What’s Up with Danny O’Quinn?: UPDATE 2 Mac Hill: Danny O’Quinn Jr. is in racing purgatory. The reigning Busch Series rookie of the year has a deal with Roush Racing. What he doesn’t have is a sponsor. As a result, O’Quinn is scheduled to run only one Busch race this season (at Kentucky). The rest of his time will be spent working the garage on NASCAR race weekends, trying to get a sponsor, or driving some car, somewhere, anywhere.(Richmond Times-Dispatch)(1-25-2007) UPDATE: hearing that former Roush Racing Busch driver, 2006 Busch Series Rookie of the Year Danny Q’Quinn has a four race deal to run the #56 Mac Hill Motorsports car, no idea which four races, but one is supposedly not Daytona in Feb.(1-31-2007) UPDATE 2: Mac Hill Motorsports announced that Roush Fenway Racing’s Danny O’Quinn Jr. will drive a limited schedule in the #56 Chevy during this year’s Busch Series season. O’Quinn, will open Mac Hill’s 2007 campaign at Bristol.(Mac Hill Motorsports PR)(2-28-2007)
Nicorette 300 to be dedicated to Benny Parsons: The Nicorette 300 at Atlanta will be dedicated in memory of Benny Parsons. In celebration of “BP”, the Parsons family will be honored and recognized as Grand Marshals of the Nicorette 300. Parsons’ brother, Phil Parsons, will represent the family at the race serving as Grand Marshal. Parsons, a supporter of Nicorette’s NASCAR smoking cessation programs, was a former smoker himself and had recently accepted an invitation by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare to serve as Grand Marshal for the 2007 Nicorette 300. To honor Parsons’ life, fans attending the Nicorette 300 will take part in a “Celebration of BP” during pre-race ceremonies. NEXTEL Vision will air a special video montage featuring highlights from Parson’s racing and broadcasting career as well as memories from many of his friends within NASCAR. Cup, Busch, and Craftsman Truck Series racecars will carry a special “BP-72” contingency sticker throughout the Nicorette 300 weekend to remember Parsons and his car number “72.”(Atlanta Motor Speedway PR)(2-28-2007)
NASCAR Official Pete Babb Dies: Long-time NASCAR official Pete Babb has passed away at the age of 80. “Pete Babb was a well-respected member of NASCAR officiating for over 55 years,” said NASCAR Busch Series Director Joe Balash. “Our sympathy goes out to his family and the NASCAR community that called Pete a friend. Pete holds a place in NASCAR history that will never be replaced. He served in almost every position in officiating and saw the most change in the sport over his years of service. There are very few in this industry that experenced the world of NASCAR racing like Pete.” “Pete Babb was one of NASCAR’s pioneers,” said NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter. “He loved our sport and its people. He will be missed by everyone in the NASCAR community. Pete’s kindness touched thousands of people during his many years in NASCAR.” Funeral arrangements are pending. The visitation and funeral will be held at Alliance Church in Portsmouth, Va. Visitation: Friday, March 2nd at 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Funeral: Saturday, March 3rd at 3:00p.m. Alliance Church, 5809 Portsmouth Blvd., Portsmouth, VA 23701 (757) 488-6945 In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.(NASCAR PR)(2-28-2007)
SkinzWraps Joins RWI as Associate Sponsor: SkinzWraps, Inc., a full-service vehicle wrap company, announced it has become an associate sponsor of RWI Racing for the #66 Busch Series car and that the SkinzWraps logo will be displayed on the #66 car during the 2007 season.(SkinzWraps PR)(2-28-2007)
Conz Out; Jay Sauter to Drive for Cicci: UPDATE 2: Jay Sauter is behind the wheel of the #34 of Frank Cicci Racing this weekend at Calfornia. The team expects to have him behind the wheel for the remainder of the season, with the exception of the road courses. No word on the plans of Brian Conz, who was expected to drive the #34.(2-23-2007) UPDATE: Brian Conz along with the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Southern Jurisdiction continue with plans to compete in the Busch Series in 2007. New team affiliations are currently being negotiated with official announcement coming soon. Brian also plans to run some ARCA races this year in order to satisfy NASCAR requirements for unrestricted licensing.(Brian Conz PR)(2-25-2007) UPDATE 2: Less than two months after the official sponsor announcement of the #34 Scottish Rite Racing Chevy with Busch Series team Frank Cicci Racing and driver Brian Conz; FCR has retained legal council as a result of non payment according to contract terms. Frank Cicci Racing, Inc .has placed BC Motorsports and its President Brian Conz on notice for default and non-payment according to the terms of a binding contract that commits them to a 35 NASCAR Busch Series race schedule with Frank Cicci Racing. Frank Cicci said, ” It’s a bit disturbing to read the press release that BC Motorsports is seeking affiliation with another team when they still have a binding contract with FCR”. As a result of this present situation, FCR is seeking primary sponsorship in order to continue its planned 35 race event schedule.(Frank Cicci Racing PR)(2-27-2007)
Brewco Signs Development Driver: Brewco Motorsports announced that it is teaming up with ARCA RE/MAX Series Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Phillip McGilton for his inaugural full season of competition. “We are excited to be competing in all 23 scheduled races this year in the ARCA RE/MAX Series with Phillip McGilton,” said Clarence Brewer Jr., owner and founder of Brewco Motorsports. “We recognize Phillip as an extremely talented young driver with the ability to be very successful. He is an up-and-coming star in our sport and our whole team is looking forward to seeing him in Victory Lane this year. We know he is a strong contender for the Rookie of the Year honors as well.”(Brewco PR)(2-27-2007)
NASCAR Busch Series at Mexico City Receiving ESPN Full Circle Coverage: For the first time in its history, ESPN will present a Spanish-language telecast of a major sporting event with this Sunday’s flag-to-flag coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series race in Mexico City.
While ESPN2, home of the NASCAR Busch Series, will cover the race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in English, ESPN will provide a rare simulcast of ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s domestic Spanish-language network. Those telecasts highlight an ESPN Full Circle presentation, in which various ESPN outlets carry the event live using different coverage approaches, in addition to extensive content surrounding the race across additional ESPN outlets such as TV, radio and Internet.
“The NASCAR Busch Series race in Mexico City is a special event,” said John Wildhack, ESPN senior vice president, programming and acquisitions. “It presents a unique and history-making opportunity for a Spanish-language telecast on a major cable network as well as a traditional English-speaking telecast. Interest in this event is high and we’re pleased to be able to provide multiple viewing options for NASCAR fans.”
Coverage from Mexico City will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET with the pre-race NASCAR Countdown on ESPN2 as well as Cuenta Regresiva a NASCAR on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. The race telecasts begin at 2 p.m.
ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Busch Series in 2007, with six select events to be televised by ESPN on ABC. ESPN is covering the series with the same standards of production that it will use later this season for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, including the full use of High Definition cameras, Sportvision pointers and technology and state-of-the-art graphics.
“We are committed to the NASCAR Busch Series,” said Wildhack. “ESPN’s Full Circle approach will showcase the excitement and competitiveness of the Busch Series across a variety of multimedia platforms.”
NASCAR Busch Series at Mexico City Full Circle highlights: ESPN: Will present a simulcast of ESPN Deportes’ Spanish-language flag-to-flag coverage of the race. ESPN Deportes will feature a unique telecast of the race, with its own on-site production team, Spanish-language graphics and commentary as well as highlighting key Hispanic drivers. Play-by-play commentator Andrés Agulla will be joined in the booth by Alex Pombo for analysis. Claudia Trejos and Marcelo Vivo will serve as pit reporters. NASCAR team owner Felix Sabates will join Agulla and Pombo in the booth for 30 minutes during the race. ESPN2 (ESPN2 HD): Will present the traditional English-language race telecast as ESPN2 is doing all season for the NASCAR Busch Series. Lead announcer Jerry Punch will be joined in the booth by 1989 NASCAR champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree for analysis. Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro will serve as pit reporters. A live edition of NASCAR Now, ESPN’s first daily news and information show totally dedicated to NASCAR, will air at 10 a.m. Analysts Tim Brewer and Brad Daugherty will join ESPN’s Chris Fowler on NASCAR Countdown at 1:30 p.m. The ESPN2 telecast will be simulcast on the ABC Supersign in New York City’s Times Square. ESPN Deportes: In addition to offering Spanish-language flag-to-flag coverage, the network will present the Cuenta Regresiva a NASCAR pre-race show at 1:30 p.m. ET, preceding the 2 p.m. green flag. Immediately following the race, the network will present a special one-hour edition of SportsCenter with post-race coverage and interviews from on-site. ESPNEWS: The nation’s only 24-hour sports news network will offer in-progress highlights, analysis, and expanded post-race coverage. ESPN360: ESPN’s signature broadband service, available in 15 million homes nationwide, will feature a live simulcast of the ESPN2 telecast with a race cast application, plus exclusive content from NASCAR Now, an ESPN360 “Super Highlight” of the race available immediately after the race is complete and post-race coverage including analysis and driver press conferences. ESPN.com: ESPN.com coverage will be highlighted by extensive online video as well as ESPN.com’s RaceCast live race-day application featuring an in-race animated graphic display, track information, lap leaders, race leaders, multimedia, driver information and live in-race chat with ESPN NASCAR contributor Tim Cowlishaw. ESPN.com will also include comprehensive coverage from award-winning motorsports writers Terry Blount, David Newton, NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis. ESPN Radio: Will present updates on the progress and results within the ESPN Radio SportsCenter reports every 20 minutes. ESPNdeportes.com: The leading Spanish-language sports Web site in the U.S. will provide additional coverage highlighted by live chats, in-race updates, driver information, and columns from Andres Agulla and Alex Pombo. ESPN Deportes Radio: The exclusive Spanish-language radio home of MRN Radio will provide in-race reports, commentary from ESPN Deportes Radio NASCAR experts Bernardo Pillati and Carlos Arratia from onsite.
Additional studio programming: Several other programs will also present NASCAR Busch Series at Mexico City content, including ESPN2’s Cold Pizza, and SportsCenter.
In addition, ESPN Deportes will debut a new episode of ESPN Perfiles, the network’s half-hour, in-depth interview show, featuring Brazilian Formula One three-time champion Nelson Piquet Sunday, March 4 at 1 p.m. ET.(ESPN PR)(2-27-2007)
Star Motorsports Teams with Brewco at Mexico City: The 2007 racing season for STAR Motorsports and Jorge Goeters starts this weekend at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. STAR has partnered with Brewco Motorsports of Central City, Kentucky for the Busch race to put Goeters in the #27 Ford. Primary sponsorship will be provided by Scotiabank, as well as sponsorship by Xtreme Gel, and Kimberly-Clark’s Kleenex.(Star Motorsports PR)(2-27-2007)
Raybestos Rookie Notes for Mexico: Timothy Peters was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in California. Peters scored a 17th-place finish in his first Busch start of the 2007 season for Richard Childress Racing. Marcos Ambrose holds a three-point lead over Kyle Krisiloff (20-17) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering Mexico. Ambrose is 10th in the Busch Series standings, best of any Rookie. He is 20 points behind ninth-place Regan Smith and six ahead of 11th-place David Reutimann.(Raybestos PR)(2-26-007)
J.R. Fitzpatrick to Drive for Davis Motorsports at Mexcio: J.R. Fitzpatrick is preparing for his NASCAR Busch Series debut this weekend in Mexico. The Ayr, Ontario [Canada] resident is getting ready for the outing by playing a computer simulation game that features the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez road course. Fitzpatrick is the reigning CASCAR Super Series (now NASCAR Canadian Tire Series) champion. In Mexico, he will drive the #0 Johnny Davis-owned Chevy, with sponsorship from longtime Fitzpatrick Motorsports backer Home Hardware.(Inside Track News)(2-26-2007)
Revelocity Racing to make announcement Monday: UPDATE: heard that Revelocity Racing, a West Virginia based racing team, which planned to run some Nextel Cup races in 2007 [#73], will scale back those plans and run in the Busch Series in 2007, with the first race scheduled in Nashville, team and sponsor announcements are to come on Monday on their website.(revelocityracing.com)(2-25-2007) UPDATE: Revelocity Racing will be heading to the track with a new driver, new partners, and a new plan to bring NASCAR to West Virginia. After exploring options with other teams, the owners began to survey other options and developed a plan to run a 10 race NASCAR Busch series schedule. Brett Rowe, ARCA Champion and West Virginia native, will pilot the Revelocity Racing #73 Ford. The team plans to debut at the Pepsi 300 Busch Race at Nashville. Some of the sponsors for the car are expected to be announced later this week.(Revelocity Racing PR)(2-25-2007)
Andretti to Run Limited Schedule with Braun: UPDATE 3: John Andretti told Sirius Satellite Radio’s The Driver’s Seat that he will run a limited schedule this year of approximately 15 races in the #10 Camping World Toyota for Braun Racing. He will drive the #37 in Cup this weekend and plans to be back in the #10 Busch car next week at Mexico.(2-22-2007) UPDATE: Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway is citing unconfirmed reports than John Andretti has been released by Braun Racing, and that Dave Blaney will drive the #10 car for the remainder of the season with sponsorship from ABF U-Pack, Haas Avocados and Camping World. The team will also continue to field a car for Jason Leffler this season.(Sirius Radio)(2-22-2007) UPDATE 2: John Andretti’s future with Braun Racing could be in jeopardy as sponsor Camping World makes a decision on its future in the Busch Series. “Yeah, he’s currently employed by us,” Braun said Friday. Will he be in a couple of weeks? “I don’t know,” Braun said. “I guess that’ll be determined in a couple of weeks. Camping World is not going to sponsor [us] in the Mexico race, and they were never scheduled to sponsor Las Vegas. The next scheduled race is Atlanta, and probably a decision will be made then.” Andretti, who is driving Front Row Motorsports’ #37 Nextel Cup car this weekend with Camping World sponsorship, said he didn’t know what was going on with Braun and no one from the team has informed him of any changes in his status. Andretti said he has a contract to drive a Braun car in Mexico City.(SceneDaily.com)(2-23-2007) UPDATE 3: A Toyota Motorsports release about the upcoming Mexcico race states “[Dave] Blaney, [Jason] Leffler and David Reutimann will compete in Toyota Camrys.” Andretti is not mentioned.(2-25-2007)
Coke A Possible Series Sponsor?: NASCAR and ESPN are pitching the Busch Series title rights to most of the significant national brands, and Coca-Cola is one that could emerge as a contender, sources say. Subway, Allstate, Wal-Mart and Samsung also have established themselves in the chase for the title sponsorship.(Sporting News)(2-23-2007)
Zoriki to Sponsor Yeley: Yeley Racing Corporation announced that David Zoriki Motorsports will sponsor J.J. Yeley’s Busch Series entry in 2007. Yeley will compete for Phoenix Racing by driving the #1 Miccosukee Resort Chevy, with associate sponsorship from Zoriki. With a background in ownership in the open-wheel ranks, Zoriki embarked on the NASCAR circuit in 2005 and 2006 in the Craftsman Truck Series as a team sponsor. The new partnership with Yeley marks his first venture in the Busch Series.(Yeley PR)(2-22-2007)
What’s Up with Ashton Lewis Jr.? Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway interviewed Ashton Lewis Thursday afternoon. He spent part of the offseason working at his father’s engine dyno company, but is now selling cars for Rick Hendrick at the Toyota Scion dealership in Concord, NC. He said he would consider the right opportunity to drive in NASCAR again if the situation arose.(Sirius Radio)(2-22-2007)
Keith Coleman Racing Makes Pit Stop at Oklahoma State Capitol: The #23-Chevy made a pit stop at Oklahoma’s State Capitol Building and was greeted by eager NASCAR fans. Blake Wade, Oklahoma Centennial executive director worked with Edmond, Okla. resident Al Smith to bring the state’s 100th commemoration to NASCAR. Oklahoma Centennial’s NASCAR debut was made possible by Smith, a longtime NASCAR fixture and executive vice president of the Keith Coleman Racing Team, and team CEO Keith Coleman. The space on the racecar was donated by the racing team as a way to show its support for Oklahoma’s Centennial.(Oklahoma Centennial Commission PR)(2-22-2007)
Stewart Driving for Gibbs at California: Tony Stewart has front loaded his racing schedule with appearances in the first four Busch Series races of the season. After finishing a solid eighth in last Saturday’s season-opening race at Daytona, Stewart has set his sights on the Stater Bros. 300, where he’ll drive the #18 Z-Line Designs Chevy in the second race of his 12-race Busch Series schedule for 2007.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(2-22-2007)
Ingram to be Inducted into IMHOF: On Thursday, April 26, 2007, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (IMHOF) will induct its first official NASCAR Busch Series champion — “Ironman” Jack Ingram. Before winning the inaugural NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division championship in 1982, Ingram had already established his dominance in the Late Model Sportsman Division, claiming titles in 1972, 1973 and 1974. Currently, Red Farmer is the only IMHOF member with a title in that series (’56), and two other IMHOF members have claimed titles in its preceding short track Sportsman division — Ralph Earnhardt (’56) and Ned Jarrett (’57, ’58). Ingram will join fellow members of the IMHOF Class of 2007 — Wayne Rainey, Bruton Smith, Warren Johnson and Junie Donlavey — to be inducted on Thursday of spring race week at Talladega.(IMHOF PR)(2-21-2007)
NASCAR Penalizes #66 Crew Chief: Bryant Frazier, crew chief of the #66 driven by Steve Wallace, has been penalized due to rule violations at Daytona. Frazier was fined $1,000 for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules) and 20A – 10.5B: (bracket around drive shaft less than one-quarter inch thick) of the 2007 Busch Series Rule Book. The infraction was discovered during opening day inspection on Feb 13.(NASCAR PR)(2-21-2007)
SPEED teams with Dale Jr’s Busch team: SPEED has teamed with JR Motorsports to develop SPEED 1, a fleet of race-ready demonstration cars to give viewers an unprecedented inside look at how cars will actually behave at each Nextel Cup Series event in 2007. The SPEED 1 fleet, including superspeedway cars, intermediate track cars and the Car of Tomorrow, will be driven by NASCAR drivers Jimmy Spencer and Kenny Wallace, for features on SPEED’s Nextel Cup Series pre-race show NASCAR RaceDay- Built by The Home Depot. The entire fleet will be on display at JR Motorsports and moved around the country by JKS Motorsports. The SPEED1 superspeedway car, complete with a Richard Childress engine, arrived in Daytona for the big race weekend, with Wallace breaking in the fleet. Broadcast Sports Technology (BST) will provide the on-board cameras and Sportvision will provide telemetry.(SPEED PR)(2-21-2007)
Evernham still seeking Busch Series sponsorship: Evernham Motorsports still needs sponsorship for seven races for a complete season of Busch Series sponsorship, team general manager Keith Barnwell says. Among those races where the team needs backing is the Mexico race next week with Boris Said. The remainder of the races would likely be with Evernham’s Nextel Cup drivers, who are splitting the season in the #9. The team likely would run an unsponsored car if a sponsor cannot be found, Barnwell said.(SceneDaily.com)(2-21-2007)
Actor named honorary Busch Series race official: California Speedway officials say actor David Boreanaz will serve as honorary race official for Saturday’s Stater Bros. 300. Boreanaz, who co-stars on Fox’s drama “Bones,” will be on stage to greet drivers during introductions and will ride in a pace car.(SceneDaily.com)(2-21-2007)
P.J. Jones to Drive for RCR at Mexico: Road racing veteran P.J. Jones will drive Richard Childress Racing’s #21 AutoZone Chevy in the March 4 Telcel-Motorola Mexico 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez near Mexico City.(RCR PR)(2-21-2007)
Daytonabrands to Sponsor Jay Robinson Racing: UPDATE: Daytonabrands, Inc. a manufacturer and marketer of automotive products, has finalized an agreement with Jay Robinson Racing, LLC to sponsor the team through 2007. This sponsorship will include the main sponsor (hood and quarter panels) at this weekend’s Busch Series event. Jeff Green will be the driver.(Daytonabrands, Inc. PR)(2-20-2007) UPDATE: Daytonabrands is expected to be the primary sponsor for at least 5 more races this season. The next primary race will be Las Vegas.(Clipper Marketing PR)(2-26-2007) and see an image of the car on my Paint Schemes Page.
Latest on Villeneuve: Former Indy Car, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One champion, Jacques Villeneuve, from Iberville, Quebec is close to getting started in NASCAR and will also race the famous Le Mans 24-hour event June 16-17 in France. “It’s something he’s never done before,” agent Craig Pollock said Monday at Villeneuve’s record launch. “He’s done open wheel racing. People might find him going to NASCAR unusual, but which Formula One champion has ever had a chance to win the NASCAR series?” Pollock said Villeneuve is “very close” to lining up a title sponsor for a NASCAR ride. Villeneuve may do some driving in ARCA, the Craftsman truck series and the Busch series, which has a race in Montreal on Aug. 4, before moving up to Nextel Cup.(FoxSports/AP)(2-20-2007)
Raybestos Rookie Notes for California: Marcos Ambrose was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the ORBITZ 300 at Daytona. Ambrose scored a 16th-place finish in his first Busch Series start. Ambrose holds a one-point lead over Kyle Krisiloff (11-10) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Stater Bros. 300. Ambrose 16th in the Busch Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie. Todd Kluever was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2006 Stater Bros. 300, scoring a 12th-place finish.(Raybestos PR)(2-20-2007)
Huffman to Fly with the Blue Angels: After #88 Shane Huffman competes in Saturday’s Busch race, he will travel to Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif., to fly with the Blue Angels on Monday, Feb. 26. The Navy’s flight demonstration team flies at speeds between 120 and 700 mph and at heights from 50 to 15,000 feet.(JR Motorsports PR)(2-20-2007)
AAMCO to Sponsor JR Motorsports: AAMCO Transmissions has partnered with JR Motorsports for the 2007 season. The world’s largest chain of transmission specialists will serve as an associate sponsor on the team’s NASCAR Busch Series #88 Navy Chevy driven by Shane Huffman. JR Motorsports will also field the #83 AAMCO Chevy in the June 2 and Sept. 1 Busch Series events at Dover and California respectively. The driver for the #83 AAMCO Chevy will be announced at a later date.(JR Motorsports PR)(2-19-2007)
Family Dollar Returns to Fitz Motorsports: Family Dollar will expand its sponsorship of Fitz Motorsports for the upcoming season. Beginning in March, with hometown hero Carlos Contreras behind the wheel, Family Dollar will be the primary sponsor of the #22 Dodge at the Busch race in Mexico City. The Family Dollar Dodge will take to the track for no less than twelve races and will hold a primary position on the stock car alongside longtime supporter, Supercuts. Along with Mexico City, the Family Dollar schedule includes: Bristol, twice in Nashville and Charlotte, Talladega, Darlington, Daytona, Gateway, Indianapolis and Richmond. The Family Dollar logo will also adorn the car for the remaining Busch races when Supercuts is the primary sponsor, as well as the Nextel Cup race in Sonoma, California.(Fitz Motorsports PR)(2-19-2007)
Adrian Fernandez to Race Mexico City: Lowe’s and Hendrick Motorsports announced that Adrian Fernandez will drive the #5 Lowe’s car in the Busch Series race in Mexico City. The Mexico City race is the only planned appearance for Fernandez in the Hendrick Motorsports car.(Hendrick Motorsports PR)(2-16-2007)
Daytonabrands to Sponsor Jay Robinson Racing: Daytonabrands, Inc. a manufacturer and marketer of automotive products, has finalized an agreement with Jay Robinson Racing, LLC to sponsor the team through 2007. This sponsorship will include the main sponsor (hood and quarter panels) at this weekend’s Busch Series event. Jeff Green will be the driver.(Daytonabrands, Inc. PR)(2-20-2007)
Goody’s Sponsoring Stewart in 2 Busch Races: Goody’s Headache Powders is introducing a revolutionary new flavor, Cool Orange. To celebrate the new flavor, Tony Stewart has been named spokesperson for Goody’s Cool Orange and will drive two special Goody’s Cool Orange paint schemes in the Busch Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. Stewart will drive the #18 Goody’s Cool Orange Chevy in Atlanta and the #20 Goody’s Cool Orange Chevyat Texas in November.(Goody’s PR)(2-17-2007). See an image of the car on my Paint Schemes Page.
Kellie Pickler to Perform National Anthem at Daytona: 19 Recordings/BNA Records singer and American Idol finalist Kellie Pickler, who recently released her gold selling debut album “Small Town Girl”, will sing the National Anthem and perform a pre-race concert before the 49th annual Orbitz 300 Busch race on Saturday at Daytona.(DIS PR)(2-17-2007)
Duesenberg-Leik Motorsports May Appear Again Later in the Year: The #0 team used to run under the Johnny Davis Motorsports banner. This season, JDM has merged with the Duesenberg-Leik team. The #0, driven by Eric McClure, will run under the #01 points from the of 2006. The #01 may also run some events later in the year. Yet to be determined would be sponsor and driver. The team will run as D.D.L. Motorsports, Inc.(BGNRacing.com)(2-17-2007)
ESPN To Introduce Drafting Special Effects Package for NASCAR Coverage: Continuing its tradition of ground-breaking innovations for sports television, ESPN will introduce the first phase of a new development in motorsports coverage during the live telecast of Saturday’s Busch Series season-opening event at Daytona on ESPN2. Using proprietary technology, ESPN will be able to show viewers the effects of drafting in NASCAR racing in a way that has never been done before. The system, which was designed by ESPN and Sportvision, will display numerical readouts of a race car’s horsepower increase and downforce pressure, both as a result of drafting.(ESPN PR)(2-16-2007)
Sammy Hagar to be Grand Marshal at California: Singer Sammy Hagar will serve as grand marshal for the Busch Series race at California, track officials announced Thursday. Hagar will give the command to start engines and perform two concerts at the track that weekend.(SceneDaily.com)(2-16-2007)
The Bobby Hamilton Sr. Tribute Painting: Motorsports Fine Art announced it will present the original Bobby Hamilton Sr., Tribute Painting to Bobby Hamilton, Jr. at the Daytona International Speedway. The Bobby Hamilton Sr., Tribute Painting, commissioned by artist, Vincent Strader, is a depiction and celebration of Bobby Hamilton Sr.’s 2004 Craftsman Truck Championship Year. Motorsports Fine Art will offer only 44 exact replicas (40″ x 30″) of the original Tribute Painting, in which all net proceeds will be donated from the sale to The Victory Junction Gang Camp and The NASCAR Foundation in the name and memory of Bobby Hamilton Sr. The re-productions of the Tribute Painting are available for purchase at the online art gallery – motorsportsfineart.com. Additionally, Motorsports Fine Art will offer 404 smaller versions (16″ x 12″) of the limited edition re-production of the Tribute Painting. Hamilton Sr. passed away in January after fighting cancer for almost a year. Hamilton Jr, running the Busch Series in 2007, will run a special paint scheme honoring his father in this Saturday’s Busch race at Daytona [ESPN2 at 12noon/et]. See an image of the painting on my Driver Tribute page.(2-16-2007)
Hooter’s Energy Drink to Sponsor Kingsland/Cope: Hooters officials say the restaurant chain’s Hooters Energy Drink will sponsor the #7 Pennington Motorsports Chevy and drivers Casey Kingsland and Derrike Cope in the 2007 Craftsman Truck Series and in five Busch Series races.(SceneDaily.com)(2-15-2007)
CMO America Joins Jay Robinson Racing as Associate Sponsor: CMO America, with its three business divisions that include ZipKORD Retractable Products, Unique Promotional items, and CMO Music Digital Artists division, has entered into an agreement with Jay Robinson Racing to be the #28 team’s associate sponsor for all 35 races in 2007.(CMO PR)(2-15-2007)
Raybestos Rookie of the Year to Receive More Money: Officials with Affinia Group announced an increase in the year-end payout to Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the Nextel Cup Series. The driver who wins Raybestos Rookie of the Year will take home a check for $65,000, a $15,000 increase from 2006. The company will also increase year-end cash prizes to $25,000 and $12,000 for the Busch and Craftsman Truck Series, respectively.(Raybestos PR)(2-15-2007)
NASCAR.com to Stream Daytona Busch Race Live: NASCAR.COM announced that the Orbitz 300 from Daytona will be streamed live on the web site, Saturday, February 17, beginning at 12 p.m. ET. This is the first time ever that a Busch Series race will be available to view online in its entirety.(NASCAR.com PR)(2-15-2007)
Masonry and Precast Construction Joins Rensi at Daytona: Team Rensi Motorsports will have a new marketing partner for the season opening Busch race in Daytona Beach. Masonry and Precast Construction, a Tallahassee, FL based company will serve as an associate sponsor on the #25 freecreditreport.com Ford, driven by David Gilliland.(Team Rensi PR)(2-15-2007)
Hendrick and Martin? UPDATE: Hearing there will be a press conferences at Daytona on Wednesday, attended by Rick Hendrick and Mark Martin.(2-14-2007) UPDATE:Sirius NASCAR Radio, Ch 128 had PRN’s Mark Garrow on the Driver’s Seat show this morning and reported that Martin will run three Busch Series races for Hendrick Motorsports, through Hendrick’s Autoguard, the races scheduled are Darlington, Michigan and Homestead.(2-14-2007) UPDATE 2: Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Busch will join Martin in the Hendrick Autoguard program, piloting a #5 Chevy at California.(Hendrick Motorsports PR)(2-14-2007) AND: See an image of the car on my Paint Schemes Page.
Conz not cleared for Daytona, Cicci looking for driver there: UPDATE 3: Brian Conz of Livonia, MI, is scheduled to drive the #34 Scottish Rite Chevy for owner Frank Cicci Jr. in 2007. Conz is a veteran of the ARCA/REMAX Series but has competed only sparingly in recent years. Supposedly because of his inactivity, Conz wasn’t approved by NASCAR to compete in the season-opening race at Daytona. The team has yet to sign a substitute driver for Conz at Daytona. Jeff Fuller tested the #34 Chevy at Daytona last month. Supposedly Randy LaJoie was considered but has other commitments and is not available.(paraphrased from the Elmira Star Gazette)(2-1-2007) UPDATE: Hearing Mike Bliss will run the #34 Chevy for Cicci at Daytona.(2-3-2007) UPDATE 2: Frank Cicci Racing announced that Mike Bliss will pilot the #34 Scottish Rite Chevy during the Orbitz 300 on February 17th. Owner Frank Cicci said, “I´m confident that Mike will do a great job. He did an excellent job for us last season and we´re excited to have him back. It´s unfortunate that Brian [Conz] is unable to start off the season with us however, we look forward to the necessary testing to enable him to get behind the wheel as soon as possible.” Mike Bliss had a strong run in Texas with a 12th place finish with the team in 2006. Brian Conz is currently having a positive test in the Scottish Rite Chevy in Las Vegas.(Frank Cicci Racing PR)(2-5-2007) UPDATE 3: Steve Grissom is listed on NASCAR’s entry list for the race. Grissom is eligible for a past champions provisional.(2-14-2007)
Yard-Man Sponsoring Brewco for 10 Races; Becomes Official Lawn Mower of NASCAR: Building on the successful partnership with Brewco Motorsports, Yard-Man will be a primary sponsor of the #37 in the Busch Series. Greg Biffle and Jamie McMurray will share driving responsibilities in 10 races. In addition, Yard-Man and NASCAR have announced a sponsorship agreement that makes Yard-Man the Official Lawn Mowers of NASCAR. The three-year agreement begins with the 2007 NASCAR season(Yard-Man PR)(2-14-2007)
Verizon to Sponsor Robby Gordon: In a season preview video message on his website, Robby Gordon states that Verizon will be his sponsor in the Busch Series this year. There is no mention of the number of races or any details.(2-13-2007)
Sport Clips to Sponsor Mike Wallace: Mike Wallace is hoping that he can ‘cut’ through the field in 2007 and he will now have help from Sport Clips All*Star Haircuts for Men & Boys. Sport Clips appeared as an associate sponsor on Mike Wallace’s #4 GEICO car in 2004 and now, in their fourth season, they find themselves back on another Mike Wallace GEICO car, but this time the car number is 7. For the next three seasons, Sport Clips will appear as an associate sponsor on the #7 GEICO Chevy.(Player Management International PR)(2-13-2007)
Contreras Joins ESPN Deportes; Will Run some Races for Fitz: Carlos Contreras has joined ESPN Deportes’ experienced team of hosts, analysts and reporters for ESPN Deportes’ coverage of the 2007 NASCAR season. Contreras will serve as analyst for numerous races, joining analyst Alex Pombo and play-by-play commentator Andrés Agulla in the booth. He will make his first appearance on ESPN Deportes’ flag-to-flag coverage of the Busch Series at California Speedway. In addition to his duties with ESPN Deportes, this 2007 season Contreras is slated to run several Busch series races for Armando Fitz and Fitz Motorsports, beginning with Mexico.(ESPN PR)(2-12-2007)
Old Spice Back with Stewart; Will Run #33 for KHI in 8 Races: Old Spice is employing the services of Tony Stewart both on and off the track during the upcoming NASCAR season. Stewart will be back behind the wheel of the #33 Old Spice Chevy for eight NASCAR Busch Series races this season. Success for Stewart — as well as his teammate, Denny Hamlin — on the racetrack will translate into a windfall for Stewart’s namesake charity. Like last season, each time Stewart wins a race (Cup, Busch or Truck) Old Spice will auction his autographed towel that is used and seen in victory lane interviews to a lucky fan on eBay. This year, Old Spice also will be sponsoring Hamlin as a driver, and his Victory Towels will be auctioned off as well. Proceeds for all auctions will benefit the Tony Stewart Foundation.(Old Spice PR)(2-12-2007)
Team Rensi to Honor Bobby Hamilton, Sr. at Daytona: Bobby Hamilton, Sr. will be remembered with a special paint scheme on the #35 McDonald’s Ford at Daytona. Behind the wheel of the McDonald’s Ford will be the son of Hamilton, Sr., Bobby Hamilton, Jr. The McDonald’s Ford has been redesigned to carry the identical paint scheme of the car Hamilton, Sr. drove to his final Cup victory in 2001 at Talladega Superspeedway. On that special day in April, Hamilton, Sr. drove the #55 Square D sponsored car for team owner Andy Petree to victory lane.(Rensi PR)(2-12-2007)
See an image of the car on my Paint Schemes Page.
Germain Racing to Run some Busch Races: “We were going to run a few races with the new Car of Tomorrow, but in retrospect we felt we maybe ought to back down on that a little bit and run some Busch races instead,” [Ted] Musgrave said. “I think that’s where we’re leaning, try to get the Toyota flag flying there, but one thing’s for sure, we’re going to try to go for the championship in the Truck Series again.” [Tddd] Bodine will drive the Busch car, according to Germain, who explained that it was Toyota who came to his team and asked if they would hold off on the Car of Tomorrow and run a partial Busch schedule.(Naples Daily News)(2-12-2007)
Smaller fuel tank, new tire for Busch Series at Vegas: NASCAR will use a smaller fuel cell and a different tire compound for the Nextel Cup and Busch races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 10-11. “We decided to go with a 13-gallon fuel tank for Las Vegas,” said Pemberton. “We discussed it with Goodyear and felt we have the potential for some of the same issues we had at the Charlotte track last year.” The fuel cell this season for most races is 17.5 gallons. Using a smaller fuel cell will cause the teams to pit at shorter intervals, enabling crew members to check tire wear and make changes frequently, if needed. NASCAR officials were concerned with tire wear last year at Lowe’s Motor Speedway after the surface was repaved, which added additional grip. The Las Vegas track was completely rebuilt in the offseason, adding increased banking to the new surface. Cup teams tested at the 1.5-mile two weeks ago and the Busch teams were there last week. Some drivers complained about the speeds the cars were reaching on the new asphalt, along with the hardness of the tires. “Goodyear has decided to change the left-side compound [at Las Vegas] and maybe a construction that is different from the tests,” Pemberton said. “As we go into the day and age with new pavement, the surface is a little too abrasive right off. We just need one race under our belts. We have to get a little time on the racetrack.”(ESPN.com)(2-11-2007)
Northeastern Supply to Sponsor Yeley: The Northeastern Supply Company, a leading regional distributor of plumbing, heating, HVAC, water systems and hardware products, will continue its many years of sponsorship of Busch Series teams by announcing an affiliation in 2007 with driver #1-J.J. Yeley and Phoenix Racing. The company will maintain an associate level sponsorship position with the #1 car in all 35 races.(On Track Marketing PR)(2-11-2007)
PEAK Antifreeze to Sponsor Menard at Daytona: In addition to seeing the iconic PEAK mountain logo on the hood of the #15 DEI Nextel Cup Chevy, Peak will also adorn the hood of DEI’s #15 PEAK/Menards Busch car on Saturday.(PEAK PR)(2-10-2007)
Martin to run two Busch races for Roush UPDATE 2: on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Driver Seat show with John Kernan and Buddy Baker, multi-team owner Jack Roush was interviewed and said he and Mark Martin are still great friends and that Martin will run a couple of Busch Series races for Roush in a Ford. There had been rumors and a PR a month ago that Martin would run some Busch races for Roush for DISH Network. There is an image of the #26 DISH Network Busch Series Ford on my Busch Paint Schemes page, taken during the media tour in Charlotte last week.(1-31-2007) UPDATE: DISH Network will sponsor a Roush Racing driver/car in all 35 Busch Series races. Martin will run the #26 DISH Network Ford at Daytona in Feb. and Texas in April. Eight other drivers will run the DISH Network colors the other 33 races. #17-Matt Kenseth (5 races), #26-Jamie McMurray (9), #60-Carl Edwards (10), #17-Michel Jourdain (3), #26-Greg Biffle (2), #26-Todd Kluever (2), #17-Danny O’Quinn (1), #26-Erik Darnell (1)
PLUS #16-Greg Biffle is scheduled to run DISH Network on the #16 Nextel Cup Ford in five races: Daytona in Feb, Martinsville in April, Richmond in May, Dover in June and Pocono in June.(2-2-2007) UPDATE 2: Mark Martin will be behind the wheel of the #06 Dish Network Ford at Daytona.(Roush Racing PR)(2-10-2007)
NASCAR won’t use frontstretch chicane in Mexico: NASCAR has opted not to use the chicane in the first turn for this year’s Telcel-Motorola Mexico 200 at Mexico City. The Busch Series cars will have different gearing, which will allow NASCAR to make the change as the cars won’t be as fast going down the main straightaway and can go into turn 1 at a safe speed, Busch Series Director Joe Balash said Friday. Balash said it won’t significantly change the distance.(SceneDaily.com)(2-9-2007)
Transnet Racing to Run Limited Busch Schedule: Transnet Racing announced it will take a major step in the direction of its motorsports program by competing in a limited Busch Series schedule this season, with the goal to run a full-championship effort in 2008. Transnet Racing makes the move to NASCAR following a successful stint in the open wheel ranks. The organization, founded in 2001, ran several years in the Toyota Atlantic Series with drivers Alex Garcia, Jonathan Bomarito, Barton Mawer and Charles Hall. Garcia, 29, will take the reins of the #98 Chevy beginning with Mexico. After Mexico, Transnet Racing plans to compete in a minimum of 12 Busch events through the remainder of the year. Jason Roche has been selected to lead the team’s efforts as crew chief. Dixien LLC and OmniSource Corporation will join the team as primary sponsors.(Transnet Racing PR)(2-9-2007)
Affordable Band Instruments to be Associate Sponsor for #28: Affordable Band Instruments will be an associate sponsor of the Jay Robinson Racing #28 Chevy in at least two races in the 2007 Busch Series season. The #28 Chevy will carry the AffordableBand.com logo in February at Daytona and in May at Darlington.(Jay Robinson Racing PR)(2-9-2007)
Jeff Purvis Prepares to Race Again: After a highway accident six months ago left him seriously injured Jeff Purvis is now back to his day-to-day routine running his scrap metal business in Clarksville. He is preparing to drive a race car again, but his attitude is different. It’s been six months since [the wreck], and Purvis said Margo, Clay, Matt, Rocky, and Ben have all recovered from their injuries. As for himself, Purvis said he feels the after effects everyday, but he’s O.K. with that. Purvis has lots of fans, and the number one question they ask is whether or not Purvis will race again. Purvis said this is also a question he has asked himself during the last six months. In the last six months, Purvis has had a lot of time to reflect on his life, his family, and his career. Even though Purvis has put more emphasis on his business, there is still a big place in his heart for racing, not just in his heart, but now Clay has been bitten by the racing bug. “I still love racing, and I still want to drive a race car again,” Purvis said. “But I think my priorities about racing are changing because Clay now wants to race,” Purvis said. “I’ve told him I’ll help him as long as he realizes his priorities are here working with me at the scrap yard. This will be his someday, and I want him to take an interest in it. As long as he comes here to work, I’ll help him with his racing.” Purvis said he is going to prepare a crate late model for Clay to drive in StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series competition during the 2007 season. As for himself driving a race car, Purvis said he will climb behind the wheel of a dirt late model again in March, and said he is going to take someone with him. “The StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series Director Mike Vaughn asked me to drive their two-seat dirt late model at Deep South Speedway in Loxley, AL on March 16-17 to benefit the American Cancer Society,” Purvis said. “These are two things I really believe in, and I think it’s pretty neat that when I drive a race car again, I can take somebody with me to share the experience.” As far as racing goes, even though he will drive again in the two-seater charity runs and help his son Clay launch his career, the question still remains whether or not Jeff Purvis will race competitively again. According to Purvis, it’s not as much of a priority as it used to be.(StormPayRacing.com)(2-8-2007)
Peters Running Daytona ARCA Race: Timothy Peters will drive RCR’s #31 Okuma/Cometic Chevy in the ARCA 200 at Daytona. The Danville, Va., native is scheduled to split the 2007 Busch Series schedule with Kevin Harvick in the #21 AutoZone Chevy. He will begin his quest to become the Busch Series Rookie of the Year at California Speedway.(RCR PR)(2-8-2007)
Berryhill Questions Oklahoma Commission Sponsorship of Coleman: Tulsan Adrian Berryhill, who has an Oklahoma-based Busch Series team [#37 last year], considers the decision of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission to be the primary sponsor of a Busch Series car based out of Kentucky “a slap in the face.” Keith Coleman Racing of Kentucky [#23] announced the commission will be the primary sponsor of a car running in the Busch Series. The deal, according to Coleman, is for the entire 2007 season. Blake Wade, executive director of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission, insisted the sponsorship cost Oklahoma no state money or no private funds. However, Coleman said the sponsorship is being paid by “contributions from supporters.” Berryhill wonders why the Oklahoma Centennial Commission wouldn’t want to support a Busch Series team in the state. Berryhill’s race team, Vision Racing, has five cars, five engines but no sponsor for the upcoming season. Berryhill said Vision Racing would not try to qualify for the season-opening Busch race in Daytona “because we don’t have a primary sponsor right now. But we’re hopeful of having one by the spring race in Texas (April 14).(Tusla World)(2-8-2007)
ESPN Announces Busch Series Telecast Schedule: ESPN’s full race telecast schedule for the Busch Series season includes live coverage of all 35 races and coverage of practice and qualifying for 17 events. ESPN2 will be the home of the series for 29 races, with six to be televised by ESPN on ABC. The season will begin with coverage of the Orbitz 300 from Daytona on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 1:15 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The telecast will be ESPN’s first live NASCAR race in six years. ESPN2 will be the home of the NASCAR Busch Series, with six events to be televised by ESPN on ABC, marking the first time in the 26-year history of the series that all races will be televised by the same company. ESPN2 will also carry the practice and qualifying coverage for 17 events. All race telecasts will be preceded by NASCAR Busch Series Countdown, a pre-race show aired live from the track. ESPN will elevate the NASCAR Busch Series with its multi-media platforms and the same standards and quality of production as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series including the full use of High Definition cameras, Sportvision enhancements and state-of-the-art graphics.(ESPN PR)(2-7-2007)
Camping World to Sponsor KHI: Kevin Harvick Inc. announced a partnership with Camping World for the 2007 season. Camping World will sponsor the #33 Busch Series Chevy for 11 races and KHI’s second Truck Series entry, the # 2 Chevy for 12 races. RVs.com will also come on board this season in conjunction with Camping World, as an associate sponsor in presenting both the #33 Busch Series Chevy and the #2 Chevy Truck.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(2-7-2007) NOTE: Braun Racing announced earlier in the month that Camping World would be on the #10 Toyota of John Andretti. No idea if the KHI deal is in addition to Braun sponsorship. Andretti has not tested at either Daytona or Las Vegas and his status is unknown.
Steadman Marlin to Run Some ARCA Races: Steadman Marlin plans to run several races this season in the ARCA Series, driving for Wayne Day. Steadman, son of Sterling Marlin, will attempt to qualify for the Feb. 10 ARCA opener at Daytona. Other races include the two ARCA stops at Nashville Superspeedway and races at Talladega and Michigan.(Tennessean)(2-7-2007)
Big Lots to Sponsor McGill: McGill Motorsports, with NASCAR driver, Brent Sherman, announced that Big Lots, the nation’s largest broadline closeout retailer, has signed on to become the primary sponsor of the #36 Chevy for the 2007 Busch Series season.(Player Management International PR)(2-7-2007)
Mexico City race to be on ESPN – in Spanish: The Busch race in Mexico City will be televised on ESPN – in Spanish. The Spanish-speaking telecast, produced by ESPN Deportes, will be televised on ESPN’s main network, while the English-speaking telecast will be on ESPN2, which will be home to 29 of the 35 races this year, ESPN/ABC Senior Motorsports Producer Neil Goldberg said Tuesday.(SceneDaily.com)(2-6-2007)
Checkers/Rally’s to Sponsor Jay Robinson Racing: Checkers/Rally’s, has entered into an agreement with Jay Robinson Racing to be the team’s primary sponsor in 11 Busch races in 2007. The first race of the sponsorship will be the season opener at Daytona. Driving the #28 Checkers/Rally’s Chevy in the 11 races will be a rotation of three drivers — Jeff Green, Johnny Sauter and Robert Richardson Jr.(Checkers/Rally’sPR)
See an image of the car on my Busch Paint Schemes page.(2-6-2007)
Michael W. Smith to Perform Post Race Concert at Nashville: Contemporary Christian Artist Michael W. Smith will perform at the Pepsi 300 post race concert on Saturday, April 7 at the Nashville Superspeedway. The post race concert is free with paid admission into the race.(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(2-6-2007)
ESPN Unveils Second Phase of Multimedia Marketing Campaign for NASCAR: After successfully launching its overall NASCAR marketing campaign in January, ESPN today announced phase two of the effort in support of the NASCAR Busch Series. The campaign features drivers Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Stephen Leicht along with 17 other Busch Series drivers and will run throughout the 35-race season. Created by Wieden+Kennedy New York, the three :30 spots present a character named Sergeant Doren who tries to impose the standard rules of the road to the race track. The campaign continues to bear ESPN’s new NASCAR tagline, “NASCAR on ESPN: It’s The Life.” Highlights include:
Sgt. Doren and Stephen Leicht get caught up in a misunderstanding of the correct driving distance between two cars.
Sgt. Doren grows concerned when he hears Carl Edwards proclaim that 150 mph is a much safer speed than 180 mph.
Sgt. Doren gets queasy in the passenger seat as he supervises Denny Hamlin practicing a course of orange pylon cones in the DMV parking lot.
The NASCAR Busch Series campaign will run on all ESPN networks and will include off-channel, outdoor, print and online.(ESPN PR)(2-5-2007)
Petty’s may now run Busch Series: One team–Petty Enterprises–stands to gain when Busch drops out of the Busch Series after this season. The company, which does not associate with alcohol-based advertising [also No Bud sticker on the #43 or #45, so even if a pole is won, doesn’t get pole award or entry into Bud Shootout], long has resisted running in the series because of the title sponsor. Now, Petty Enterprises might run in the series, which could help its Cup efforts.(Sporting News), Kyle Petty did own a Busch team, #45 Spree/Sprint Chevy] in 1999-2000 with Adam Petty before he was killed practicing at NHIS in May 2000, then Kyle took over the #45 for 15 races to finish out the season. They last ran in the series in 2001 with Steve Grissom in the #45 at Daytona.(2-5-2007)
Brad Coleman to Run ARCA Race at Daytona: Brad Coleman will pilot the #94 PPMD/Carino’s Chevy for Bobby Gerhart Racing in the ARCA 200 at Daytona in hopes of saving a few lives. Carino’s Italian Grill, Coleman’s primary sponsor for the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Chevy in the Busch Series, has donated the ARCA car to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy to kick-off National Awareness Week which begins the same weekend as the race.(Dan Klores Communications PR)(2-5-2007)
Ambrose to Test at VIR: Australian Marcos Ambrose will drive a NASCAR on a road course circuit for the first time when he undertakes a test day in the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford at Virginia International Raceway this Thursday. (Ambrose PR)(2-5-2007)
Fitzpatrick prepares for Mexico: 2006 CASCAR Super Series champ J.R. Fitzpatrick was joined by the Fitzpatrick Motorsports team at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC this past week for a test of the car that ‘J.R.’ will drive in the upcoming Busch Series road course event in Mexico. According to CASCAR teammate, Don Thomson Jr., the test went very well. The team is committed to the event, which will be young Fitzpatrick’s first Busch Series outing. Thomson noted that the team is still welcoming sponsorship support.(Inside Track News Blog)(2-3-2007)
Crocker scaling back: on Sirius Satellite Radio’s SIRIUS Speedway w/ Dave Moody show Friday, it was reported that Evernham Motorsports will run Erin Crocker in 12 ARCA Series races and 4 Busch Series races and would consider letting her drive for another team to get her more seat time. Crocker ran the full Truck Series season and a few Busch Series and ARCA Series races in 2006.(2-2-2007)
Sadler, Riggs, Kahne to share ride: UPDATE: Klondike joins list of sponsors: Evernham Motorsports officials say Elliott Sadler, Scott Riggs and Kasey Kahne will share driver duties for the team’s #9 Busch Series Dodge, which will be sponsored by Unilever. Kahne will be the primary driver, and the three drivers will compete in 23 Busch Series races this season. The team will feature nine Unilever brands throughout the season: Klondike ice cream, Ragu pasta sauce, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Shedd’s Spread Country Crock Spreads, Lawry’s seasoning blends and marinades, Lipton tea, Wisk laundry detergent, Wishbone salad dressing and Slim-Fast weight-control products. (Scene Daily)(1-31-2007) UPDATE: Unilever, USA has officially announced the addition of Klondike to the company’s highly successful Ultimate Chargers multi-brand Busch Series sponsorship through Evernham Motorsports. Joining first year sponsor, Klondike ice-cream, are eight returning Unilever brands. The program has been a winner at retail for Unilever, and Klondike is quickly capitalizing on the program with a national sweepstakes and a national ad campaign featuring primary driver Kasey Kahne. (Evernham Motorsports PR)(2-2-2007)
RCR Announces 2007 Driver Development Program: Richard Childress Racing (RCR) will run its 2007 Driver Development Program through the Golden Gate Racing Team (GGRT) with drivers Tim McCreadie and Ryan Foster competing in the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series. GGRT, headed by Jim Offenbach, competed in the NASCAR Grand National Division West Series from 1997 to 1999 with a lineup of drivers that included Mike Skinner, Mike Dillon, Steve Portenga and Jay Sauter. Portenga, who finished fifth in the final standings in 1999 while driving the GGRT entry in the series, will serve as the team’s crew chief this year. Foster will run the #21 Golden Gate Meat Company Chevry in the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series. The Anderson, Calif., native is a seven-time go-kart track champion who won two of the four North State Challenge Series Super Late Model events he competed in last year for GGRT.
McCreadie, of Watertown, N.Y., will drive the #29 Golden Gate Meat Company Chevy in the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series an selected NASCAR Busch Series events for RCR. The 2006 World of Outlaws Late Model champion, 2006 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals champion and 2006 Eastern Motorsports Press Association Driver of the Year will also continue to run his own dirt late model program.(RCR PR)(1-31-2007)
Frampton to perform at Kentucky: Legendary rock guitarist Peter Frampton will help bring Kentucky Speedway’s largest event of the season alive by performing his only area concert of the summer prior to start of the June 16 NASCAR Busch Series “Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo.” Frampton also will serve as the race grand marshal and give 43 drivers the command to start their engines in front of a live national ESPN audience.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(2-1-2007)
Wheldon to test Busch car? Former IndyCar Series champion Dan Wheldon has been fitted in Charlotte for a NASCAR stock car seat and will test a Busch Series car at some point, but when and where has yet to be determined. A Chip Ganassi Racing spokesperson said Wheldon’s primary focus this season is winning a championship and Indy, but at some point Ganassi would have the Englishmen test a Busch Car.(Daytona Beach News Journal), Wheldon has been rumored to be testing at Las Vegas in a Cup or Busch car, he didn’t in a Cup car at Vegas this week, Busch tests at Vegas Feb 5-6th.(2-1-2007)
Carl Haas to Form Busch Team; Krisiloff to Drive: UPDATE 2: Carter to crew chief? Carl A. Haas, co-owner of the Newman/Haas Racing Champ Car Team and former partner with Travis Carter in Haas-Carter Motorsports is looking forward to returning to NASCAR in the Busch Series in 2007. This new program would reunite Haas and Carter but also bring in some other well known names in racing such as Mari Hulman George, chairman of the board of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway corporation and Chicago businessman, Michael T. Lanigan, President of The Mi-Jack Companies. Driving the #14 Ford Fusion race car will be 20 year old Kyle Krisiloff, son of former open-wheel driver, Steve Krisiloff.(Haas PR)(1-21-2007) UPDATE: Kyle Krisiloff said Sunday at Daytona that he will drive at least the first five races of the season in a #14 Ford, with the hopes of finding enough sponsorship to run the full Busch schedule. Krisiloff said the team has partnered with ppc Racing to use ppc’s owner points from the #22 car last year to earn a guaranteed starting spot in the first five races of 2007. Krisiloff’s team also bought three cars from ppc, and former Kenny Wallace crew chief Todd Gordon was leading the team at Daytona, though a permanent crew chief has yet to be named.(SceneDaily.com)(1-21-2007) UPDATE 2: Legendary crew chief Travis Carter now has the calling to take Kyle Krisiloff, 20, under his wing. The call comes from Carl Haas, a wealthy Indy-car man, Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Mari Hulman George, and Paul Newman. The cars will be Fords, with Doug Yates’ horsepower.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-1-2007)
