May 6, 2004
- Stewart to run Atlanta Busch race with an all-star pit crew: The “McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERADE” competition is growing more intense this year [see last weeks standings on my Pit Crew Page]. McDonald’s and Powerade have decided to take the competition to the next level by creating tow “All-Star Pit Crews” comprised of the best over-the-wall guys across the NEXTEL Cup Series. For the Atlanta Busch Series race in October. To win this event, the team whose car spends the least amount of aggregate time off the racetrack will be named the winner and awarded a monetary prize. To commemorate these unsung heroes, Tony Stewart will pilot the #92 Powerade car for the Powerade All Star crew. Both cars will feature the “McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERADE” theme [I assume they will use the standings up to that point as the competition runs thru the end of the series].(5-6-2004)
- Spencer to Rumble at Bristol: Michael Buffer, world famous boxing announcer, will serve as the host and emcee of the ever thrilling Bristol night race this Aug. Buffer’s famous trademarked phrase “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!” is one of the most widely known and recognized in the world of sports and entertainment, and will serve as the promotional tagline and theme in Bristol’s advertising leading up to the race weekend. #4 Morgan-McClure driver, Jimmy Spencer will be commemoration this infamous phrase in a “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble” logo and graphics.(5-6-2004)
- 2004 Pocono Raceway Award Recipient: The Midwest Roadside Safety Facility [ mwrsf.unl.edu], headed by Dr. Dean L. Sicking has been named the 2004 recipient of Pocono Raceway’s Bill France Award of Excellence. The Pocono Raceway Bill France Award of Excellence has been presented annually to the person, corporation or organization that has made outstanding contributions to the sport of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Racing. This prestigious award, first presented in 1977, is dedicated to the inspiration of Bill France Sr., founder of NASCAR.
The 2004 recipient is unique in that it is not a driver, a team owner or a sponsor. This year’s recipient is a university roadside safety research team headed by a Ph.D. in civil engineering. The Midwest Roadside Safety Facility at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, headed by Dr. Sicking, is responsible for the development of the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barrier system. The SAFER barrier system is designed to absorb some of the energy that is transferred during a crash. NASCAR recently announced that the SAFER barriers system will be installed at all recommended oval tracks by the 2005 racing season. Dr. Sicking is one of the world’s leading independent researchers on barrier and crash safety. His research has led to 21 U.S. patents on roadside safety structures. Under his guidance the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility has developed into one of the premier roadside safety research laboratories in the world.
Dr. Sicking and the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility have come to be recognized as a global leader in the development of crashworthy safety structures. Their research has developed numerous safety features that have been adopted nationwide and several that have been adopted internationally. These safety features have saved the lives of countless motorists across the nation over the last decade.
The Pocono Raceway Bill France Award of Excellence, a beautifully sculptured and highly polished piece of anthracite coal mined in Pennsylvania, will be presented to Dr. Sicking and the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility team at an award ceremony on Saturday, June 12, 2004. This ceremony is part of the festivities leading up to the June 13, 2004 POCONO 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway. Dr. Sicking and his research team join the prestigious list of Pocono Raceway’s Bill France Award of Excellence winners listed below:
Pocono Racewat’s Bill france Award of Excellence Winners:
1977 Bill France
1978 Winston
1979 Purolator
1980 Union Oil
1981 The Petty Family
1982 G.H. Long
1983 STP
1984 Goodyear
1985 GNRWA ( Now WOW Wives Auxiliary)
1986 MRN (Motor Racing Network)
1987 Grand National Scene (Now NASCAR Scene)
1988 Charlotte Motor Speedway
1989 Ned Jarrett
1990 T. Wayne Robertson
1991 ESPN
1992 MRO (Motor Racing Outreach)
1993 The Allison Family
1994 Rev. Hal Marchman
1995 The Wood Bros.
1996 Clay Earles/Paul Sawyer
1997 Junie Dunlavey/Bud Moore
1998 NASCAR
1999 Rick Hendrick
2000 Robert Yates
2001 Joe Gibbs
2002 Richard Childress
2003 Jack Roush
Tickets for the June 13th POCONO 500 are available by calling the Pocono Raceway ticket office at 1-800-RACEWAY or visiting www.poconoraceway.com.(Pocono Raceway PR)(5-6-2004) - Foyt looking to do the Indy/Coca-Cola 600 double too, needs a sponsor: Larry Foyt will be heading to Indianapolis on Sunday, May 9th to spend the month of May preparing the car for his first attempt to run in the Indy 500. Foyt Racing is still in search of a sponsor for the event, and would also be interested in running the “Memorial Day Double” when a sponsor is found. There will be three Foyt’s at Indy for the first time ever, AJ (as owner), Anthony (14 Conseco) and Larry. “It’s incredible,” Larry said. “I have always said that Indy was the reason I wanted to drive race cars. Every time I go there I am reminded of that–the place just gives me chills. By far it will be the biggest thing I’ve done in my life. I am thrilled beyond words.” Any one interested in sponsoring Foyt Racing in the Indy 500 or the Memorial Day Double should contact Foyt Racing in Mooresville, NC [704-799-1414](PR)(5-6-2004)
- Andretti looking at Indy 500 options and a possible double: John Andretti said during his segment when ask what his plans are to run the Indy 500 and possible the Coca-Cola 600 in May: “I hate not being out there every weekend, and hopefully the plan is to get back on track as soon as possible. The Coca-Cola 600 is such a great race as is the Indy 500. We were the first one to do them both, and I would love to do them again. Who knows what’s going to happen? But we’re working toward both of them actually at this point, and we’ll see. Obviously the Coca-Cola 600 is toward the end (of the month), and right up to the end, we’re looking at all of the options, but then we have the Indy 500 and there are so many activities that go on. Even though the track opens, it doesn’t mean there’s not an opportunity. There are three days of qualifying, and, of course, the last day of qualifying being after the Nextel All-Star Challenge.”(FoxSports)(5-6-2004)
- 2nd Drive for Diversity: A second driver — a woman with both short-track stock car racing and road racing in her background — has been chosen for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program. Allison Duncan, a native of California who moved to North Carolina to pursue a NASCAR career, has been named to drive a Late Model Stock car in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway. She will have sponsorship from Miller Brewing Co. Duncan joins Tennessee driver Joe Henderson, who recently was named as the first driver in the NASCAR diversity program, whose goal is to train more minority individuals for participation at the top levels of stock car racing. Duncan will drive a Chevrolet owned by Tinsley Hughes. Duncan raced at Hickory last season and finished seventh in the Late Model point standings on the way to becoming the track’s first female rookie of the year in her division. She also has raced in the 24 Hours of Daytona and in other sports car events. She is a driving instructor for the BMW Performance Center in Greer.(Greenville News)(5-6-2004)
- Richmond Testing Continues: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers are threatening to break the poll record of 21.194 seconds (approximately 127 mph) at Richmond International Raceway. After two full days of testing the new asphalt among more than 20 drivers, all agreed that the record would fall during Wawa pole qualifying for the Chevy American Revolution 400 Friday, May 14. “It’s going to be history, I can tell you that right now,” said Emporia, Virginia native Elliott Sadler. “I’m running faster than that in race trim.”
“The poll record will fall for sure-for sure,” echoed Jeff Gordon. “I ran that time on 30-lap tires.”
“The thing I have noticed about the racetrack is it’s super smooth, but the characteristic of the track is exactly the same,” added six-time Richmond winner Rusty Wallace. “I was supposed to test Martinsville, but I said ‘you know what that track really hasn’t changed, and boy it’s really hard to test there because it’s so rough.’ I’d rather pass that one up and go to Richmond where it’s a completely new pavement.”
“No doubt there will be a track record set when we come back to qualify Busch and Cup,” added Kurt Busch. “It’s very fast. It’s like a small Texas.” NASCAR Busch Series title contender Bobby Hamilton, Jr. was among those testing who said the pavement is new, but the same great racing will remain the same. NASCAR veteran Mark Martin is excited about the changes made to the short track. “We’re running a lot faster because of the new asphalt,” added Martin. “It’s exactly what you’d expect to see. The cars are a lot faster than they were in 1989. (The track was last repaved in late 1988.) Now we have fresh pavement and we’re going to be able to go a lot faster than we did back then.” Sadler gave the track rave reviews as well. “They did a great job. The track is very, very smooth. It has a lot of grip in it. It’s going to be fast, which will make it fun. I hope that the Busch cars will slicken it up a little bit on Friday night so we’ll be able to move around a lot on it Saturday night. I can’t believe how smooth it is, so whoever did it did a great job so I have to commend everybody here at Richmond for that.”
Gordon added, “The grip is there. The surface is fantastic. This track just offers that and I hope we see that our first time here with the new pavement.”
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers Tony Stewart, Ricky Craven, Kurt Busch, Johnny Benson, Elliott Sadler, Ward Burton, Jimmy Spencer, Rusty Wallace, Brendan Gaughan and Jamie McMurray tested today. Busch Series drivers Kasey Kahne, Justin Labonte, Mike Bliss, J.J. Yeley, Jay Sauter, Eric McClure, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin and Dave Blaney also tested at Richmond Wednesday. Testing continues Thursday, May 6 when Ricky Rudd, Johnny Sauter and Ward Burton are scheduled to test the new blacktop. Grandstand gates open at 9:00 a.m. for this free event, which is open to the public.
The NEXTEL Cup drivers will have their first official run Friday, May 14 during Wawa Pole Qualifying for Saturday’s sold-out Chevy American Revolution 400. Tickets are still available for Friday’s NASCAR Busch Series FUNAI 250. Reserved seats are just $40, while general admission seats are $35. Thursday’s NBC12 Pole Qualifying Day for the FUNAI 250 are just $5 for general admission seats. Children 12 and under are admitted free to general admission sections with a paying adult on both days. For ticket information, please call 1-866-455-RACE, or visit www.rir.com.(RIR PR)(5-6-2004) - New NASCAR TV Series on Spike: Spike TV hits the ignition Sunday, May 9 (10:00-10:30pm) with the greatest thrills and spills from the history of NASCAR with Stock Car Nation. This original, half-hour series, will delve into the network’s rich collection of NASCAR highlights and will feature thrilling moments from the sport’s most memorable races. Stock Car Nation will run the gamut of NASCAR history with different themed episodes including a countdown of racing’s royal families, a look at the “Bad Boys of Racing,” a compilation of Stock Car’s most fantastic finishes, and a decade of bumper to bumper battles between Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon.
“This isn’t your dad’s highlight show – it’s a wild, action-packed trip through the hottest moments in NASCAR history,” said Kevin Kay, Executive Vice-President, Programming & Production, Spike TV. “This must-see series for the NASCAR fan serves as a major component of our “Motor Mayhem” month.
The series also includes exclusive interviews with NASCAR’s top drivers as they take a look back at many of the sport’s most historic and unforgettable moments. Those interviewed include Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Junior Johnson, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, Elliott Sadler, Greg Biffle, Buddy Baker, Donnie Allison, and Ned Jarrett.
Legendary artist, Sam Bass, who was NASCAR’s first officially licensed artist and who creates the car paint schemes for many of the sport’s top drivers, will have his original art displayed on the series. “I’m thrilled to be a part of Spike TV’s new program,” said Bass. “Having grown up watching the sport and always wanting to be involved through my artwork, this platform for showcasing my artwork and integrating it with the sport’s history is a tremendous opportunity.”(Spike TV PR)(5-6-2004) - Foundation Questioned: In the weeks after Dale Earnhardt was killed in a crash at the Daytona 500, mourning fans sought to honor him by sending money to a charitable fund in his name. More than three years later, the bulk of that money – around $3 million – is still sitting in a bank account. A charity watchdog group recently questioned why, and it criticized the way the fund is being administered. But officials with the fund countered that it has taken time to plan where the donations should go. “You don’t just sit down and say, ‘Let’s give away some money today,”‘ said Doug Swanson, chief operating officer for Dale Earnhardt Inc., headquarters for Earnhardt’s race teams. “You have to investigate and explore very thoroughly to make sure it gets in the right hands. It takes time to do it right.” Swanson estimated $3 million was raised, with about $1 million coming from 7,000 individuals and the rest donated by companies. The bulk of that money came in 2001, right after the death of the NASCAR star. Swanson said only about $110,000 – all of it this year – has been donated from the fund. Those gifts included $41,000 to Ducks Unlimited – a wetlands conservation group – in March, and gifts of about $20,000 each to the Salvation Army and Feed the Children. There has also been a gift of about $25,000 to American Forests, a reforestation group. “We wanted to take our time and make the very best use of the money we could and do it in an organized way,” Swanson said. “We’re now well on our way.” The fund’s relative inactivity drew criticism from the Chicago-based American Institute of Philanthropy in its April newsletter. “People that send money expect that the money be spent within a year or two, not that it be sat on for three years,” AIP president Daniel Borochoff said. “There’s a lot of people that could’ve been helped by that money. It’s unfortunate that it was just sitting in a bank account.” The Earnhardt Family Fund was created by the driver in 1997. When the seven-time Winston Cup champion was killed, the family asked grieving fans to contribute to the fund instead of sending flowers. The fund was set up through the Foundation for the Carolinas, which manages more than 1,500 charitable funds. The foundation does not release financial information on individual funds, only on its funds overall. The Earnhardt family has since started the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, another charity. That foundation, which works in conjunction with the family fund, is focused on Earnhardt’s primary charitable concerns of wildlife, children and education, said Bryan Clontz, an Atlanta consultant to the new foundation.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(5-6-2004)
- Helton to be roasted: Six NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers and one team owner will roast NASCAR President Mike Helton at the 2004 Multiple Sclerosis Dinner of Champions on Wednesday, June 2 in Greensboro, N.C. Barney Hall, the voice of NASCAR on the Motor Racing Network, will emcee the program as panel members tell amusing stories roasting Helton. The Central NC Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will host the Triad MS Dinner of Champions. Panelists include Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip, Jeff Burton, Robby Gordon, Jimmy Spencer and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team owner Richard Childress. Currently in its 21st year, the Dinner of Champions is held annually to raise funds and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a potentially devastating neurological disease. In its 21-year history, the event has raised more than $1.2 million to fight Multiple Sclerosis. The purpose of the Dinner of Champions is to raise funds for local programs for people with MS and their families and to support research into the cause and cure for MS. Sponsored by Nextel Communications, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and 104.1 WTQR, the 2004 Triad MS Dinner of Champions honoring Helton will be held at Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, N.C., on Wednesday, June 2 at 6:00pm. More info on the dinner and tickets, go to my Racing Charities page or go the the MS site: www.ncc.nmss.org.(5-6-2004)
- Cup drivers in the Busch race at gateway: with the Cup Series having an ‘off-weekend’ a few will be racing at Gateway International Raceway in the Busch Series race Saturday night [Full time Cup drivers racing]:
Greg Biffle [#16 Cup; #60 Busch]
Derrike Cope [#50; #49]
Robby Gordon [#31; #55]
Kasey Kahne [#9; #38]
Johnny Sauter [#30; #27]
Michael Waltrip [#15; #99](5-6-2004) - New Crew Chief for the #32: Randy Cox will take over crew chief duties for driver David Stremme and the #32 TRIMSPA X32 Dodge beginning this weekend at Gateway International Raceway. Cox led Jamie McMurray to victory earlier this season at North Carolina Speedway in just his first race as a Busch Series crew chief. Former crew chief Todd Lohse, who called the shots as Stemme posted two top-five finishes and an outside pole so far this season, will continue working and traveling full-time with Team TRIMSPA in a management role. Cox formerly changed tires for Sterling Marlin and continues to handle Gannasi Racing’s research and development team. “This is a positive move for Braun Racing,” said owner Todd Braun. “It will allow both Randy (Cox) and Todd (Lohse) to focus on what they do best as well as reinforce our relationship with Ganassi Racing.”(Braun Racing PR)(5-6-2004)
- Fiddleback tests: Kevin Love and David Ragan are testing Fiddleback Racing Trucks at Milwaukee and Chicago this week. Todd Bodine is assisting in the test. The drivers had successful tests at Milwaukee on Monday and Tuesday and are testing at Chicago Thursday after testing there Wednesday. Fiddleback has entered two trucks in the craftsman truck race at Mansfield, Ohio for the May 16th race. This will be Love’s second Truck race, having made his first start last month at Martinsville and it will be the 18-year old Ragan’s debut in the Craftsman Truck Series. Love is a successful late model driver from North Carolina and Ragan, also from North Carolina, is running the ARCA Series in 2004.(Team RP)(5-6-2004)
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