Talladega TV ratings down: ABC’s live telecast of the Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway earned a final national rating of 1.8, down from the 2.6 earned for last year’s race that also aired on ABC. The telecast averaged 2,675,244 viewers. Last year’s Talladega event set a record for the largest audience ever for a NASCAR Nationwide Series event on ABC. The 2007 edition of the race earned a 2.1 rating.(ESPN PR)(4-30-2009)
Westerman Companies to sponsor Key Motorsports: Just a few days after announcing that Key Motorsports would discontinue its full-time effort in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, team owner Curtis Key has announced that Westerman Companies will sponsor the #40 Key Motorsports Nationwide Series entry for five races. Westerman Companies has opted to transfer their support from Key’s NCWTS program, putting their sponsorship dollars behind the full-time NNS team for races at Kentucky Speedway (June 13), O’Reilly Race Park (July 25), Bristol Motor Speedway (August 21), Richmond International Raceway (September 11), and Lowe’s Motor Speedway (October 16). The driver of the #40 Westerman Companies Chevy for those selected races has yet to be announced. Scott Wimmer has piloted the Key Motorsports NNS ride for the first 8 races of 2009, his best finish of the season being 11th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in February. Wimmer is not running a full-time schedule with Key Motorsports, but is committed to at least seven more races this season with StopRepairBills.com and Federated Auto Parts as sponsors.(Key Motorsports PR)(4-30-2009)
ABA to sponsor #01: The American Basketball Association (ABA) announced that it has entered into a sponsorship agreement with JD Motorsports, Inc., owners of the #01 Chevy in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driven by Danny O’ Quinn.(Hufco Promotion / Johnny Davis Motorsports PR)(4-29-2009)
Keselowski can stay at JR Motorsports next year if he wants: Brad Keselowski may not have anything signed for next season, but team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. says that he’d like to have him back in his NASCAR Nationwide Series ride if that’s what Keselowski would like. During a national teleconference Tuesday, Earnhardt Jr. was asked about Keselowski’s future. “I’d like Brad to drive my Nationwide car again if he wants to,” he said. “But as far as like what he does in his Cup stuff, that’s with [Hendrick Motorsports team owner] Rick [Hendrick]. It’s my understanding that that’s particularly not any of my business up until they’re ready to share that information. Whatever Rick wants to do with Brad, it’s up to him on the Cup side I’m in the business of trying to help guys win races in the Nationwide Series and trying to help them become better race-car drivers.(Scene Daily)(4-29-2009)
Kittleson in the #31 at Richmond: Travis Kittleson is primed and ready for Richmond. The former World of Asphalt Champion will be making his debut with Rick Ware Racing in the #31 Circle K/Thristbuster/Bob Steele Chevy on Friday night.(Rick Ware Racing PR)(4-29-2009)
Loanmax sponsoring Gaughan at Richmond: Rusty Wallace Racing welcomes Loanmax Title Loans to its family of sponsors. This weekend’s event marks the first of two 2009 events in which Loanmax or an affiliated company will serve as primary sponsor of Gaughan and the #62 team.(RWI PR)(4-29-2009)
Martin in the #5 at Richmond: This weekend is Mark Martin’s first and only race of the season driving the #5 Lipton Chevy for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. In 2008, Martin had five starts in the #5 and earned one win (Las Vegas). In three of those races he finished inside the top five. His most recent start came at Texas Motor Speedway last fall.(JR Motorsports PR)(4-29-2009)
Bires running ASA race: Two central Wisconsin drivers will be coming home to compete in the Joe Shear Classic this Sunday at Madison International Speedway. Mauston’s Kelly Bires and Necedah’s Johnny Sauter will join an elite field of Super Late Models drivers to compete in the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment season opening event.(KellyBires.com)(4-29-2009)
Strange’s Florist on the #89: Strange’s Florist, Greenhouses and Garden Centers, an icon in the Richmond area for more than 70 years, will join Faith Motorsports as an associate sponsor for Friday night’s Lipton Tea 250 at Richmond International Raceway. The florist, which boasts five locations across the Richmond area, ranks in the Top 25 in volume of more than 20,000 FTD retailers in the U.S. Strange’s is one of Virginia’s largest greenhouse growers and offers one of the largest retail garden centers in the country.(Faith Motorsport PR)(4-29-2009)
Michael Waltrip donates portion of race winnings to Tennessee tornado victims: #99-Michael Waltrip took half of his winnings from the Easter weekend NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway and used it to donate cash and sponsor Best Western provided rooms to victims of the tornadoes in the Nashville area that occurred on the Friday before the April 11 race. Waltrip’s earnings in the race were $14,925, so he gave $7,500 to the local United Way.(Scene Daily)(4-28-2009)
Two Great Clips cars again: Two Great Clips Camrys will take to the track at Richmond International Raceway in this weekend’s Nationwide Series race. In addition to Leffler’s black #38 Camry, Braun Racing’s #10 Toyota will be driven by Brian Scott and will feature a reverse Great Clips paint scheme.(Braun Racing PR)(4-28-2009)
Racing Resources Says…
* David Ragan won the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway. It was his first Nationwide victory in his 85th start. There has been a first-time race winner every year since the series began in 1982. The last first-time race winner was Marcos Ambrose at Watkins Glen in August 2008.
* Ragan is the youngest race winner at Talladega at 23 years, 4 months and 1 day.
* Ragan became the 15th different race winner in 18 Nationwide races at Talladega. He is the second first-time winner at Talladega, joining Greg Sacks, 1996.
* Ragan posted his fourth straight top-10 finish, extending a streak that began at Texas.
* Roush Fenway Racing posted its 101st series victory, the most of all teams. It was RFR’s second Nationwide win at Talladega.
* Ford posted its fourth win at Talladega. Chevy has 12, Pontiac and Toyota each have one. Ford posted its third win in eight races in 2009 (two by Greg Biffle and one by Ragan).
* Ragan led only the final lap. His last-lap pass was the fourth in 18 Nationwide races at Talladega.
* Kyle Busch, the points leader entering by 47 over Carl Edwards, finished 10th. He now leads the standings by 62 over Edwards, who finished 13th.
* Busch has scored top-10 finishes in the past five series races, extending a streak that began at Bristol.
* Ryan Newman posted a second-place finish in his first Nationwide restrictor-plate race.
* Brad Keselowski (ninth) posted his fourth consecutive top-10 finish, extending a streak that began at Texas.
* Mike Bliss (41st) ended a three-race streak of top-10 finishes that began at Texas. Bliss dropped from ninth to 13th.
* Jason Leffler (sixth) has scored seven straight top-15 finishes, extending a streak that began at California.
* Rookie contender Brendan Gaughan (38th) dropped from seventh to 11th in points.
* Scott Lagasse Jr. was the highest-finishing rookie of the year contender of the six participating in this race. He led four laps in the race, the first laps he has led in his 22-race Nationwide career.
* The first caution flew on Lap 55 for Clint Bowyer and Michael Waltrip, who were involved in a Turn 2 accident. The 54 green-flag laps marked the longest green-flag run to start a race at Talladega.
* Thirteen drivers made their first series start at Talladega.
* Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed his pit during the first round of green-flag pit stops on Lap 41. He was running first on Lap 39 and dropped to 33rd on Lap 42. The first caution on Lap 55 saved him from going a lap down. He recovered to finish fifth, the best finish for JR Motorsports in five races at Talladega.
* There has been a caution within the last five laps in the past seven Nationwide races at Talladega.
* This was the third green-white-checkered finish at Talladega.
* The top 10 consisted of four Chevy, two Fords and four Toyotas. The highest-finishing Dodge was the #26 driven by Brian Keselowski.
(ESPN.com)(4-28-2009)
Raybestos Rookie Notes for Richmond:
Scott Lagasse Jr. was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway. Lagasse Jr. scored an eighth-place finish, his best in 22 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts. He collected his third top-10 finish of the 2009 season and his second in the last three races. Lagasse Jr. led twice for four laps, the first laps he has led in his Nationwide Series career.
At least one Raybestos Rookie has scored top-10 finishes in the last SIX consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
Three Raybestos Rookies are in the top-10 in Nationwide Series points: Scott Lagasse Jr. (eighth), Justin Allgaier (ninth) and Michael McDowell (10th).
Allgaier leads Brendan Gaughan by four points (83-79) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Lipton Tea 250 at Richmond International Raceway.
Bryan Clauson was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2008 Lipton Tea 250, posting a 21st-place finish.
Since the Raybestos Rookie program was created in 1989, two Raybestos Rookies have won pole positions for the spring race at Richmond (20 races): Wayne Grubb in 1998 and Kyle Busch in 2004.
Kyle Busch is the only Raybestos Rookie to win from the pole in the spring race at Richmond (20 races). Busch captured the 2004 event by .150 second over Greg Biffle.
Busch and Carl Edwards (2005) are the only Raybestos Rookies to win the spring race at Richmond.
Busch led the 2004 spring race four times for 236 of the 250 laps, the most laps led by a Raybestos Rookie in 20 Nationwide Series races at Richmond.(Raybestos/Camp & Assoc. PR)(4-27-2009)
KHI will host Walter Reed patients at Richmond: Kevin Harvick Inc.’s business-to-business partner initiative comes full circle as Rheem Manufacturing and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) team up to co-host a hospitality event Friday night at Richmond International Raceway to entertain clientele from Rheem and 100 wounded soldiers recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The hospitality event is also made possible by donations from Longhorn smokeless tobacco and Nationwide Insurance. These organizations have provided everything from items for gift bags to monetary donations to help with transportation and food.(KHI PR)(4-27-2009)
Nationwide Series Racing Under the Lights at Richmond : The NASCAR Nationwide Series was born on short tracks racing at night, and the series returns to its roots for the Lipton Tea 250 at Richmond International Raceway on Friday night, May 1, at 7 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will have a live, high definition telecast of the 250-lap race on the 0.750-mile track beginning with NASCAR Countdown. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. The race re-airs Saturday, May 2, at 11 a.m. on ESPN Classic.
Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage from Richmond, joined in the booth for analysis by Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.
Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by Wallace and Brad Daugherty in the ESPN pit studio.(ESPN PR)(4-27-2009)
Aaron’s Extends Talladega sponsorship: Aaron’s Rents, Inc. has extended its contract for title sponsorship on both the Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. The nation’s leader in rental sales and lease ownership activated a clause in its contract that allows the company to extend its role as title sponsor for multiple years.(Talladega Superspeedway PR)(4-26-2009)
Bobby Hamilton Jr. enjoying ownership, but wants to drive: Bobby Hamilton Jr. has three cars racing in two different cities this weekend, and while he enjoys his ownership role, he still wishes he was driving. Hamilton Jr. is a co-owner of #24-Rensi-Hamilton Racing, which fields a car for Eric McClure in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. That shop is in North Carolina, and Hamilton Jr. is more of an investor in that organization. He is much more involved in his two Hamilton Racing cars running this weekend. Across from the Nationwide Series garage of McClure at Talladega, Hamilton Jr. stood Thursday in the Automobile Racing Club of America garage overlooking the car he owns for Chase Mattioli. That ARCA car was built in Hamilton Jr.’s Nashville, Tenn., shop, as well as the Camping World East Series car he fields for Kristin Bumbera, who will race Saturday at Tri-County Motor Speedway in North Carolina. The 31-year-old Hamilton Jr., who hasn’t raced this season, has mixed emotions when he sees his cars pull out on the track. Hamilton Jr. just doesn’t want to drive for himself. He doesn’t want to worry about being the boss and driver at the same time, concerned about budgets and personnel as he’s racing. Hamilton Jr. would like to see Hamilton Racing grow to a Nationwide Series team or Camping World Truck Series team.(Scene Daily)(4-24-2009)
5 Hour Energy on the #62 at Talladega: This weekend’s event marks the first of 13 races in which 5-Hour Energy Extra Strength will–appropriately enough–serve as primary sponsor of the ever-energetic Brendan Gaughan and the #62. Piggly Wiggly also joins RWI’s family of sponsor-partners for this weekend’s event at Talladega.(RWI PR)(4-23-2009)
MC2 on the #27 at Talladega: MC2 Energy Drink and Beverage Plus Inc. is teaming up in sponsorship with Nationwide Series driver Jason Keller of the #27 Ford and veteran team owner Baker Curb Racing for the Aaron’s 312 at the Talladega Super Speedway.(4-22-2009)
Three teams for Johnny Davis at Talladega: UPDATE: NASCAR Nationwide Series JD Motorsports #01 driver Danny O’Quinn Jr will be sponsored by www.SalonWish.com in the Aaron’s 312 Race at Talladega Super Speedway. Watch for the Pink and Purple Chevy Impala reminding everyone that NASCAR isn’t just for men anymore. Mike Wallace in the #0 with returning sponsor Fishburne Military School. Mark Green will be piloting the #04 www.cash4gold.com/racing car with associate sponsor JGR Hauling Specialist a J. Grady Randolph Gaffney, SC Company.(Hufco Promotion / Johnny Davis PR)(4-21-2009) UPDATE: After a successful outing the last time they teamed together, Mike Wallace and the Fishburne Military School of Waynesburg, Va. are going to take on Talladega Superspeedway in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Wallace will once again drive the #0 Fishburne Military School Chevy for Johnny Davis Motorsports; their first outing was in the season opener at Daytona Superspeedway. (Mike Wallace PR)(4-22-2009)
Atwood to the hospital: UPDATE: #05-Casey Atwood was transported to a local hospital after a late race accident in Phoenix. He got out of the car under his own power. There are no current reports on his condition.(4-17-2009) UPDATE: been told that Casey Atwood had a slight concussion and was released from the hospital the same night. He is fine but will not be in the #05 this weekend.(4-22-2009)
Gerhart making first series attempt since 2003: Bobby Gerhart will be making his first NASCAR Nationwide series start since July of 2003 when he pilots Bob Schacht’s #75 Chevy this weekend in the Aarons 312 at Talladega. Gerhart’s Chevy will be sponsored by his longtime sponsor, Lucas Oil. Power for the Lucas Oil Chevrolet will be coming from Jeff Collins Racing Engines, who also does all of Gerhart’s ARCA Re/Max Series engines. The Bobby Gerhart Racing ARCA crew will be pulling double duty this weekend, fielding Gerhart’s #5 Lucas Oil Chevrolet in Friday’s ARCA race as well as working with the BSM team on the #75 car.(Bobby Gerhart Racing PR)(4-21-2009)
Phoenix TV Ratings: ESPN2’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday night, April 17, earned a 1.0 household coverage rating, equal to the rating earned for the past two years when the event has aired on ESPN2. The telecast averaged 1,281,753 viewers.(ESPN PR)(4-21-2009)
Talladega Rookie Notes:
Brendan Gaughan was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. Gaughan scored a seventh-place finish, his third top-10 of the season, and claimed top rookie honors for the second time in 2009.
Justin Allgaier leads Brendan Gaughan by three points (76-73) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Allgaier scored an eighth-place finish at Phoenix, his fourth top-10 of the season.
Two Raybestos Rookies rank inside the top-10 in the Nationwide Series championship standings: Gaughan (seventh) and Allgaier (eighth), who are separated by just four points.
At least one Raybestos Rookie has scored top-10 finishes in the last five consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
Patrick Carpentier was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2008 Aaron’s 312, scoring an eighth-place finish.
Four Raybestos Rookies finished inside the top-10 in the 2007 Aaron’s 312, the most to place inside the top-10 in 17 races at Talladega: David Ragan (fourth), Kyle Krisiloff (fifth), Juan Pablo Montoya (seventh), and Brad Coleman (ninth).(Raybestos/Camp & Assoc PR)(4-21-2009)
Kahne in the #43 at Lowes: Looks like Kasey Kahne will drive a #43 Bumper to Bumper Dodge for Richard Petty Motorsports at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May. See an image of the car on the #43 Paint Schemes page.(4-21-2009)
Newman in the #33 at Tallageda: When Ryan Newman climbs into the #33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Rheem Chevy this week at Talladega Superspeedway, he will be making his first career Nationwide Series start at the track. In fact, Newman has never run a restrictor plate race in the Nationwide Series at either Talladega or Daytona International Speedway.(KHI PR)(4-21-2009)
Nationwide Series on ABC from Talladega: Races at Talladega Superspeedway are always fast, exciting and unpredictable, and the NASCAR Nationwide Series makes its only appearance of the 2009 season at the famous Alabama track this weekend for the Aaron’s 312. ESPN on ABC will have a live, high definition telecast of the race on Saturday, April 25, at 2:30 p.m. ET beginning with NASCAR Countdown. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. The race re-airs Sunday, April 26, at 11 a.m. on ESPN Classic. Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage from Talladega, joined in the booth for analysis by Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch will report from the pits, while Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage. Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by Jarrett and Brad Daugherty in the ESPN pit studio.(ESPN.com)(4-20-2009)
Benny Gordon’s Appeal Denied: On April 20, 2009, the National Stock Car Racing Commission heard and considered the appeal of Benny Gordon Racing regarding the #72 NASCAR Nationwide Series car. The appeal concerned three penalties issued by NASCAR stemming from pre-qualifying inspection on March 21, 2009 for the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Appellants requested and were granted a deferral of the fine and suspension penalties until such time as this hearing could be convened. The Appellants argued that sometime prior to the Event they had purchased a supply of Sunoco fuel for testing purposes from a third-party vendor which, unbeknownst to them, contained oxygenates. Fuel from this supply was then re-introduced into the racecar at Bristol when they “topped off” the car using a dumpcan from their hauler just prior to qualifying. The Commission found that the fuel did not meet specifications and that the penalties already factored in any mitigating circumstances. Therefore, it is the unanimous decision of the National Stock Car Racing Commission to uphold the original penalties assessed by NASCAR. The periods of suspension shall be adjusted from the date of this hearing. The Appellants have the right under Section 15 of the Rule Book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Commissioner.(NASCAR PR), for more information on the penalty, see the March 2009 Archives page.(4-20-2009)
Copart on the #10 at Talladega: Braun Racing announces that Copart, Inc., an online vehicle remarketing company that sells more than 1 million cars per year, will serve as primary sponsor of the #10 Toyota Camry in this weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway with veteran driver David Reutimann.(Braun Racing PR)(4-20-2009)
Racing Resources Says…
Greg Biffle won the Bashas Supermarket 200 at Phoenix. Biffle posted his 20th series victory in his 224th start and posted his third win at Phoenix (the most of all drivers) in his 11th race.
Biffle posted his 50th NASCAR National Touring Series victory and fourth at Phoenix. Biffle’s last win came in his last series start at Las Vegas; he ended a 76-race winless streak with his win there.
Roush Fenway Racing posted its 100th series victory, the most of any team. Biffle is responsible for 17 of Roush Fenway Racing’s 100 victories. The team posted its sixth series victory at Phoenix and 13th NASCAR win, the most of any team.
Ford posted its eighth win at Phoenix, the most of any manufacturer. Ford posted its second win of 2009 (both by Biffle).
Biffle led once for 106 laps; that was the 11th time in 15 races at Phoenix that the leader of the most laps has gone on to win.
Carl Edwards, the points leader entering, finished 33rd (25 laps down). Kyle Busch recovered from going two laps down to finish 10th. He now leads the points by 47 over Edwards.
Justin Allgaier (eighth) and Steven Wallace (12th) started the race in backup cars after crashing during qualifying.
Jason Leffler (second) posted his fourth top-10 finish of 2009 and his sixth consecutive top-15 finish.
Brad Keselowski (third) posted his third consecutive third-place finish.
Brendan Gaughan (seventh) was the highest finishing Rookie of the Year contender.
The top 10 consisted of four Chevys, two Fords, three Toyotas and a Dodge.(ESPN.com)(4-20-2009)
Roush-Fenway looking for win #100: UPDATE: Roush Fenway Racing has 99 Nationwide Series wins in the books and a win this weekend could bring them to the century mark. The team hit the 100-win mark in the Sprint Cup Series at Dover in 2007 when Carl Edwards captured the victory. Jack Roush’s first Nationwide victory came at Rockingham with Mark Martin on February 27, 1993. Since then, a total of five drivers have constructed the 99 wins that Roush Fenway has racked up.(Roush Fenway PR)(3-31-2009) UPDATE: It took 17 years, five drivers and 840 starts for Roush Fenway Racing to reach the century mark in the Nationwide Series. The team reached win number 100 in the Sprint Cup Series at Dover in 2007 with Carl Edwards and the #99 team. Now 2002 Nationwide Series champion Greg Biffle has the honor of claiming Roush Fenway’s 100th Nationwide win under the lights at Phoenix International Raceway, just two days before owner Jack Roush’s birthday.(Roush Fenway PR)(4-17-2009)
Phoenix Raceway on the #47 this weekend: UPDATE 2: Phoenix International Raceway will sponsor Nationwide Series driver and Phoenix native Michael McDowell for the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 on April 17 at PIR. The hometown driver’s #47 car will feature a number of items unique to PIR’s “Semifinal Week” in the Chase for the Sprint Cup – which is centered around the Nov. 15 Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 – on his paint scheme for the nationally-televised (ESPN2) race, which starts at 6:30 p.m.(PIR PR)(4-15-2009) UPDATE: Pacific Packaging Group, sponsor of the #47 Nationwide entry with JTG Daugherty Racing, will be hitting the track at Phoenix this week with its new “Speed-Streak” paint scheme. Designed by Pacific Creative Group, the creative consultancy within the Pacific Group family, the new look is part of an overhaul of the entire Pacific Packaging Group brand and website.(JTG Daugherty Racing PR)(4-16-2009)
“Thanks Chevy” scheme for Dillon: Austin Dillon will attempt to race 350 miles this weekend as he visits PIR’s flat, one-mile oval for the first time. The 18-year old will race in the Camping World West Series’ Jimmie Johnson Foundation 150 presented by Shamrock Fans on Thurs., April 16th before attempting to qualify for Friday night’s NNS event. The #2 “RCR Thanks Chevy” Chevy is a tribute to the 40-year partnership between Chevy and RCR team owner Richard Childress. Dillon, Childress’ grandson, will drive a black paint scheme in the NNS race, similar to the legendary #3 paint scheme made famous by the Dale Earnhardt.(RCR PR)(4-15-2009)
Sport Clips on the #20: Sport Clips will adorn the #20 Nationwide Toyota this weekend for the first of two primary races this season. Sport Clips is a national sport-themed hair-care franchise for men and boys that can be found in 36 states. Founded in 1995, the company has 650 stores nationwide. In addition to Phoenix International Raceway, Sport Clips will be the primary sponsor on Logano’s #20 Nationwide machine at Daytona International Speedway in July.(JGR PR), see an image of the car on the #20 Paint Schemes page. (4-15-2009)
flipNbags.com to sponsor Cope: flipNbags.com will sponsor Derrike Cope in five of his DCI NASCAR Nationwide efforts (Richmond, Darlington, Charlotte, Kentucky and Bristol) and one Cup event.(DerrikeCope.com)(4-15-2009)
Great Clips on the #10 at Phoenix: Two Great Clips Camrys will take to the track at Phoenix International Raceway in this weekend’s Nationwide Series race. In addition to Leffler’s black #38 Camry, Braun Racing’s #10 Toyota will be driven by Brian Scott and will feature a reverse Great Clips paint scheme.(Braun Racing PR)(4-15-2009)
NAPA Auto Parts to continue sponsorship of Montreal race: Officials from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve announced Wednesday that NAPA Auto Parts will continue as sponsor of the Canadian track’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race through 2011. This year’s NAPA Auto Parts 200 will be held Aug. 30 at the 2.71-mile, 14-turn road course.(Scene Daily)(4-15-2009)
Delphi on the #88 at Phoenix: Delphi will make its debut on the hood of Brad Keselowski’s #88 Chevy this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. This is the first of six times that Delphi will adorn the hood of the #88; the others being Richmond, Darlington, Atlanta, Kansas, and Memphis.(JR Motorsports PR)(4-14-2009)
Nashville TV Ratings: ESPN’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on April 11 earned a final household coverage rating of 1.3, matching the rating for last year’s race that also aired on ESPN. The telecast averaged 1,539,558 viewers.(ESPN PR)(4-14-2009)
Raybestos Rookie Notes for Phoenix:
* Scott Lagasse Jr. was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the Nashville 300 at Nashville Superspeedway. Lagasse Jr. scored a 10th-place finish and grabbed top rookie honors for the first time this season. He has racked up two top-10 finishes in six races.
* Two Raybestos Rookies led the Nashville 300: Michael McDowell (once for seven laps) and Michael Annett (once for one lap). McDowell and Annett were also the only NASCAR Nationwide Series regulars to lead a lap in the race.
* Justin Allgaier leads Brendan Gaughan by five points (63-58) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix International Raceway.
* Three Raybestos Rookies rank inside the top-10 in the Nationwide Series championship standings: Allgaier (seventh), Gaughan (eighth) and Scott Lagasse Jr. (ninth).
* At least one Raybestos Rookie has scored top-10 finishes in the last four consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
* Dario Franchitti was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2008 Bashas’ Supermarkets 200, scoring an 11th-place finish.
* Carl Edwards owns the best finish in four spring races at Phoenix, an eighth-place effort in 2005.
* Edwards also has the best qualifying performance by a Raybestos Rookie in four spring races at Phoenix. Edwards started the 2005 event from the fifth position.(Camp & Assoc./Raybestos PR)(4-14-2009)
US Cellular sponsoring Iowa race: U.S. Cellular has been named the major sponsor for the prestigious NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway this summer. The U.S. Cellular 250, scheduled for Saturday, August 1, is expected to draw the largest racing crowd in Iowa history.(Iowa Speedway PR)(4-14-2009)
Nationwide COT could be pushed back to 2011: Work on the NASCAR Nationwide Series car of tomorrow is proceeding, though the sanctioning body’s ban on nearly all testing for 2009 could push the introduction of the new car back to 2011. Nationwide Series Director Joe Balash said Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway that Toyota’s version of the car, the Camry, will return to the wind tunnel for testing this week. The other three manufacturers who take part in the series have all had their versions certified aerodynamically. The car has been officially tested on the race track twice, but both tests were last year. And given the struggling U.S. economy, many in the Nationwide garage want NASCAR to hold off another year before rolling the car out. Balash said the sanctioning body will listen to opinions of teams before making a decision. The original introduction was planned for August of this year, but that was pushed back to 2010. Now the car could be held off until 2011.(Scene Daily)(4-13-2009)
Racing Resources Says…
* Joey Logano won the Nashville 300 at Nashville Superspeedway. Logano scored his second Nationwide victory in his 24th start — his other win came at Kentucky (20 starts between). * Logano led nine times for a race-high 95 laps, including the final 10. It’s the first time he had led the most laps in his 24 Nationwide races. * Both of Logano’s series wins came with crew chief Dave Rogers, who has 16 career wins. * Kyle Busch, who finished second, gave Joe Gibbs Racing its third 1-2 finish in the series. Busch finished second all three times. * Toyota posted its 25th Nationwide victory and first at Nashville. It is its third win of 2009. * Joe Gibbs Racing scored its 31st series victory and first at Nashville. The win is JGR’s third win in the first six races of 2009. JGR led 172 of the 225 laps in Saturday’s race. JGR has led 670 of the 1,204 laps run in 2009 (56 percent). * Kelly Bires, who finished fourth, scored his best career finish in the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. car. It ties the best finish for KHI at Nashville (Tony Raines finished fourth in June 2005). * There were a record-tying 19 lead changes — 15 between Logano and Busch. * Four drivers made their Nationwide debut: Brian Scott (25th), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (23rd), Tim Andrews (33rd), Benny Gordon (36th). * Scott Lagasse (10th) was the highest-finishing rookie contender among the seven rookies in the race. * The top 10 consisted of four Toyotas, four Chevys and two Fords. The highest-finishing Dodge was Dennis Setzer in 20th. * Carl Edwards, who finished fourth, continues to lead the points by 23 over Kyle Busch.(ESPN.com)(4-13-2009)
Nationwide Series Under the Lights at Phoenix on ESPN2: The NASCAR Nationwide Series heads to the desert this weekend for an event Friday night at Phoenix International Raceway, and ESPN2 will have a live, high definition telecast of the 200-mile race on Friday, April 17, at 9 p.m. ET. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. The race re-airs Saturday, April 18, at noon on ESPN Classic. Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage from Phoenix, joined in the booth for analysis by Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree. Mike Massaro, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch will report from the pits, while Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage. Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by Jarrett in the ESPN pit studio.(ESPN PR)(4-13-2009)
Means honored by county hall of fame: NASCAR’s biggest star and the people of Huntsville, Ala., have something in common these days. They both recognize Huntsville resident Jimmy Means as a true American hero. Dale Earnhardt Jr. for years has been vocal and enthusiastic in his support of Means, a journeyman driver in the series now known as Sprint Cup but who now fields under-funded cars in the Nationwide Series. The Huntsville folks are making their affection official Monday, inducting Means into the Huntsville/Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame. Veteran Huntsville Times reporter Mark McCarter says Means is the first race driver inducted into the Hall.(Racin’ Today)(4-13-2009) Comment here
Rusty Wallace, Inc. considering 2010 move to Cup: NASCAR Nationwide Series car owner [#62 & #64] Rusty Wallace said he hopes to move his two-car team to the Sprint Cup Series in 2010. But the situation would have to be perfect. Rusty Wallace Racing fields two Chevys, for Brendan Gaughan and Rusty’s son, Steve, in the Nationwide Series. “Ideally, if all the moons lined up, I’d start in 2010,” Wallace said at Nashville Superspeedway, where the Nashville 300 will be held Saturday. “Two cars. I’d want Stephen and Brendan to go right in.” But Rusty Wallace would need a partnership with an existing team in order to stock enough inventory of cars and engines. Also, RWR would need the right level of sponsorship. Richard Childress Racing provided RWR with engines in the Nationwide Series, and Wallace said he’s had casual conversations about a Cup alliance with RCR. Wallace said his shop facilities in Mooresville, N.C. would be adequate for a Cup team. The team currently does its own bodies there and has a large fabrication area.Scene Daily)(4-12-2009) Comment here
Harr to drive for Ware at Phoenix: Daryl Harr of Alberta, Canada is ready to show the USA his talent. The 2004 Sportsman of the Year in the NASCAR Winston West Series and former CASCAR (Canadian Tire Series), Rookie of the Year will be making his series debut at the Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. Driving the #31-Circle K Thirstbuster Chevy, RWR is exciting to have Harr on board.(Rick Ware Racing PR)(4-12-2009)
No Dash 4 Cash winner: The $25,000 designated to the race winner for the first Dash 4 Cash will increase to $50,000 at the Kentucky race after a full-time Nationwide Series driver failed to win the race. Logano, a full-time Sprint Cup driver, is scheduled to race just 22 Nationwide Series races in 2009.(Tennessean)(4-12-2009)
Bubba the Love Sponge Named Grand Marshal for Aaron’s 312: National radio star Bubba the Love Sponge has been named Grand Marshal for the 2009 Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega on Saturday, April 25. Bubba’s Grand Marshal duties will include greeting each of the drivers as they are announced on the driver introduction stage, addressing the crowd of more than 145,000 and issuing the most famous words in racing: “Gentlemen, start your engines.”(Aarons PR)(4-10-2009)
Braun Racing hotel hit by tornado: ESPN2 reported during coverage of Nationwide practice that the hotel Braun Racing was staying at was hit by a tornado Friday afternoon. The team will have to find an alternate location to stay.(4-10-2009)
Baker Curb would donate Dash 4 Cash winnings to Red Cross: Baker Curb Racing, the only full-time NASCAR team based in Nashville, has an additional incentive to win the $25,000 bonus money from the Nationwide Insurance “Dash 4 Cash” program this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. Should driver Jason Keller claim the victory, his local team owners, Gary Baker and Mike Curb, have pledged to donate the $25,000 bonus to the local American Red Cross in support of relief efforts for victims of Friday’s storms. “We are proud to be based in Nashville and are thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by today’s devastating storms,” said co-owner Gary Baker. “We have team members that live in the Murfreesboro area so this really hits home with us and it would make this win even more extra special if we can contribute that bonus to the relief efforts.”(Baker Curb PR)(4-10-2009)
Kenny Wallace to run Cup race? UPDATE: hearing Kenny Wallace and Jay Robinson Racing [#28 in Nationwide Series] has a Sprint Cup car and could run the Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway in May.(4-9-2009) UDPATE: Kenny Wallace denied published reports that he will run the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Darlington in May for his Nationwide team owner, Jay Robinson Racing. Speaking on Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway, Wallace said, “We do have a Cup car, an old James Finch car. We’re concerned that the car may be too old and heavy, though. It’s out of date, not a new generation car. It’s not as light as it needs to be. The difference between this car and some of the newer ones may be only 15 or 30 pounds, but that’s a lot. We definitely want to run a Cup race or two, but I’m not sure when we’ll attempt it. It definitely won’t be Darlington. We don’t have the manpower to build a top-flight car right now.”(Sirius Speedway)(4-11-2009) Comment here
USfidelis on the #62: Saturday’s event marks the first of a ten-race commitment by USfidelis to serve as primary sponsor of the #62 Chevy, driven by eighth-ranked Brendan Gaughan. For this weekend’s event at Nashville, as well as in USfidelis’s “hometown” event later this year at Gateway, both RWR entries will sport USfidelis colors.(RWI PR)(4-9-2009)
Nationwide on the #01 at Nashville: Nationwide Insurance will be co-primary sponsor with www.sponsordavis.com as associate at Nashville on the #01 for Johnny Davis and driver Danny O’Quinn.(Hufco Promotion / Johnny Davis PR)(4-8-2009)
Aldean on the #11 at Nashville: The #11 entry will go country this weekend as Jason Aldean’s new album Wide Open will be displayed on the hood of the America’s Incredible Pizza Company race car.(CJM Racing PR)(4-8-2009)
Racing Resources Says…
Kyle Busch won the O’Reilly 300 at the Texas Motor Speedway. Busch scored his 23rd Nationwide victory in his 143rd start. His 23 career wins rank seventh all time, one better than Dale Earnhardt Jr., Sam Ard and Tommy Ellis.
Busch scored his third Nationwide victory at Texas Motor Speedway, all in his past three starts there. The previous driver to win three consecutive races at a track was Carl Edwards at Nashville (2006-07).
Busch has won 12 of his past 29 Nationwide races.
Busch has six NASCAR wins in the 15 NASCAR races this season (two Cup, two Nationwide, two Trucks). He has won six of the past 11 races on 1.5-mile tracks in the Nationwide Series.
Busch led 178 of the 200 laps, including the final 95. The 178 laps are the most led by a race winner at Texas. He has led more than 100 laps five times at Texas, including four of the past five races. He also has led the most laps in three of the five races this season.
Busch scored his sixth Nationwide victory with crew chief Jason Ratcliff.
Joe Gibbs Racing has led 491 of the 600 laps raced at Texas Motor Speedway in the past three Nationwide races. JGR scored its 30th series victory and its third (all consecutive) at Texas.
Toyota posted its 24th series victory and third (all consecutive) at Texas.
This is the first Texas race won from the pole.
Carl Edwards (18th) ended a streak of 13 races of finishing in the top 10.
The top nine drivers all competed in the Cup race Sunday.
This was the first event when a sealed engine was required.
Brad Keselowski (third) scored his first top-10 of 2009. He started in the rear of the field in a backup car after a crash in qualifying. He gained eight spots in the points standings and now sits seventh.
Justin Allgaier (10th) was the highest-finishing rookie contender among the seven in the race. It was Allgaier’s third consecutive top-10 finish.
The top 10 consisted of two Toyotas, four Chevys, three Fords and one Dodge.(ESPN.com)(4-7-2009)
Scott to drive 4 races for Braun: Braun Racing announced that Brian Scott will pilot the #10 Toyota for four upcoming Nationwide Series races including this Saturday’s Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway. This weekend’s event will mark Scott’s debut in the Nationwide Series. Plans call for Scott to drive the #10 Toyota for four races including events at Nashville Superspeedway and Phoenix International Raceway. The remaining two races in which Scott will drive the #10 entry will be announced at a later date. Stewart Cooper, who oversees shop operations at Braun Racing, will serve as crew chief on the #10 car for those races.(Braun Racing PR)(4-7-2009)
Nationwide Series Earns 1.4 Rating at Texas: ESPN2’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Texas Motor Speedway on April 3 earned a 1.4 household coverage rating and averaged 1,862,866 viewers. The rating is down from the 1.8 earned for last year’s race, also aired live on ESPN2.(ESPN PR)(4-7-2009)
“All Access” available at Nashville: In an effort to give NASCAR fans unprecedented behind the scene access; Nashville Superspeedway is rolling out a new opportunity for race fans in 2009. It’s called – ALL ACCESS. All Access opens Saturday before the race at 11:45 a.m. To return to some of the “grassroots” elements that have made NASCAR so popular among motorsports fans; Nashville Superspeedway will debut this new fan initiative at the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday, April 11. All Access features:
…Pre race Garage access* that will give race fans the opportunity to see garage and pit road activities on race day before the race begins.
…Access to the NASCAR Driver’s Meeting
…Front Stretch track access with cars staged, in qualifying order, on the front stretch for fans to have their picture made with their favorite cars.
…Pre race driver introductions will include drivers being introduced while they walk down through the grandstands and on to the track.
…Drivers will get into their cars on the front stretch and await the “gentlemen start your engines” command. Engines will start on the front stretch with pace laps to follow.
The All Access Pass is included in the 2009 Season Tickets for only $149. Single-event ticket customers can add the All Access pass for $50 for the June 6 Federated Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the August 1 Toyota Tundra 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(4-6-2009)
Richard Johns takes over Suspension Systems: Richard Johns, a veteran NASCAR race engineer, has joined forces with Kenny Hendrick, who currently pilots the #42 Dodge in the Nationwide Series, to take over the day to day operations of Suspension Systems, LLC. Richard Johns Race Engineering and Hendrick’s Suspension Systems have formed a partnership that will expand the role of both companies moving forward. Located in Huntersville, N.C., Suspension Systems has serviced the suspension needs of the motorsports industry for the past nine years. With Johns’ engineering expertise, the new partnership between the two companies will allow the organization not only to sell and service shocks and suspension components, but also offer engineering services for any motorsports application. Additional services include shock revalving and dyno tuning, shock repair, motorcycle fork service, shock rentals, data acquisition, track support, car and bike setup, component design and manufacturing and custom built race ATVs.(Richard Johns PR)(4-6-2009)
First “Dash for Cash” Race at Nashville: Prior to the start of the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Nationwide Insurance announced the Nationwide Insurance “Dash 4 Cash” program. This exciting program, aimed at creating additional support for the teams in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, provides an extra incentive at four stand-alone NASCAR Nationwide events this season.
The Nationwide Dash 4 Cash provides an additional payout to NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers — $25,000 to the eligible winner of each of the four races and a $50,000 bonus to the driver who accumulates the most NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship Driver points during the four stand-alone events within the program.
In addition, Nationwide Insurance and ESPN have teamed up to award a weekly cash prize to race fans, as part of the “Driver Pick ‘Em” presented by Nationwide Insurance’s fantasy game on ESPN.com. During each of the four Dash 4 Cash races, fans are eligible for a $25,000 prize and throughout the rest of the season fans are eligible for a $500 weekly prize. Participants can register and play the weekly contest at http://games.espn.go.com/dpickem/frontpage.
Beginning April 11 at Nashville Superspeedway, NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers will be competing not only for the victory, they’ll be going after the Dash 4 Cash bonus too. Here are the details:
• The program is open to all NASCAR Nationwide Series regulars and up-and-coming drivers, regardless of whether they have a full-time or part-time ride in the Series. Drivers who have a full-time ride in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series must enter, qualify for and compete in every NASCAR Nationwide Series event to be eligible for the bonus cash.
• Should an eligible driver not win the opening race at Nashville and collect the Dash 4 Cash bonus, the $25,000 prize will roll over to the next race, June 13 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky.
• The two remaining races in the first-of-its-kind program are August 1 at Iowa Speedway and October 24 at Memphis Motorsports Park.
• The final aspect of the Dash 4 Cash is its cumulative bonus. The driver with the most NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship Driver points accrued in the four-race series wins $50,000 and will be honored at the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship banquet at year’s end.(Nationwide PR)(4-6-2009)
Bires in the #33 at Nashville; Charter on the car: (The Kevin Harvick, Inc. team will see a new face behind the wheel this week at Nashville. Twenty-four-year-old Mauston, Wisc. native Kelly Bires will make his first Nationwide Series start for KHI, looking to continue the success of the #33 team this season. In addition to the new face behind the wheel, there’s a new look to the #33 this weekend in Nashville. Charter Communications will expand their relationship with KHI, serving as the primary sponsor on the #33 KHI Chevy. Charter Communications can be seen as an associate sponsor on the car weekly and earlier this season was the primary sponsor on the #2 KHI Silverado in the Truck Series.(KHI PR)(4-6-2009)
Raybestos Rookie Notes for Nashville:
Justin Allgaier was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the O’Reilly 300 at Texas. Allgaier scored a 10th-place finish, his third top-10 in five races this season and claimed Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors for the second consecutive race.
Allgaier leads Brendan Gaughan by eight points (57-49) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Nationwide 300 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Allgaier is fifth in the Nationwide Series championship standings, 12 points behind fourth-place Jason Leffler and 24 ahead of sixth-place Kevin Harvick.
Three Raybestos Rookies rank inside the top-10 in the Nationwide Series championship standings: Allgaier, Gaughan (eighth) and Scott Lagasse Jr. (10th).
At least one Raybestos Rookie has scored top-10 finishes in four of the first five races this season.
Cale Gale was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide 300 at Nashville, claiming an eighth-place finish.(Raybestos / Camp & Assoc. PR)(4-6-2009)
Nationwide Series Live from Nashville on ESPN: The NASCAR Nationwide Series takes center stage this weekend with an event at Nashville Superspeedway, and the series will make its first appearance of the season on ESPN for a live, high definition telecast of the 300-mile race on Saturday, April 11, at 3 p.m. ET. The telecast is presented by Pennzoil. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. The race re-airs Sunday, April 12, at noon on ESPN Classic.
The race is the first of four events that make up the Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash, a competition program involving four stand-alone races on the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season and providing Nationwide Series drivers an opportunity to race for their own bonus program. In the Nashville race, if an eligible driver takes the victory, he will receive an additional $25,000 bonus from Nationwide. At the end of the season, the eligible driver with the highest accumulated points from the four races will win an additional $50,000.
Marty Reid will be the lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage from Nashville, joined in the booth for analysis by Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.
Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by Wallace and Brad Daugherty in the ESPN pit studio.
ESPN2 will televise NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice from Nashville on Friday, April 10, at 6 p.m., as well as qualifying on Saturday at 11 a.m.(ESPN PR)(4-6-2009)
Stenhouse making series debut at Nashville: Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway behind the wheel of the #16 CitiFinancial Ford. The sprint car standout will be led by crew chief Eddie Pardue in his first of seven scheduled races this season.(Roush Fenway PR)(4-6-2009)
Carpentier in the #99 at Montreal and maybe the Glen: Patrick Carpentier will participate in the NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA 200 that will be presented on the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in August, driving Michael Waltrip Racing’s #99 Toyota, usually driven by Scott Speed or Waltrip himself. According to two sources close to the team contacted by RueFrontenac.com, Carpentier will sport the colors of NAPA Auto Parts in the #99 prepared by crew chief Jerry Baxter. The team hopes that their collaboration with Carpentier in Montreal is not an isolated event. “We have not yet made a decision about this, but Patrick is also an excellent choice as a driver for the other road race at Watkins Glen this season. (three weeks before the race in Montreal), said crew chief Jerry Baxter.(RueFrontenac.com)(4-6-2009)
Tim Andrews in the #31 at Nashville: Many fathers have been at their son’s side for racing. From go-karts to midgets to late models, the Father-Son, Crew Chief-Driver is a common occurrence. The Pepsi 300 at the Nashville Superspeedway, that tradition continues. Paul Andrews will be calling the shots atop the pit box for a new driver at RWR, his son, Tim Andrews. Tim and Paul will be one of the few if not only Father-Son, Crew Chief-Driver combos in NASCAR’s Top Three Series, continuing the “Family Tradition” at Rick Ware Racing.(RWR PR)(4-6-2009)
RAB to appeal Daytona penalties: UPDATE 2: The National Stock Car Racing Commission accepted a request for an appeal pertaining to the penalty levied against Jay Robinson, car owner of the #09 Ford at Daytona. A date for the hearing has yet to be set, however it is expected to take place sometime next week. “I’m grateful to NASCAR for having a process in place for this type of instance. They’ve been very helpful and we look forward to the opportunity to present the facts of our particular case to the Commission so that the penalty may be reconsidered.” – Robby Benton, General Manager(RAB Racing PR), for earlier information on the penalty, see the 2009 Nationwide Series penalties page.(2-25-2009) UPDATE: On March 9, 2009, the National Stock Car Racing Commission heard and considered the appeal of RAB Racing regarding the #09 NASCAR Nationwide Series car. The appeal concerned three penalties issued by NASCAR stemming from opening day inspection on February 10, 2009 for the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Daytona International Speedway. The Appellants argued that the modifications to the roll cage did not violate NASCAR rules in that the tubing was originally round. The Appellants argued that the modifications did not represent an intentional effort on their part to circumvent the rules, rather that the chassis had been purchased from a third party and had been modified at some time in the past to allow for bodywork clearance. They further pointed out that no effort had been made on their part to conceal the modifications during the inspection process. They also argued that the penalty was excessive in light of these circumstances. The Commission found the Appellants’ explanation of the sequence of events regarding the modifications to the roll bar to be both plausible and believable. Ultimately, however, the team presenting the car for inspection is responsible for that car’s adherence to the rules. Since the modifications may have affected the integrity of the roll cage, an excessive penalty was warranted in this case. Therefore, it is the unanimous decision of the National Stock Car Racing Commission to uphold the original penalties assessed by NASCAR.(NASCAR PR)(3-9-2009) UPDATE 2: RAB Racing has lost its appeal to National Stock Car Racing Commissioner Charles Strang over a $15,000, 100-point penalty for having an illegal roll cage in the Nationwide Series car it brought to race in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. The roll cage was bent near the driver’s door. Team owner Robby Benton’s biggest issue with the penalty was that points were taken away for a car that was never raced. NASCAR officials asked the team to bring out a backup car but did not impound the car. Benton’s appeal to Strang occurred March 30 and Benton said he was informed of the decision April 3.(Scene Daily)(4-5-2009)
Last weekend for 2008 owners points: UPDATE: The O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway is the last time owner points from 2008 will be used to line up the 30 guaranteed spots in the field. Next week, the points from 2009 will be used when the Nationwide series heads to Nashville. Coming into TMS, the #61 Ford driven by Brandon Whitt is 30th in the owner standings, three points ahead of a tie between Scott Wimmer’s #40 StopRepairBills.8com Chevy and Kenny Hendrick’s #42 Dodge. Wimmer did not qualify for the Texas race.(4-3-2009) UPDATE: Drivers/Teams that had not been locked in but will be next weekend:
#16-Jack Roush/Greg Biffle/Matt Kenseth
#18-Joe Gibbs Racing/Kyle Busch
#87-Joe Nemechek/Joe Nemechek
#10-Todd Braun/David Reutimann/Kelly Bires
#01-Johnny Davis/Danny O’Quinn, Jr. Teams that have been locked in, but are NOT at Nashville:
#81-Randy MacDonald/D.J. Kennington/Kevin Hamlin
#05-Wayne Day/Casey Atwood
#52-Jimmy Means/Scott Gaylord/Kevin Lepage
#09-Jay Robinson/Jos Wes Townley
#90-Marcia Parsons/Johnny Chapman
Complete standings are posted on the Texas Race Page.(4-4-2009)
Harvick, Stewart continue to help Shepherd: Shepherd does have some big-name help. Tony Stewart and Kevin and DeLana Harvick are helping keep Shepherd on the track. A couple of years ago, when Shepherd was wrecked out at Kentucky Speedway, he said into his radio, “This puts us out of business.” The following Monday morning, Shepherd fielded a call from Harvick’s team offering any help they could provide to keep him in business. That has included cars, parts and technical support. Stewart bought three engines for Shepherd before this season and is paying for tires for the entire season, a cost Shepherd estimates at $250,000.(Dallas Morning News)(4-4-2009)
Nationwide Series Live from Texas on ESPN2: The NASCAR Nationwide Series returns to superspeedway action this weekend at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. ESPN2 will have a live, high definition telecast of the 300-mile race on Saturday, April 4, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. The race re-airs Sunday, April 5, at 11 a.m. on ESPN Classic. Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lap-by-lap announcer, joined in the booth for analysis by Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch will report from the pits, while Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage. Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by Jarrett and Brad Daugherty in the ESPN pit studio.(ESPN PR)(4-3-2009)
Nationwide To Use Twitter, Twitpic for real-time race access: The Nationwide Media Team for the NASCAR Nationwide Series will be using Twitter (http://twitter.com/Nationwide) and Twitpic (http://www.twitpic.com/photos/nationwide) to provide real-time, behind-the-scenes access to the NASCAR Nationwide Series Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway April 10 and 11. They will post updates and capture photos from the pre-race press conference, at a driver Easter Egg Toss, in the garage area and pretty much anywhere else interesting stuff is taking place. Additionally, they are taking special requests you may have for pictures from pit row, the press conference, a particular driver, etc. They may not be able to fulfill all the requests, but they will certainly try. You can follow the Nationwide Media Team’s whereabouts on the track those two days on Twitter/Nationwide. The pictures will be posted at http://www.twitpic.com/photos/nationwide. Send your photo request to http://twitter.com/Nationwide or [email protected] by midnight April 9.(Nationwide PR)(4-3-2009)
Hackett to make season debut at Nashville: Ryan Hackett and Ray Hackett Racing will be making their 2009 Nationwide Series debut at Nashville Superspeedway on April 11 as they attempt to qualify for the Pepsi 300. The team will be led by 1993 Busch Series Championship crew chief Bryant Frazier. Janitorial and cleaning supply company J&R Supply Corp. will serve as associate sponsor and primary sponsorship opportunities are still available. The team plans to race a limited schedule in both the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series with more races to be announced as sponsorship is found.(Hackett Racing PR)(4-3-2009)
2XL joins Brian Keselowski: 2XL has officially signed on with the #26 Dodge driven by Brian Keselowski on the NASCAR Nationwide Series for 2009. K-Automotive will have at select races this year the 2XL/Bull26.com support trailer, selling 2XL headphones and ear buds to the masses to support the team’s race efforts.(2XL PR)(4-2-2009)
Allgaier tests at “Little Rock”: #12-Justin Allgaier tested Tuesday at Little Rock with the Penske Nationwide team.(4-1-2009)
