May 6, 2009
- MtnDew scheme for Dale Jr. at Darlington: Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive a special #88 Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevy this weekend at Darlington Raceway. The #88 machine will display on its hood the new Mountain Dew logo unveiled earlier this year. The car will be painted in a metallic silver, black and “Mountain Dew” green. Mountain Dew has been a part of the sport since 1981, when Darrell Waltrip won his first of two championships in the Dew car. Last year’s paint scheme had an “old school” retro feel, and this weekend’s car will have a “new school” look. AND Later this month, Earnhardt’s #88 machine will have a different look at the May 16 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. The 34-year-old driver chose white as the primary color for his Chevy, which will sport a paint scheme showcasing the Dale Jr. Foundation that weekend. Hendrick Motorsports’ next top-five finish will be the organization’s 700th in Sprint Cup competition. Since 1984, Hendrick drivers have scored 178 wins, 699 top-five finishes and 1,154 top-10s.(HMS PR), see images of the schemes on my #88 Team Schemes page.(5-6-2009)
- added some specical schemes: #43 Reynold’s Wrap, #18 Halloween M&M’s, #88 National Guard ACU Camo, #2 Miller Lite Taste Protector Lid, #33 BB&T, #07 DiecrTV.(5-6-2009)
- Martin to run full Sprint Cup season in 2010: Mark Martin will return to drive the #5 Chevy of Hendrick Motorsports for the entire 36-race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season in 2010. It will be the 22nd full-time Cup campaign of Martin’s career and his second with car owner Rick Hendrick. Last July, Martin signed a two-year contract with Hendrick Motorsports covering one full Sprint Cup season in 2009 and one part-time schedule of 26 events in 2010. The revised agreement was signed this week. “Week in and week out, Mark continues to be one of the best race car drivers in the world,” Hendrick said. “He’s already made an incredible contribution to Hendrick Motorsports, and our entire company is excited about running another full season and winning races with him in 2010.” With his April 18 victory at Phoenix, Martin became just the fourth driver to record 400 top-10 finishes in Sprint Cup competition. It was his 36th career win in NASCAR’s top series. “It means a lot to drive the #5 Chevy for Rick and for Hendrick Motorsports,” said Martin, 50, of Batesville, Ark. “I’m in the best condition of my life, I’m recharged, and I’m motivated. Going to the racetrack every weekend is still really fun, and that’s the key. There’s more gas in my tank.” Martin will continue to work alongside crew chief Alan Gustafson in 2010. Gustafson has led the #5 team since 2005, recording five wins and two berths in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. The #5 team’s sponsorship lineup for 2010 has not been determined.(HMS PR)(5-6-2009)
- Valvoline to Pay Tribute to Inman, Crew Chiefs at Darlington: Valvoline will pay tribute to legendary crew chief Dale Inman, and all crew chiefs, with a special paint scheme on the Richard Petty Motorsports #43 Dodge Charger for Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway. The Valvoline Dodge, piloted by Reed Sorenson, will feature the names of Valvoline crew chiefs from both NASCAR and NHRA, and a crew chief-tribute logo on the hood. The decklid will feature Inman, who was a crew chief for eight NASCAR Cup championships — seven with Richard “The King” Petty and one with Terry Labonte. Inman, 72, who continues to be involved at Richard Petty Motorsports, said he was proud of the crew chief recognition on the famed #43 car. “I am biased, but in my opinion crew chiefs are the backbone of a racing operation and I salute Valvoline for not only being a great technological partner but also for this special tribute,” said Inman. Valvoline captured 60 professional victories with its sponsored NASCAR and NHRA teams in 2008, and has already notched 13 wins in 2009, including Matt Kenseth’s Daytona 500 victory. Valvoline is used by about one-third of the Sprint Cup field. In addition to the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43, some of the other teams include the rest of the Richard Petty Motorsports stable, Roush Fenway Racing and Robby Gordon Motorsports.(DMF Communications PR), see an image of the scheme on my #43 Team Schemes page.(5-6-2009)
- Star Trek scheme back at Darlington: The #12 Dodge Charger of David Stremme will have a new look for the Saturday night race in Darlington. For the second consecutive week, the #12 Dodge Charger will sport a special paint scheme to help promote the theatrical release of “Star Trek.” The movie hit theaters nationwide yesterday. The #12 Penske Racing Star Trek Dodge team will use chassis PRS-610 during Saturday night’s 500-mile race at the famed Darlington Raceway. PRS-610 is a new car to the #12 Penske Dodge Charger team.(Penske Racing PR), see images of the scheme on my #12 Team Schemes page.(5-6-2009)
- Smith close to signing for 2010 ride? UPDATE: Reigning Sprint Cup rookie of the year #78-Regan Smith appears close to signing a deal for a fulltime ride in 2010. Smith lost his ride at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing before the start of this season due to lack of sponsorship. He has competed in five events for Furniture Row Racing, with a season-best 15th at Talladega two weeks ago. Smith finished all 34 races he qualified for last season in the #01 at Dale Earnhardt Inc., which has since merged with Ganassi Racing.(ESPN Insider)(5-5-2009)
UPDATE: Smith and Furniture Row Racing have been discussing an arrangement for 2010. The number of races has not been determined at this time — the ultimate is to have Smith run a full schedule in the #78. Furniture Row Racing is currently working on sponsorship opportunities and is optimistic about 2010.(Furniture Row Racing PR)(5-6-2009) - Sorenson to test at Infineon TODAY: #43-Reed Sorenson will come to Infineon Raceway on Wednesday, May 6, for a one-day test session. Sorenson has a best finish of 29th (2006) in two starts on the Sonoma Valley road course. Sorenson is expected to test the challenging 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in late-model stock cars provided by a Northern California-based race team. He will be coached by road-course veteran Chris Cook, who has also worked with NASCAR drivers David Reutimann, Johnny Sauter and Los Gatos’ AJ Allmendinger in Sonoma. Sorenson will return for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR weekend, June 19-21 (Father’s Day weekend), at Infineon Raceway. For tickets, call 800-870-RACE or visit www.infineonraceway.com.(Infineon Raceway PR), also hearing other drivers will also test including: #20-Joey Logano, #47-Marcos Amrbose and #00-David Reutimann.(5-5-2009)
UPDATE: Sorenson is the only scheduled Sprint Cup driver for Wednesday’s test, the others are expected to test at Infineon Raceway on June 9th and 10th.(5-6-2009) - Tire testing at Daytona UPDATE: Goodyear has scheduled a tire test at Daytona International Speedway for Monday, May 4 and Tuesday, May 5, 9am/et. Drivwers scheduled to test: #5-Mark Martin, #47-Marcos Ambrose, #77-Sam Hornish Jr., #82-Scott Speed, #98-Paul Menard, #33-Clint Bowyer, #?-Aric Almirola [Earnhardt Ganassi Racing], #20-Joey Logano, #26-Jamie McMurray and #44-A.J. Allmendinger.(5-1-2009)
UPDATE: With the upcoming Coke Zero 400 Weekend Powered By Coca-Cola on July 2-4 two months away, 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers participated in a two-day Goodyear tire test on Monday and Tuesday at Daytona International Speedway. Among the drivers participating in the test includes #5-Mark Martin, #47-Marcos Ambrose, #77-Sam Hornish Jr., #82-Scott Speed, #98-Paul Menard, #33-Clint Bowyer, Aric Almirola, #20-Joey Logano, #26-Jamie McMurray and #44-A.J. Allmendinger. “When you get here, they let you get your stuff sorted out and get your car handling good and then they start throwing tires at you and getting your input on which one you think is best,” said Bowyer on Monday after the first day of testing. “We were able to get out there and draft a little bit and just try to get the speeds up as much as possible and go through the motions of the different tires and which we think is best.” Having such a big group of drivers here for the two-day test on the 2.5-mile tri-oval has helped Goodyear engineers gather a significant amount of information. “Just having three or four cars out there drafting, you don’t get the effect, you don’t get the sensation of the speed, what the cars go through in the draft, so we needed a few more cars here then just two or three cars out there drafting for a tire test,” said Bowyer, who drives for Richard Childress Racing. “The tire doesn’t get the abuse that it does when you are under the loads of drafting with 40 cars out there. I think they got a good amount of cars here, the right amount.”
Said McMurray, a 2007 Coke Zero 400 champion, after the first day of testing: “We did 15-lap runs, maybe we did 10 of them, different compounds, different construction. I think they are trying to eliminate heat in the tire and also get your feedback on how the car drives – better or worse.” McMurray, who drives for Roush Fenway Racing, nipped Kyle Busch in the 2007 mid-summer classic by .005 seconds, the second closest finish in NASCAR history. He says he frequently looks back on that triumph. “Pretty much every day I think about that,” McMurray said. “It’s so cool to get to win at Daytona. Every kid growing up, if you want to make it in NASCAR, the Daytona race is what you think about.”
For Marcos Ambrose, this was his second Goodyear tire test and the Tasmania native was thrilled to get more laps around DIS. “I’ve had a few laps around Daytona now, but you never get sick of driving around here,” Ambrose said on Monday. “The bumps, the car moving around, just the feel of the place is spectacular and it’s great to be down here running. We just done the simple stuff, single-car runs and a little bit of drafting this afternoon trying to get use to the way the car moves around here in the heat. It’s definitely different than what it’s here for the 500. The track is a lot slicker and there’s less grip to use. It’s fun and it’s a learning experience for me.”(DIS PR)(5-5-2009) - Help Lowe’s Thank the Military: In honor of Memorial Day, Lowe’s wants to offer fans the opportunity to thank the military members who mean the most to them and show their pride for Team 48 and the red, white and blue. Fans can send their photographs and stories of friends or family members who are serving our country and showing their Team 48 pride where they are stationed. Visit lowesracing.com to submit photos and stories (150 words maximum) and check back to see your posting.(Lowe’s Racing PR)(5-6-2009)
- Jeff Gordon’s Team Wins Tissot Pit Crew Award in Richmond: Jeff Gordon’s #24 crew claimed the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Saturday night’s (May 2) Sprint Cup race at Richmond. It was the third win in the last five races for the #24 crew, which has a solid lead in the season-long Tissot pit road competition. After 10 of 36 Sprint Cup races, Gordon’s team has three pit crew wins while seven other teams each have one. The pit crew win at the .75-mile Richmond track was a result of Gordon’s DuPont Chevrolet Impala SS spending the least amount of time on pit road – 279.607 seconds. The quick effort helped lift Gordon to an eighth-place finish and a return to first place in the Sprint Cup driver point standings. Gordon’s pit crew consists of: Clay Robinson (front-tire changer), Mike Houston (front tire carrier), Tim Ladyga (rear-tire changer), Jeff Knight (rear-tire carrier), Jeff Cook (jackman), Caleb Hurd (gasman), Jamie Frady (catch can) and Andy Kruep (eighth man). The pit crew coach is Greg Morin. Gordon’s crew will receive $5,000 for the Richmond pit road win. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award victories at the completion of the 36-race schedule will earn a $100,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the crew and driver.(Tissot PR)(5-6-2009)
- Tony Gibson Named Crew Chief of the Race at Richmond: Tony Gibson, crew chief for te #39 U.S. Army Chevy driven by Ryan Newman, has been named the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Saturday’s Crown Royal Presents the Russ Friedman 400 at Richmond International Raceway. The #39 team finished a respectable 4th place in Saturday’s race after qualifying 10th. The team, led by Gibson, was strong early in the race, putting Newman in the lead four times (for a total of 45 laps) by lap 313. After being involved in a wreck on lap 314, Newman lost valuable track position, putting him back in 15th following the pit stop on lap 316. Determined to get back up front with the lead pack, Gibson continued to coach his driver as he worked his way through the field. With Gibson’s guidance, Newman was back up to 4th with 44 laps remaining. In addition to the $1,000 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly wins will be honored as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at the season finale in Homestead.(Wypall Wipers PR)(5-6-2009)
- State Water Heaters alters approach to stay in NASCAR: State Water Heaters, a NASCAR team sponsor since 2006, went into this season wanting to maintain the benefits of its marketing and hospitality program while trimming expenses. After visiting just about every NASCAR team as a free agent, State went in a markedly different direction. It decided to sponsor no one at all. Instead of spending the $5 million to $7 million a year for a low-level, often noncompetitive car, as it had done before, State opted for a unique program conceived by North Carolina-based 919 Marketing with former driver Ward Burton. It’s a plan that has allowed State to keep its vibrant hospitality program at the track despite axing the costly sponsorship. Burton, a five-time winner and one of the sport’s elite drivers from 1999 to 2002, essentially serves as State’s NASCAR ambassador for anywhere from 30 to 100 of the company’s guests on race day at a Sprint Cup event. He guides them on pit and garage tours, explains the race to guests in a suite and even talks sales on State’s behalf. Until this year, State Water Heaters was known in NASCAR circles as a loyal sponsor of teams such as [#4 Chevy] Morgan-McClure Motorsports and [#66 Chevy] Haas CNC Racing. Burton enables State to deliver that race-day experience at the track with a noted driver, even though State’s white, blue and orange car no longer competes. State wouldn’t say how much State will save this year, but the company is not writing a hefty sponsorship check and it will be entertaining at about 10 races this year instead of 36, so the savings will be in the millions. In addition to the race-day activities, State puts on driving and ride-along excursions. During one such event on April 18 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Burton took State guests on trips around the track at 160 mph, using cars from the Richard Petty Driving Experience.(Sporting News/SportsBusiness Journal)
UPDATE: As a part of their marketing strategy, State decided that a portion of their marketing dollars would be better spent sponsoring a quality NASCAR Nationwide Series team and is asponsor of the #27 Baker Curb Racing team in the Nationwide Series with Jason Keller (State Water Heaters Racing).(5-6-2009)(5-5-2009) - Darlington hoping for another sellout: Several times a day, Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning walks over to the track’s ticket office to get a progress report on sales. Recently, he’s liked what he’s seen. Even so, a fifth consecutive sellout for the historic facility is far from certain as Darlington gears up for Saturday night’s revival of the Southern 500. “We’re slightly behind where we were this point last year. If we sell it out, it’s going to come down to the wire,” Browning said Monday. “We’re still optimistic we’ve got a shot at it. We had a great week last week. About the last probably two and half, three weeks, our daily sales have beaten the daily sales of the previous year. That’s all positive.” Darlington has sold out four consecutive races since its lone event was moved to the Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend prior to the 2005 season. This year the track is bringing back a Southern 500 race name that was a fixture at the South Carolina facility from its founding in 1950 until 2004, when it was phased out. With a seating capacity of roughly 62,000, Darlington is one of the smaller facilities on the Cup Series tour. Yet the track is bidding to become only the third venue this season — along with Daytona and Bristol — to announce a sellout. In past years, Darlington sold out a week or more in advance. That was before the current economic recession, which has made it very difficult for many tracks to sell tickets. “We have a shot at it, but everything’s going to have to line up perfectly for us to do it. But we still do have a shot at it,” Browning said. “I know that if we sell it out, it will probably end up being on race day.”(NASCAR.com)(5-6-2009)
- Darlington welcomes Car Hauler Parade: The Darlington Car Hauler Parade and Festival will be 4 to 7:30pm Thursday, May 7th at the Florence [SC] Civic Center with entertainment and live music performed by Southern rock and country band Southern Blue. NASCAR transporters and take pictures next to your favorite team’s haulers. Meet the hauler drivers and get autographs plus free give-a-ways from vendors. Kids can enjoy the multiple inflatable rides and games throughout the fun-filled festival. Fans, join in on the exciting Silent Auction full of great NASCAR items and more to benefit the American Red Cross. At 7pm the parade of Sprint Cup Series haulers begins to make its way along the 12-mile route to Darlington Square, where the anticipating crowd celebrates with added live entertainment and the fireworks of Race Fest. Florence welcomes NASCAR to the Darlington Race track that’s “Too Tough to Tame” for the Mother’s Day weekend races.(Florence Civic Center)(5-6-2009)
- Giles takes over as crew chief of #23 team: R3 Motorsports has added veteran engineer and crew chief Walter Giles to their #23 Chevy team. Giles will begin his crew chief duties immediately with Robert Richardson, Jr. in the car at Darlington Raceway this weekend. Giles, a native of Australia, comes from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., where he was the Head of Race Engineering, and Robby Gordon Motorsports, where he was the engineer and crew chief. Prior to his coming on board with R3 Motorsports, Giles was helping Tommy Baldwin Racing on an interim basis.(R3 Motorsports PR)(5-6-2009)
- MC2 joins Johnny Davis at Darlington: MC2 Energy Drink, Beverage Plus Inc, have agreed on a one race partnership with the #01 Johnny Davis Motorsports team and Danny O’Quinn for the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 on May 8, 2009, in Darlington, SC.(Hufco Promotion / Johnny Davis PR)(5-6-2009)
- Carpentier replacing David Green at Darlington? Patrick Carpentier will make a return to driving a car from the NASCAR Nationwide Series Friday [at the] Diamond Plywood 250 at Darlington Raceway. The race takes place Friday evening and Carpentier will drive #07…Carpentiers agent confirmed the news. The last-minute agreement is valid for one race, but Carpentier thinks it could have the opportunity to compete in other events with the team.(translated from RSS.ca via Google Translate)(5-6-2009)
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