)
- DNF’s – Blaney at 27: #22-Dave Blaney has been running at the finish in 27 consecutive races, the longest current streak. Next is #29-Kevin Harvick at 21 races.(5-3-2006)
- NASCAR on Fox wins 3 Emmys: Fox Sports officials announced that the network has won three Emmy awards for its NASCAR coverage. “NASCAR on Fox” won Emmys for Outstanding Technical Team Remote, Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound and Outstanding Live Sports Series. This is the second time NASCAR on Fox has been recognized for an outstanding live sports series and raises the series’ Emmy total to nine in five years of coverage.(SceneDaily.com)(5-3-2006)
- Childress Vineyards Set to Release Racing Collection: Childress Vineyards is set to release its first collection of race-related wine sets celebrating the championship style of RCR Racing, one of NASCAR’s most winning franchises owned by Richard Childress. The Collector’s Edition sets will feature “Champion’s Blend” Meritage Red Wine individually boxed with two etched crystal Childress Vineyards logo wine glasses. Each of RCR’s car numbers, #29, #31, #21, and #2, will have its own label while a special bottling, called “Legendary,” is planned for the #3. The “Legendary” Limited Collector’s Edition will come in a boxed set along with two etched crystal wine glasses, featuring the number 3. Members of Childress Vineyards Fast Track Wine Club will have the first opportunity to order the Collector’s Edition boxed sets until April 30. Remaining supplies will go on sale to the general public on Monday, May 15 with a limit of 3 per person. The sets will be sold exclusively at the winery in Lexington, N.C. Each will retail for $99.99. Wine club members will receive a discount of 15%.(RCR)(5-3-2006)
- Testing at LMS – Day 1, spins. wrecks, some speeds SPEED page: Nextel Cup Series teams are turning laps today at Lowes Motor Speedway testing the newly repaved surface. Several drivers have already had problems including Paul Menard who spun in turn four and flattened the right side of the #15 Menards Chevy. “Something broke in the front end, probably a tie rod is what we’re thinking. Something broke and then she went straight.” Joe Nemechek also spun in turn four and backed the #01 US Army Chevy into the wall. Neither driver was injured. Brian Vickers spun his #25 GMAC Chevy in turn two but didn’t hit anything. #99-Carl Edwards was very impressed with the surface saying “The most noticeable thing is it’s glass smooth. There’s a couple little-bitty bumps but overall it’s very smooth, and they don’t have any lines painted on it. It’s wild, it’s so dark, you know black and there’s no lines, no nothing, it’s hard to get perspective a little bit but it’s gonna be fun.”
More crashes and spinners prior to the dinner break. #2-Kurt Busch hit in the inside of the turn two wall and crunched the right front of the Miller Lite Dodge. #49-Brent Sherman spun between turns three and four and flattened the side of his car. #11-Denny Hamlin spun in turn two but didn’t hit anything. #22-Dave Blaney got too close to the turn four wall and lightly damaged his machine. In the evening session, #1-Martin Truex Jr. wrecked and #25-Vickers spun, no one was injured.(PRN’s Garage Pas Radio Show)
AND Among the drivers testing at the track outside Charlotte are Bill Elliott in the #00 Michael Waltrip Racing Dodge in preparation of his five-race schedule, which will begin July 9 at Chicagoland. Johnny Sauter is testing a #70 Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet for possible future races, including the Coca-Cola 600 at LMS.(SceneDaily.com), no speeds reported yet.
AND II Kyle Petty and the #45 Petty Enterprises Dodge team were the sixth fastest at the end of the afternoon session. Petty ran a lap of 30.015 seconds at a speed of 179.910mph. Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team were the 41st fastest after the afternoon session. Labonte had a fast lap of 30.408 seconds/179.585mph.(Petty Racing/Moore Consulting Group PR)(5-2-2006)
SPEEDS: Sixty-Five cars took to the track in the afternoon session of testing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Fastest was #29a-Harvick with a speed of 180.620mph, followed by #20b-Stewart 180.481, #48-Johnson 180.439, #31b-Burton 180.391 and #6b-Martin 180.066. Slowest were #15b-Menard 173.617 and #49-Sherman 174.205
In the Evening session: fastest of 66 cars were #07a-Bowyer at 183.892mph, followed by #11-Hamlin 183.799, #20b-Stewart 183.717, #99b-Edwards 183.705 and #21b-Schrader 183.667. Slowest were #32b-Kvapil 178.147 and #40a-Stremme 178.424. Looks like Kevin Lepage took over the #49 Dodge for the evening session.
See all the speeds from day 1 on my Lowe’s Motor Speedway Testing page.(5-3-2006) - Foyt in the #14 at Richmond: UPDATE: Following his release from Braun-Akins Racing 3 weeks ago, A.J. Foyt IV makes his return to the Busch Series Friday at Richmond. He will be be driving the #14 for FitzBradshaw Racing.(Scene Daily)(5-2-2006)
UPDATE: As part of its involvement in NASCAR Busch Series racing, Ingersoll Rand announced today that the company will run the #14 Dodge Charger with a special Schlage branded paint scheme at the upcoming Circuit City 250 held at Richmond on May 5. A.J. Foyt IV will drive the Dodge Charger supplied by FitzBradshaw Racing.(FBR PR)(5-3-2006) - Ashton Lewis at the Pentagon: Ashton Lewis and other members of Team Rensi Motorspots are visiting the Pentagon today. Lewis and the other team members will visit with our militayr’s leadership to thank them for their hard work protecting our freedom.(Rensi PR)(5-3-2006)
- Olympia Steel Buildings to Sponsor Kauffman at Richmond: The Olympia Steel Buildings paint scheme will adorn the hood of the #12 Dodge Charger in Richmond. This will be the first race that Olympia Steel Buildings will be the primary sponsor on a FitzBradshaw Dodge. The company has been an associate sponsor on both the #12 and #14 cars for the last two years.(FBR PR)(5-3-2006)
- Stonebridge to Sponsor June Dover Busch Race: Stonebridge Life Insurance Company will sponsor the StonebridgeRacing.com 200 NASCAR Busch Series race at Dover International Speedway on Saturday, June 3, 2006.(Dover PR)(5-3-2006)
- Green and Andretti Test at Daytona: Busch Series drivers John Andretti and David Green completed a one-day tire test at Daytona International Speedway on Monday. “There are a million different ways to build a tire and they (Goodyear) always want to give us the best opportunity not only to have a competitive car but something that meets the needs of everybody,” Andretti said.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(5-3-2006)
- Mack denies association with Curry Racing: George Mack’s management company has informed us that George Mack (former IRL driver) is not contracted and/or scheduled to drive for Curry Racing. NyceLife Marketing Group (George Mack’s management) apologizes to the press, collaborating sponsors, fans and George Mack supporters for any confusion. (George Mack PR)(5-3-2006)
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