May 10, 2012
- New sponsor for Kenseth? number? Roush Fenway Racing is scheduled to make announcement at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Monday, May 14th for an announcement regarding the new number on Matt Kensethï’s #17 Sprint Cup Ford Fusion, as well as a new multi-year partner for RFR and Kenseth. Kenseth and team co-owner Jack Roush will be on hand for the event.(Roush Fenway Racing), NOTE: the PR doesn’t say Kenseth will have a new car number but a new number on the car. And it could be a special number for the All-Star race like last season when Jimmie Johnson ran the #5 in the event.(RFR PR)(5-10-2012)
- Third BK Racing car at Darlington: UPDATE: BK Racing will field a third Toyota at Darlington Raceway for Travis Kvapil to run the Bojangles’ Southern 500. The car will run Dr. Pepper colors and use the #73. Kvapil usually drives BK Racing #93 Burger King / Dr Pepper Toyota, but David Reutimann is in that car for Darlington and other races in 2012. Kvapil will have to race his way into the field as the car has no owners points and since it looks to be a late entry will not receive any drivers/owners points as a post entry.(Travis Kvapil Facebook)(5-10-2012)
UPDATE: BK Racing announced that Travis Kvapil will drive the #73 Dr Pepper Toyota in Saturday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Kvapil’s car will be a third entry fielded by BK Racing and will run in addition to the organization’s #83 Toyota, driven by Landon Cassill, and #93 Toyota, driven by David Reutimann. This will be BK Racing’s first attempt to field three cars for an event. Ben Leslie will serve as Kvapil’s crew chief. Kvapil will return to the #93 car for the Sprint All-Star Showdown next week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “I’m really excited to be racing at Darlington,” Kvapil said. “I want to thank Dr Pepper and BK Racing for putting this together. It’s a big step for BK Racing to field a third car. We didn’t open our doors until February and we’ve managed to make every race and stay inside the top-35 in points. Now we’re fielding a third entry. That says a lot about our progress and this team’s determination.(Breaking Limits/BK Racing)(5-10-2012) - Danica gets new spotter: #10-Danica Patrick will have a new spotter for Saturday’s Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway in Tab Boyd, a former spotter for Juan Pablo Montoya and an employee at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Boyd will replace Mark Robertson as Patrick makes her second Cup start of the season. “That was definitely something that I’ve been thinking a lot about the last couple of months,” Patrick said Thursday during a promotion for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “As a driver you just need to have someone on the radio that you click with. Everybody needs something different. For me, I need someone … I’m going to say, almost drive the car. Like, tell me you’re turning in too early, tell me be patient with the throttle; OK, pick it up. I need somebody that is familiar with those patterns, because I’m not.” Patrick will remain with Truck Series driver Rick Carelli as her Nationwide spotter. Carelli spotted for Regan Smith last year when he won the Cup race at Darlington.(ESPN)(5-10-2012)
- Bowyer sued by motorcycle company: A Mitchell-based motorcycle company is suing NASCAR driver #33-Clint Bowyer. Klock Werks Kustom Cycles is alleging Bowyer, 32, failed to pay $30,788.45 for the customization of a motorcycle conducted by the company in late 2008 and early 2009. In its complaint, dated Nov. 23, 2011, and filed May 2 with the Davison County clerk of courts, Klock Werks says Bowyer contacted the company on or about Nov. 11, 2008, and hired it to customize a 2009 Harley-Davidson motorcycle. After the work was performed at Klock Werks’ Mitchell facility, it was delivered to Bowyer in Daytona Beach, Fla., on or about Feb. 15, 2009, the date of the 2009 Daytona 500 NASCAR race. In Bowyer’s answer, which has not been officially filed but was obtained Wednesday by The Daily Republic, he denies he agreed to pay money for the bike. Instead, Bowyer says he agreed to provide Klock Werks with “certain promotional services and special accommodations within NASCAR and related publications.” Bowyer then claims he fulfilled that obligation, barring Klock Werks from any further compensation. (in part from the Mitchell Daily Republic)(5-10-2012)
- Danica Patrick joining Coca-Cola Racing Family: #10-Danica Patrick will be introduced as the first female member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family during a Thursday news conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 30-year-old fulltime Nationwide Series driver and part-time Sprint Cup driver joins current CCRF members Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart. Patrick will be directly branded with Coke Zero. Among her first promotional appearances wil be at the Coca-Cola 600 weekend at CMS to promote the adventure movie “Battleship” with one of the movie’s stars, Brooklyn Decker. She also will compete in the 600 as the third of her 10 Cup races this season. “To be with Coca-Cola is one of those things you only dream about as a driver,” Patrick told ESPN.com. “A lot of legendary drivers have been a part of the Coke family, so I feel very fortunate.”(ESPN)(5-10-2012)
- Darlington is final points race to get into All Star Race: Saturday night’s race at Darlington Speedway marks the final points race before the May 19 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. That means it’s the final opportunity for drivers not already locked into the field to do so. In a way. In actuality, after this weekend’s race, those not already locked into the all-star field can do so by finishing either first or second in the Sprint Showdown or winning the Sprint Fan Vote. But no driver wants that kind of pressure. The Sprint Showdown is blink-of-an-eye quick (two 20-lap segments), so anything but a fast start likely spells trouble. And with some fan-favorite names on the Sprint Fan Vote ballot (i.e. #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.), it’s not wise to rely on that. So, Darlington it is. Those thoughts swirl in the heads of some huge names, namely Earnhardt, #56-Martin Truex Jr., #20-Joey Logano, #1-Jamie McMurray, #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, #31-Jeff Burton and #22-AJ Allmendinger. All sit in the top 20 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings, and all are currently without an all-star nod.(NASCAR)(5-10-2012)
- Waltrip transport driver honoring brother in Darlington hauler parade: Michael Waltrip Racing’s #15 5-hour ENERGY transport driver Al Nelson, a native of Long Island, N.Y., will get the special opportunity on Thursday night in Darlington to honor his brother Peter Allen Nelson. Peter Nelson was a firefighter in FDNY Rescue 4 killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Members of the Remembrance Rescue Project, a not-for-profit created by firefighters to restore, preserve and operate Rescue 4 and Rescue 5 from 9/11 as educational tools, historical artifacts and memorials, reached out to Al Nelson last month. The group informed Nelson that former FDNY Rescue 4 will be in Darlington at the same time as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events and asked if he would be willing to drive the Rescue 4 truck in the Darlington Car Hauler Parade on Thursday night. Nelson agreed and will now drive the Rescue 4 truck in Thursday night’s festivities. Michael Waltrip Racing’s #15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota will also run a special Remembrance Rescue Project decal on the lower rear quarter panel throughout the race weekend at Darlington.(MWR)(5-10-2012)
- Tire test at New Hampshire May 8-9: UPDATES: The best way to win races is to be prepared. That’s why a number of NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will be in New Hampshire next week, testing new tires for this season’s races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company announced a tire test with five Sprint Cup teams May 8-9. The fans are encouraged to watch from the grandstands free of charge. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers scheduled for this test session include; #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Chevy), #99-Carl Edwards (Ford), #47-Bobby Labonte (Toyota), #78-Regan Smith (Chevy), and #27-Paul Menard (Chevy). Grandstands will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 8 and Wednesday, May 9. The infield will be closed during the test.(NHMS)(5-4-2012)
UPDATE: Rain washed out testing on Tuesday. The forecast for Wednesday is better, but there is still a change of scatter showers and thunderstorms.(5-9-2012)
UPDATE 2: Mother Nature pulled back the curtain of fog and an armada of track dryers got “The Magic Mile” ready for a special tire test with five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers. Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Bobby Labonte, Paul Menard and Regan Smith waited out the showers before putting on a show for the fans at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. technicians took over the speedway for the day to test new tire compounds for mile-track setups. It looked like the weather might spoil the fun, but the clouds lifted and the lights went green just before 2:00 p.m.(NHMS), rain returned later in the day, but cars were able to get in 4-5 hours of testing.(5-10-2012) - BB&T; returns to the #31: Jeff Burton’s #31 Chevy will sport the burgundy and gray colors of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based BB&T; this weekend. The #31 BB&T; Chevrolet paint scheme debuted in March at Bristol Motor Speedway and made appearances this season at Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway. After this weekend, BB&T; will be the primary sponsor at Dover International Speedway in June along with a special edition co-branded paint scheme with Caterpillar next weekend during NASCAR’s Sprint All-Star Race Weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.(RCR), see an image of the car on the #31 team paint schemes page.(5-10-2012)
- NASCAR Hall of Fame exhibit focuses on grassroots: The NASCAR Hall of Fame kicks off a new exhibition in the Great Hall, “Grassroots Racing: Where NASCAR Heroes are Born” on Monday. The exhibition is included in general admission. “Grassroots Racing: Where NASCAR Stars are Born” tells the story of hometown racetracks, affectionately called “grassroots,” where many NASCAR drivers began their careers racing every Friday and Saturday night. “It’s a vital part of our mission to preserve, uphold and be a resource for the sport and its history,” said Winston Kelley, executive director of the facility. “This is the eighth new Great Hall exhibition since opening in May 2010 and it is with these exhibitions the Hall continues to present new chapters in the history book” of NASCAR. The exhibit explores four race tracks historically known and recognized to be the beginnings of NASCAR racing – Greenville Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C., Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., Hickory Motor Speedway in Hickory, N.C. and South Boston Speedway in South Boston, Va. Highlighting the exhibition are historic race cars – David Pearson’s Ford Modified (1937), Richard Childress’ Plymouth Modified (1937), Dale Jarrett’s Busch Series Pontiac LeMans (1986) and Denny Hamlin’s Late Model Chevrolet (2003). Tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame can be purchased by calling 877-231-2010 or at NASCARHall.com.(NASCAR Hall of Fame)(5-10-2012)
- The Numbers for the Bojangles’ Southern 500:
0 – fewest cautions (9/2/63)
1 – fewest cars on lead lap at finish (24 times, most recent 9/3/79)
1 – fewest laps led by race winner Ricky Craven, 3/16/03)
2 – fewest leaders (5/9/64)
4 – fewest lead changes (9/4/50)
6 – number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend
10 – most wins by driver (David Pearson)
12 – fewest cars running at finish (9/2/74)
17 – most cautions (5/9/09)
17 – most leaders (9/6/82)
19 – wins from the pole; 35 from the front row
23 – most cars on lead lap at finish (9/1/02)
41 – most lead changes (9/6/82)
41 – most running at finish (twice, most recent 5/10/08)
45 – different race winners
47 – different pole winners
101 – most caution laps (9/2/74)
120 minutes – approximate amount of time it takes to dry the 1.366-mile track after a significant rainfall
351 – most laps led by race winner (Johnny Mantz, 9/4/50)
Key Darlington Dates
1949 – Harold Brasington, a retired racer, purchased 70 acres from Sherman Ramsey and started construction of the race track. (The egg-shaped design was necessary because Brasington promised Ramsey the track wouldn’t disturb his minnow pond on the west side of the property).
1950 – First race on Labor Day, a 75-car field for the 500-mile event on what was then a 1.250-mile track
1951 – Field of 82 cars started the race
1953 – Track was re-measured to 1.375 miles
1959 – Last convertible race (won by Fireball Roberts)
1965 – Cale Yarborough, of nearby Timmonsville, crashed with his car sailing over the guard rail and off the track. He was unhurt and the mishap was used as an introduction to ABC’s Wide World of Sports for several years.
1970 – Track re-configured to 1.366 miles following the spring race
1982 – International Speedway Corporation (ISC) acquires Darlington Raceway
1995 – Track repaved
1997 – Frontstretch and backstretch switched
2000 – All cars pit on same side for first time
2005 – First Saturday night race at Darlington
2008 – Track repaved prior to 2008 race
2012 Caution Update
1 – fewest cautions this season (Fontana)
3 – races extended beyond scheduled distance (Daytona, Martinsville, Talladega)
10 – most cautions this season (Daytona)
53 – number of cautions in the first 10 races of 2012; includes 24 for accidents, 14 for debris and five for spins
305 of 3,120 – number of laps under caution in 2012
386.163 of 3,730.430 – miles under caution in the first 10 races
(Darnell Communications for SRT Motorsports and Dodge)(5-10-2012) - Darlington Goodyear Tire Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same tire codes at Darlington this weekend . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that teams in these two series ran at Darlington last season . . . these teams have also run each of these two tire codes separately at other tracks in the past, including this left-side code (D-4392) at Texas last month . . . additionally, last season, they ran this left-side code at Texas, Nashville (Nationwide only), Chicagoland and Homestead; and this right-side code (D-4430) at Charlotte . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Darlington . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire. See tire codes, pressures and more on the Darlington Race Info page – Goodyear section.(5-10-2012)
- Tony La Russa named Grand Marshal of Toyota/Save Mart 350: Tony La Russa, one of the greatest managers in the history of Major League Baseball, has been named Grand Marshal of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend at Infineon Raceway, June 22-24. La Russa will be honored on Friday, June 22, of race weekend at the Children’s Champions Grand Marshal’s Banquet at beautiful Cline Cellars in Sonoma. The gala is a fundraiser for the Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. He will also take part in pre-race activities on Sunday, June 24, and participate in the official command of, “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.” La Russa, who still calls the Bay Area home, posted three World Series victories during his 33-year managerial career, one coming with the Oakland Athletics (1989) and two with the St. Louis Cardinals, most recently in 2011. His other world championship with the Cardinals came in 2006. He retired after the 2011 season.(Sonoma Raceway)(5-10-2012)
- Join The Dew Crew” on the #88 at Iowa: In front of a frenzied crowd at Walmart’s Race Time event Thursday night, JR Motorsports team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. and driver Cole Whitt unveiled the #88 “Join the Dew Crew” Chevy that Whitt will drive in the May 20th NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway. The unveiling was part of a one-race partnership announcement between JR Motorsports and PepsiCo that will drive awareness of Dew Crew, an online Facebook community that gives fans the opportunity to get more involved with Dale Jr. and Diet Mountain Dew, while having a voice and making key decisions for the #88 Hendrick Motorsports team. Fans can become a member of the Dew Crew free of charge at www.DewCrew.com. A first-year driver for JR Motorsports, Whitt will pilot the #88 “Join the Dew Crew” Chevy in the Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 at Iowa.(JR Motorsports), see an image of the car on the #88 team paint schemes page.(5-10-2012)
- Safety equipment on McClure’s car worked: While the steering column did move quite a bit toward driver Eric McClure during his nasty crash Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway, the TriStar Motorsports team did not see anything out of the ordinary when inspecting the car after the accident, crew chief Wes Ward said Thursday. Ward, who has spent 22 years in the sport, and NASCAR officials looked over the car Monday at the TriStar shop to determine if any of the safety features failed. “The steering column went up quite a bit,” Ward said. “But from what they’re telling me, that’s pretty common with a frontal impact like that. & From what they’re telling me, I don’t think he actually hit the steering wheel that hard. It just kind of moved up. His helmet or face didn’t really go down into it that hard because of the HANS and the seat belts. There wasn’t anything in the car that we could say was bad. Everything did what it was supposed to do and everything held up.” The car was originally built at Rusty Wallace Racing, where Ward was shop foreman. The seat was manufactured by MasterCraft.(Sporting News)(5-10-2012)
- Patrick wrecks Hornish after race: UPDATES: After finishing 13th, likely unsatisfying and not indicative of how well she competed most of the race, #7-Danica Patrick wrecked old friend/former house guest and fellow IndyCar alum #12-Sam Hornish Jr. on the cool-down lap. NASCAR took no immediate action. Patrick restarted 18th on a second attempt at a green/white/checker finish and worked her way to 10th beginning the final lap before #2-Elliott Sadler — with whom she had been involved in an earlier incident — and Kenny Wallace opted to work together and leave her without a draft partner and plummeting back through the running order. Patrick regained a spot in line and rallied but was audibly agitated, responding to a question over team radio if she was “all right” with, “Absolutely fine. … I don’t know. It seems like people don’t frickin’ like me, man.” Early in the cool-down lap, where cars slow before returning to pit road, Patrick had run alongside Sadler and Hornish, who were nose-to-tail, when it appeared Hornish veered wide right, nearly blocking her into the wall. Patrick subsequently chased Hornish down and used her bumper to turn him into the wall. Hornish said after the race he veered because of a tire problem. Patrick said Hornish apologized.(ESPN)(5-5-2012)
UPDATE: Danica Patrick will hear from NASCAR officials about sending Sam Hornish Jr. into the wall following the Nationwide Series race Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway, but she likely won’t be penalized, NASCAR officials said Sunday morning. The two drivers, whose rivalry goes back to their days racing go-karts and extended to the IndyCar Series, likely will both be talked to by NASCAR officials prior to practice next Friday at Darlington Raceway for what happened after the Aaron’s 312 on Saturday. “We talked a little bit to the folks last night and we’ll talk to them again at Darlington,” NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said Sunday morning. “But there’s not a history (in NASCAR) there. There’s not a lot of things. Pemberton indicated that Patrick’s actions did not rise to the level of Kyle Busch retaliating against Ron Hornaday in a Truck Series race last November at Texas Motor Speedway, where Busch was suspended for the Nationwide and Cup events later that weekend.(Sporting News)(5-6-2012)
UPDATE 2: Danica Patrick said Thursday she isn’t sure if NASCAR will penalize her for intentionally wrecking Sam Hornish Jr. at Talladega Superspeedway. Patrick was angry after Hornish ran her up the track on the last lap of the Nationwide Series race. She retaliated on the cool-down lap, but insisted her intent was only to hit Hornish to show her displeasure. After watching a replay of the accident, she called both Hornish and Nationwide Series director Joe Balash. She also exchanged emails with Hornish team owner Roger Penske. “I was definitely surprised he hit the wall; that was completely unintentional,” she said during an appearance for new sponsor Coca-Cola at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Sam didn’t mean to put me in the wall, either. We’re both good, and I know we’re both looking forward to Darlington.” Patrick was not called to the NASCAR hauler after the race, and has not been punished for her actions. She wasn’t sure if that will change once she arrives Friday at Darlington Raceway. “I have no idea,” she said. “That’s not my department. I don’t make those kinds of decisions. That’s up to NASCAR and the things that they look at, and the things they take into consideration.”(ESPN)(5-10-2012) - Danica Patrick joining Coca-Cola Racing Family: #7-Danica Patrick will be introduced as the first female member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family during a Thursday news conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 30-year-old fulltime Nationwide Series driver and part-time Sprint Cup driver joins current CCRF members Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart. Patrick will be directly branded with Coke Zero. Among her first promotional appearances wil be at the Coca-Cola 600 weekend at CMS to promote the adventure movie “Battleship” with one of the movie’s stars, Brooklyn Decker. She also will compete in the 600 as the third of her 10 Cup races this season. “To be with Coca-Cola is one of those things you only dream about as a driver,” Patrick told ESPN.com. “A lot of legendary drivers have been a part of the Coke family, so I feel very fortunate.”(ESPN)(5-10-2012)
- Hyland’s and Shepherd to tackle ‘Lady In Black’: After 45 years of racing at countless venues, 70-year-old #89-Morgan Shepherd will tell you that Darlington is his favorite. Hyland’s, Inc., a homeopathic all-natural medicine company based in Los Angeles will jump on board this weekend at Darlington with Shepherd as an associate sponsor to help the #89 team to compete for the entire event. Hyland’s and MorganShepherd.comwill be on both sides and the rear decklid of Shepherd’s #89 entry this Friday night for the VFW Sport Clips/Help A Hero 200 at Darlington.(Shepherd Racing Ventures)(5-10-2012)
- TEAM BCR & Evans expanding schedule to include trucks: Officials at Team BCR and Charles “CJ” Evans, Jr have announced that they will be competing in select NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events this season. Evans will be driving a Ford F150 powered by Roush Yates Engines. Crew Chief, Howard Bixman offered “CJ is a really talented driver. This is a great opportunity for the team and CJ, and we are excited to be a part of his NASCAR debut” Evans’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule and sponsorship details will be released at a later date.(Team BCR PR)(5-10-2012)
Main Page | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997