300th Nationwide start for KHI: This weekend’s race at Las Vegas will mark KHI’s 300th start in the Nationwide Series. Since entering the series in 2004, KHI has collected 10 wins, 12 poles, 69 top-five and 129 top-10 finishes. Along with this Nationwide Series milestone, KHI is also celebrating its 10th anniversary. Throughout the 2011 season, all KHI vehicles will carry a commemorative decal as the company celebrates their accomplishments over the last 10 years.(KHI)(2-28-2011)
TapouT on the #2 at Vegas: This weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marks the maiden voyage of the #2 TapouT Chevy. TapouT, the world renowned mixed martial arts apparel brand company, will make their NASCAR debut this weekend at LVMS with 13 year NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran Elliott Sadler behind the wheel.(KHI)(2-28-2011)
Phoenix News & Notes:
• Kyle Busch won the Bashas Supermarket 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. It was his 44th career Nationwide win in his 204th race. He trails Mark Martin by four for the most wins in series history. It was his fourth win at Phoenix, tying Carl Edwards for the most. It was Busch’s 10th career win from the pole.
• Busch posted his seventh NASCAR National Touring Series win at Phoenix (Trucks, two; Nationwide, four; Cup, one).
• Busch posted his 88th NASCAR win across all series, breaking a tie with Jeff Gordon for sixth all time.
• It marked the seventh time Busch has won the Truck and Nationwide races in the same weekend, and the second time at Phoenix.
• Busch won all three National Touring races at Bristol last year.
• Busch led all 200 laps. The last driver to lead all laps in a Nationwide race was Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona in July 2003. Busch is the 14th driver to lead all laps in a Nationwide race (excludes the 1982 and some of 1983 season, in which lap-leader data is incomplete).
• Joe Gibbs Racing posted its 59th career win, second all time, and third victory at Phoenix. JGR has won 50 of the past 107 races since the start of 2008.
• Toyota posted its third win at Phoenix and 55th career victory.
• Carl Edwards (second) finished in the top two in five of the past seven Phoenix races. He ran second to Busch the entire race.
• Kevin Harvick (third) finished in the top 10 in his last 13 races and in the top three in his last four.
• Ryan Newman finished fourth in his first Nationwide start since Charlotte last fall.
• Reed Sorenson (fifth) leads the points by five over Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who finished seventh for his fourth straight top-10 finish.
• A series-eligible driver has yet to win this season in the series they are competing in.
• There were no lead changes Saturday, first time a driver led all the laps at Phoenix.
• Timmy Hill (29th) made his series debut a day after his 18th birthday.
(ESPN.com )(2-28-2010)
Shortest field since 2001: Only 40 Nationwide cars are entered for Saturday’s race – three short of a full field. With the series switching to a new car for this season, the costs have proved challenging for some teams. This will be the first time since February 2008 that the Nationwide Series has not had a full 43-car field. It is the first time that there have been 40 or fewer cars for a Nationwide race since Watkins Glen in 2001. (Virginian-Pilot)(2-26-2011)
Great Clips renews Atlanta race sponsorship: Great Clips will again serve as the title sponsor of the Labor Day weekend NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 3, the Great Clips 300. The event will showcase Great Clips, the world’s largest hair salon brand with nearly 3,000 locations in more than 140 markets, as the title sponsor and official hair care provider of Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 195-lap Great Clips 300 will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night and is the second of three nights of NASCAR racing during the Sept. 2-4 Labor Day NASCAR race weekend.(AMS)(2-25-2011)
Bayne still needs sponsors: Daytona 500 winner #21-Trevor Bayne is still working on finding sponsors for his Sprint Cup and Nationwide cars. The 20-year-old driver said he’d like to add both races at Talladega, but doesn’t have anything lined up. He also says Friday his car would have a lot of open spaces on it this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway because the Wood Brothers are still trying to line up more sponsors. Bayne is scheduled for 18 Sprint Cup races, but would like a full season. His Nationwide car does not have a sponsor.(Associated Press/ESPN.com)(2-25-2011)
Go Green Racing and Josh Wise support RememberTheMiners.org at Phoenix:RememberTheMiners.org is an associate sponsor on the #39 StopRepairBills.com Ford for the Nationwide Series Bashas’ Supermarket 200. The #39 will be driven by Josh Wise. This is the second partnership program between a NASCAR team and RememberTheMiners.org. The first RTM program was supported by 2000 Sprint Cup Champion Bobby Labonte at the 2010 Memorial Day Coca-Cola 600 race in Charlotte, North Carolina. RememberTheMiners.org was formed in 2010 to help bring awareness/support of the UBBFF and now: Helps raise money for the WV Coal Foundation and other industry scholarships; Supports miner related issues through advocacy content and event sponsorship; Produces digital media, earned media and collateral to promote, educate, and rebrand the coal and mining industry by putting the miners first.(PLAY DSM/ Spire Sports + Entertainment)(2-25-2011)
Lewandoski in the #44 at Phoenix: The driver line-up for TriStar Motorsports has changed for the upcoming race weekend at PIR as Charles Lewandoski, a Stafford Springs, Connecticut native, will be piloting the #44 NortheastMarineElectronics.com Impala for TriStar Motorsports. Mike Bliss, who currently sits in the 6th-place in Nationwide driver standings, will continue to pilot the #19 Impala.(TriStar PR)(2-24-2011)
StopRepairBills.com joins #39 team at Phoenix: Josh Wise will again join forces with Go Green Racing at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend, with support from StopRepairBills.com. Wise will take to the track in the #39 StopRepairBills.com Ford for the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200. StopRepairBills.com has become the most reliable provider of vehicle service contracts in the country, designing unique extended coverage plans to meet each of their 200,000 customers’ individual car needs. After being involved as a sponsor in NASCAR for several years, StopRepairBills.com is partnering with Josh Wise and Go Green Racing for the first time.(Spire Sports + Entertainment)(2-24-2011)
BeThinandWin.com joins Jay Robinson at Phoenix:BeThinandWin.com will be an associate sponsor on Jay Robinson’s #28 for this Saturday’s Nationwide Race, the Basha Supermarket’s 200. BeThinandWin.com is the only patented Organic Fat-Burning Coffee and Energy Tea.(Jay Robinson PR)(2-24-2011)
Daryl Harr to drive for Means Motorsports at Pheonix: Daryla Harr, a Canadian native who races in the K&N Pro West Series, had 5 top 10 finishes out of 6 starts in 2010 and will drive the #52 this weekend at Phoenix. Target Your Market Promotions, along with My 3 Sons, will continue their 5 race sponsorship deal with the team. With last week’s strong showing by Bobby Santos, who drove the #52 to a 17th place finish in the season opener at Daytona, Means Motorsports is hoping to follow that up with a solid run by Harr to keep their standing in the points. The team will stay out west and travel to Las Vegas for the Sams Town 300 the following week.(Means Motorsports PR)(2-23-2011)
Daytona TV Ratings: Last year’s telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway on ESPN2, which featured the NASCAR debut of Danica Patrick, set a record as the most-viewed Nationwide Series race ever on cable and ended the year as the highest-rated program of any kind on ESPN2. As expected, ESPN2’s live telecast of Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona did not draw as many viewers or rate as highly, but did see an increase in the key Male 18-34 demographic and rated on par with the 2009 race. The telecast earned a final national household coverage rating of 2.4, even with the 2009 telecast but down from the 3.2 rating for last year’s record-setting event. The telecast averaged 3,246,875 viewers and saw an increase of eight percent in the Male 18-34 demographic over last year, with a jump of 43 percent from 2009. The telecast averaged 2,437,211 household impressions, third-largest ever on cable for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The viewership number was the fifth-largest ever on cable for the series.(ESPN)(2-23-2011)
Salvation Army on the #55 at Phoenix: After a highly positive response at Daytona, Faith Motorsports will continue its support of The Salvation Army this weekend at Phoenix. The Salvation Army’s “Red Shield” and “Doing The Most Good” motto will be on the hood of Brett Rowe’s #55 Chevy during Saturday’s Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. Morgan Shepherd will drive the Racing With Jesus #89 Chevy this weekend at Phoenix, a reversal from last week’s season-opener at Daytona where Shepherd’s car bore logos of The Salvation Army. The team is donating the advertising space to the popular charity in an effort to increase public awareness about the needs and programs of The Salvation Army. (Faith Motorsport)(2-22-2011)
BRANDT Monterey AgResources on the #31: The neon red #31 Chevy will sport a new name this weekend at PIR, BRANDT Monterey AgResources. Monterey AgResources was founded to provide products and services for the crop protection and animal feed industries in Western United States. Their acquisition of Monterey AgResources in 2010 gave BRANDT Consolidated coast-to-coast representation, cementing the organization as a leader in the agriculture industry.(Turner Motorsports)(2-22-2011)
Family Farmers sponsoring RAB, Wallace: RAB Racing with Brack Maggard welcomes Family Farmers as a primary sponsor on the #09 Toyota Camry driven by Kenny Wallace for select races beginning this weekend in Phoenix. In addition to sponsoring five NASCAR Nationwide Series events in 2011 with RAB Racing, Family Farmers has also created a promotional partnership with Wallace who will serve as a spokesperson for Family Farmers and renewable fuels for the entire 2011 racing season. Family Farmers is a multi-state coalition of farmers and agribusiness headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois. Participants in the Family Farmer coalition to date include the Illinois Corn Marketing Board (ICMB), the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) and the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council (MCMC).(RAB Racing)(2-22-2011)
Sport Clips making 2011 debut at Phoenix: In what is becoming quite the good look for Joey Logano, hair-care franchise Sport Clips will ride along as the primary sponsor on the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota this weekend at Phoenix. The Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 is the first of five events Sport Clips will adorn the side of the #20 Nationwide ride in 2011. Sport Clips will also be the primary sponsor on the #20 at Richmond in April (with Denny Hamlin driving), Daytona in July (with Logano), Chicagoland Speedway in September (Logano) and at Dover in October (Logano).(JGR)(2-22-2011)
Clements ready for Phoenix: After a successful run at Daytona International Speedway with a 16th place finish and the Featherlite Award for most improved driver, Jeremy Clements and the #51 team are heading to Phoenix for the Bashas Supermarkets 200. The team will be staying out west to continue on to Vegas for the Sams Town 300 on March 5th. On board as primary sponsors this week is www.racedaysponsor.com, the sponsor that allows businesses to be a part of NASCAR for a fraction of the cost. Also on board is The Mitchell Swaback Charities, Bob and Mitchell Swaback of Phoenix AZ. (Clements PR)(2-22-2011)
Newman driving for Turner at Phoenix: Turner Motorsports announces the addition of veteran driver, Ryan Newman, to this season’s driver line-up. Newman will pilot the #30 Dollar General Chevy in the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on February 26. The #30 will feature a reverse yellow on black paint scheme to compliment the #32 Dollar General Chevy driven by teammate Reed Sorenson.(Turner Motorsports)(2-21-2011)
Harvick in the #33 at Phoenix: Kevin Harvick Inc. co-owner Kevin Harvick will jump behind the wheel of the #33 Menards Chey for the first time this season at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. The two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion will make 11 starts in the series this year sharing driving duties of the #33 KHI Chevy with Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, Austin Dillon and Scott Speed.(KHI)(2-21-2011)
Koch in the #81 at Phoenix: UPDATE: Blake Koch will be returning the seat of MacDonald Motorsports’ #81 at Phoenix. Koch ran two races of the 2009 season for the team, finishing 17th at Memphis and 34th at Homestead. (Frontstretch)(2-19-2011) UPDATE: Over the last several months, Blake Koch has been setting his sights on furthering his NASCAR career. This week, the 25-year-old resident of West Palm Beach, Florida announces he will compete for the Nationwide Rookie of the Year title in 2011 season. Koch will drive the MacDonald Motorsports owned #81 Dodge Charger beginning with the second round of the series on February 26 in Phoenix, Arizona and is committed to a minimum of 20 races in the series. Koch’s launch into the NASCAR Nationwide Rookie of the Year campaign comes on the heels of a collaboration between MacDonald Motorsports and a handful of committed sponsors including Heartland Harley Davidson and RizeUp.us. Heartland Harley Davidson has signed with Koch as the primary sponsor of the #81 for two races and will be the co-primary sponsor for numerous other races on the schedule with the primary sponsors of those events to be announced. RizeUp.us will be the primary sponsor for the upcoming event in Phoenix.(Koch PR), see an image of the Phoenix car on the #81 team paint scheme page.(2-21-2011)
Bayne unlikely to run for Sprint Cup points: Daytona 500 winner #21-Trevor Bayne said Monday he’s probably not going to attempt to run for the Sprint Cup championship this year. The 20-year-old became the youngest winner in Daytona 500 history Sunday with a surprise victory in NASCAR’s biggest race. He’s scheduled to run only 17 Cup races this season for the Wood Brothers while he competes for the Nationwide Series title for Roush-Fenway Racing. NASCAR rules this season made drivers pick just one series to collect points, and Bayne chose the second-tier Nationwide Series. He can change his mind, but he would not be given retroactive points for the Daytona 500. NASCAR officials said Monday the win would count toward seeding in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, but he would not receive any points for Sunday’s race. NASCAR this year changed the format for the 12-driver Chase field. The top 10 in points after the 26th race of the season make the Chase, with the final two spots going to drivers with the most wins who aren’t already eligible. The drivers would have to be ranked inside the top 20.(Associated Press), the team has added at least one race to it’s 2011 schedule, selecting to run at Martinsville in April, the sixth race of the 2011 season.(2-21-2011)
AdvancePierre Foods sponsoring Sadler at Phoenix: Kevin Harvick Inc. announced the addition of AdvancePierre Foods to the KHI family. AdvancePierre Foods is a leading supplier of value-added protein and handheld convenience products to the foodservice, school, retail, club, vending and convenience store channels. The company makes and distributes a full line of packaged sandwiches, fully cooked chicken and beef products, Philly-style steak, breaded beef, pork and poultry, and bakery products. The organization joins KHI for their primary sponsorship debut at the 1.0-mile flat track of Phoenix International Raceway with Elliott Sadler and the #2 Chevy team. AdvancePierre Foods will remain on the b-post of the #2 Nationwide Series entry throughout the 2011 season.(KHI)(2-21-2011)
Short field at Phoenix? UPDATE: Conducting a survey of all 45 teams at the track, Frontstretch discovered it’s questionable whether the series will have a full field next weekend in Phoenix. In fact, multiple sources confirmed there’s a worry less than 43 cars will show, a combination of the economy, a new car design and a 20 percent purse reduction causing several teams to pack their bags and stay away for good. Among those on the definite “no” list for next week include Kevin Harvick, Inc.’s #4, Penske Racing’s #12, and Germain Racing’s #15. Phoenix Racing’s #1, JR Motorsports’ #5, 2nd Chance’s #79 (after a DNQ) and Means Motorsports’ #52 (following their practice crash) are also unlikely to show, which would drop the entry list total to just 38 cars. It’s unknown at this point whether NASCAR would ask several teams to bring out their backups, what they’ve done in order to ensure the field remains filled during past years. Key Motorsports and MacDonald Motorsports would be likely candidates, but even in a best-case scenario that leaves the grid one to two spots short with a surprising lack of new ownership stepping in along with a popular new car design. The last short Nationwide field was in February, 2008 at Fontana with 42 cars. (Frontstretch)(2-19-2011) UPDATE: Am told by the team that 2nd Chance Motorsports will be in Phoenix with Jennifer Jo Cobb.(2-19-2011)
Cassill doesn’t have Phoenix Ride: Nationwide Series points leader Landon Cassill has declared for the Nationwide Series points Championship but has no confirmed ride for the Phoenix. His 2011 Schedule will include select Sprint Cup races with Germain Racing and Phoenix Racing.(Spire Sports+Entertainment)(2-19-2011)
Lewandoski to drive for Tri-Star: Charle Lewandoski has signed on with Tri-Star Motorsports to run a limited schedule in the team’s #19 Chevrolet. The deal, which is for 10 races that have yet to be announced, will displace regular driver Mike Bliss, who will on those weekends drive the team’s third car, the start-and-park #44 entry. (Frontstretch)(2-19-2011)
Braun still looking: The Nationwide season begins today at Daytona but Colin Braun won’t be in the field. Braun no longer is listed as a team member of Roush Fenway Racing. He was released by the team Dec. 1 as part of an effort to boost sponsorships for its other drivers. Braun made 24 starts — 16 in the #16 Ford Con-way Freight car — out of 35 Nationwide races in 2010 for Roush Fenway, finishing 23rd in the points standings with five top-10 finishes. He also did not finish seven races. In a message e-mailed to the Reporter-News, Braun said only that his plans for the 2011 racing season had not been settled. (Abilene Reporter News)(2-19-2011)
HalfOffDeals.com sponsoring #01 for Phoenix and Vegas: After announcing their intentions for a partnership for 2011 HalfOffDeals.com and JD Motorsports Inc. have reached an agreement for a primary sponsorship in two of the early races in the NASCAR Nationwide 2011 Season. At the Phoenix Race on February 26 and the Vegas Race on March 5 the #01 Chevrolet will sport HalfOffDeals.com logos and a colorful new paint scheme. HalfOffDeals.com will also be featured on the deck lid of the #01 Chevy this weekend at the season opening race at the Daytona.(JD Motorsports)(2-17-2011)
NASCAR changes tapered spacer: With speeds exceeding 200 mph in the NASCAR Nationwide Series during practice at Daytona International Speedway Wednesday, the sanctioning body decided to reduce the size of the tapered spacers immediately. The change was in effect for the final practice Wednesday. On the older-style, small-bore engines, NASCAR will decrease the spacer size to 15/16ths of an inch. On the new generation engines, the spacers will change to 59/64ths. Both sizes are reflective of what the teams used here in July and decrease the horsepower by 30 horsepower. (Fox Sports)(2-16-2011) UPDATE: After the second practice session, NASCAR decided on a tapered spacer/restrictor-plate combination designed to disrupt airflow to the carburetor. The spacer openings go up to 1 1/16th inches with the openings in the plate, which is positioned beneath the spacer, at 61/64ths inches.(Sporting News)(2-16-2011)
Owners Points Transfers: There were several points transfers in the offseason, mostly by organization. Those swaps that included locked-in cars:
• Kevin Harvick Inc.’s Elliott Sadler, whose #2 car has the points from the KHI #33 car (Kevin Harvick, other drivers).
• Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brian Scott, whose#11 car has the points from the JGR #20 (Logano, other drivers).
• Roush Fenway Racing’s Trevor Bayne, whose #16 car has the points from the Roush Fenway #98 (Paul Menard).
• Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr., whose No. 6 car has the points from the Roush Fenway #16 (Colin Braun, others).
• Go Green Racing’s Josh Wise, whose #39 car has the points from the Roush Fenway Racing #6 car (Stenhouse, others).
• Turner Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier, whose #31 car has the points from the Braun Racing #10 car (various drivers).
• Turner Motorsports’ Jason Leffler, whose #30 car (Kasey Kahne is in the #38 this week) has the points from the Braun Racing #11 car (Scott).
• Faith Motorsports’ Morgan Shepherd, whose #89 car has the points from the #21 car last year that was part of a partnership between Shepherd and Richard Childress Racing.
• TriStar Motorsports’ Eric McClure, whose #14 car has the points from the #34 TriStar car (Tony Raines).
• TriStar Motorsports’ Mike Bliss, whose #19 car has the points from the #35 TriStar car (Jason Keller).
(Scene Daily)(2-15-2011)
McClure and TriStar pick up Daytona sponsors: TMI and TriStar Motorsports announced that it has partnered with Floridian View Magazine and its parent company Vanguard OmniMedia Group, for the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series events at Daytona International Speedway. Through its flagship publication, Floridian View Magazine, the Vanguard OmniMedia Group will make its motorsports sponsorship debut when it serves as a co-primary sponsor on the #19 Impala, which will be driven by Mike Bliss, as well as being represented as an associate sponsor on the #44 Impala driven by former Nationwide Series Champion Jeff Green. AND TMI and TriStar Motorsports announced that it has partnered with Waverly Property Group, for the Nationwide Series events at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona’s #1 independent real-estate company, with a focus on waterfront properties, will serve as an associate sponsor on the #14 Hefty BlackOut Impala of Eric McClure beginning with the season-opening Drive4COPD 300. This marks the fourth consecutive year of motorsports sponsorship for WPG and first with TriStar Motorsports. (TMI PR)(2-15-2011)
The Prevention Plan on the #28 at Daytona: U.S. Preventive Medicine, the leader in disease prevention services, is teaming up with Derrike Cope and Jay Robinson Racing as the primary sponsor on The #28 Chevy for The DRIVE4COPD 300 in Daytona on February 19, 2011. U.S. Preventive Medicine’s primary product is The Prevention Plan, a personalized program to help individuals achieve the best health possible by providing an analysis of their health, personal assistance from prevention experts, and a roadmap on how to reach specific health goals. The confidential program helps people live better and save money by providing valuable tools and personal attention to get healthier. (Jay Robinson Racin)(2-15-2011)
Bobby Santos to drive for Means Motorsports: Bobby Santos, the 2010 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion will drive the #52 My 3 Sons Vending Chevy entry in the 2011 DRIVEFORCOPD Nationwide Race. The Franklin Mass native, in his first full-time season last year, captured the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Championship. He recorded four wins, four poles and 11 top 10’s in 14 races. Means Motorsports also announced that Orlando based, My 3 Sons Vending, will return as sponsor for the #52 along with Target Your Market Promotions & Apparel for the first 5 races of 2011. TYMP specializes in team racing wear,and corporate branding through promotional items. The #52 will also be carrying decals to honor the slain Ohio’s Clark County Sheriff Deputy, Suzanna Hopper killed in the line of duty January 1st 2011. My 3 Sons and Target Your Market Promotions will sponsor the #52 for the first 5 races of the 2011 season.(Means Motorsports PR)(2-16-2011)
Speed driving 2 races for KHI: Scott Speed, who lost his Sprint Cup ride at Red Bull Racing after the 2010 season, has reached an agreement to drive in two Nationwide Series races for Kevin Harvick Inc. Speed will drive KHI’s #33 in the Aug. 6 race at Iowa Speedway and Aug. 20 road course race in Montreal.(ESPN.com)(2-15-2011)
Sheltra to drive for Ware at Daytona: Rick Ware Racing has signed 2010 ARCA Racing Series champion Patrick Sheltra to pilot the #41 Fuel Doctor Ford at Daytona International Speedway. Sheltra, 24, won the 2010 ARCA Racing Series championship on the strength of two wins, 12 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes in the 20 race ARCA schedule. The Indiantown, Florida-native is looking to continue that success in NASCAR’s top-three touring series in 2011 while getting his season off to a strong start with Rick Ware Racing at DIS. Sheltra will set the mark for Rick Ware Racing’s journey into the Nationwide Series’ new car carrying the Ford banner with Doug Richert as crew chief. (RWR)(2-15-2011)
Richardson gets Daytona sponsor: Sponsormonsters and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have agreed to a three-year partnership with Nationwide Series team R3 Motorsports and driver Robert Richardson Jr. beginning with Saturday’s DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway. Boasting a defying paint scheme, designed by the legendary NASCAR artist Sam Bass, the #23 Dodge will display a tiger, an elephant, a penguin, a dolphin and a turtle along with the Wildlife Conservation Society logo. R3 Motorsports, Sponsormonsters and WCS will use this partnership to bring further awareness to the need to save wildlife and wild places around the globe.(Knight Motorsports Management), see an image of the car on my #23 team paint schemes page.(2-15-2011)
Waltrip in the #99 at Daytona: Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip makes his first NASCAR Nationwide Series appearance since 2009 on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway driving the #99 Pastrana-Waltrip Toyota. The race marks the first Nationwide Series appearance for the newly formed Pastrana-Waltrip Racing team owned by Gary and Blake Bechtel along with Michael Waltrip Racing and action sports star Travis Pastrana.(PWR)(2-15-2011)
Baker Curb suspends operations: UPDATES: Baker Curb Racing, a veteran Nationwide Series team, has suspended operations indefinitely due to lack of funding RacinToday.com has learned. Team co-owner Gary Baker said the team has not officially folded. He said it will re-open its doors if and when a sponsor is found. However, with the season less than a month away and no driver or personnel on board, Baker admitted the outlook is dismal. “As it stands right now, we won’t be racing,” he said. Baker co-owns the team with music mogul Mike Curb. It was known as Brewco Motorsports when they bought it and moved it from Kentucky to Nashville.(Racin’ Today)(1-29-2011) UPDATE: hearing that Baker Curb has worked out a deal with J.R. Fitzpatrick to run at Daytona.(2-6-2011) UPDATE 2: J.R. Fitzpatrick’s 2011 race season kicks off this week with the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Runner-Up confirming Monday his participation in Saturday’s opening round of the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Daytona International Speedway, the ‘DRIVE4COPD 300’, 19th February 2011. The 22-year-old Ontario resident, the only Canadian entered for Saturday’s 300-mile event, will race the #27 Baker Curb Racing Ford Mustang with primary support from long-time partner Schick Canada, promoting the Schick Hydro brand, as well as associate support for the first time from Energizer Canada Inc.(Baker Curb)(2-14-2011)
50th start for Howard: Everyone at ML Motorsports is excited for Shelby Howard as he prepares for his 50th NASCAR Nationwide Series race, and what better race to turn that milestone than Daytona with it’s brand new surface. For the 12th year, legendary racer and long time ML Motorsports friend Red Farmer will join the team in Daytona as a consultant.(ML Motorsports)(2-14-2011)
Bad Boy Buggie joins KHI: Bad Boy Buggies, a leader in 4×4 electric vehicles and utility vehicles for hunting and outdoor recreation, announced that it will sponsor both Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series teams at Kevin Harvick Inc. The Bad Boy Buggies brand will be proudly carried by Elliott Sadler and Clint Bowyer, both NASCAR veterans with multiple wins across all three of NASCAR’s premier national racing series. The pair will tag team to drive Bad Boy Buggies-branded vehicles in both the Nationwide and Truck Series for five race events throughout 2011.(KHI)(2-14-2011)
Clements plans full season: As the 2011 race season rapidly approaches, the Jeremy Clements Racing camp announces its newly formed partnership with racedaysponsor.com. The team hopes to obtain as much sponsorship possible to run close to a full NNS schedule this season in his family-owned #51 Chevy.(Jeremy Clement’s Facebook page)(2-14-2011)
Three teams for KHI at Daytona: On February 19, 2011, Elliott Sadler will strap back into a NASCAR Nationwide Series car to compete full time in the series for the first time since 1998. Sadler, along with Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) teammates Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart, will join forces at Daytona International Raceway to defend KHI’s race winning organization title. In the past six season-opening races at Daytona International Speedway KHI has gone to victory lane three times.(KHI)(2-14-2011)
Annett arrested for drunk driving: UPDATES: Placed on probation: #62-Michael Annett, a driver for Rusty Wallace’s Nationwide Series team, was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with driving while intoxicated, texting while driving, failure to reduce speed and resisting an officer in the Mooresville area. According to the police report Annett, 24, was arrested between 1:30 and 2 a.m. and had a blood alcohol content of .32, four times the legal limit of .08. A member of the Mooresville police department said the resisting issue occurred because Annett did not want to be handcuffed. (ESPN.com)(2-7-2011) UPDATE: Statement from Rusty Wallace:Rusty Wallace Racing is aware of a traffic incident over the weekend involving Michael Annett, driver of our team’s #62 car. We have been in contact with both the authorities and NASCAR and are finishing our internal investigation into the facts. Rusty Wallace Racing does not condone, nor tolerate, substance abuse by any of its employees. In line with this, RWR is currently working with Michael to develop a package of sanctions which will address this issue. Among these will be successful completion of a comprehensive alcohol awareness program, a zero tolerance policy towards alcohol use, a year-long community service program and additional internal sanctions. Stated Annett, “I am deeply remorseful for my actions and my extreme lack of judgment. I let down my team, my sponsors, my fans and my family; I sincerely apologize to everyone that I hurt. This was truly a life-changing moment for me. Despite all of the negativity that will undoubtedly arise from it, I’m going to strive to use this incident as the impetus to make a lot of positive changes in my life.” (RWR)(2-7-2011) UPDATE 2: State DMV records show a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver charged with DWI, texting while driving and resisting police was involved in a crash seven months ago and used a similar excuse. Police say Nationwide driver Michael Annett was four times the legal blood alcohol limit when they stopped him after a crash Sunday. Investigators say Annett ate breath mints to hide the smell and told them texting is why he couldn’t stop in time. “On the cell phone” and “could not stop in time” are the same words used on a DMV crash report with Michael Annett’s name on it from July, 2010 on the Brookshire Freeway near Graham Street in Charlotte. It says Annett rear-ended a car, then that car rear-ended the car in front of it. The victim is a college student in West Virginia. Her dad says Annett was texting and driving, never hit the brakes, totaled his daughter’s car and she needed physical therapy. The victim of the second car listed in the report also says Annett was texting while driving. Records show Annett was cited for failing to reduce speed. It had nothing to do with alcohol and Annett was not cited for anything alcohol related in that accident. (WCNC)(2-8-2011) UPDATE 3: NASCAR announced that it has placed Michael Annett, driver of the #62 car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, on probation until Dec. 31, 2011. Annett violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) of the 2011 NASCAR Rule Book. The violation occurred Feb. 6. In addition to the steps already underway by Rusty Wallace Racing, Annett will be evaluated by a certified substance abuse professional at NASCAR’s discretion and will be subject to random alcohol and drug testing.(NASCAR)(2-11-2010) UPDATE 4: The words were what one might expect, but it is what Michael Annett does now, next week, next month and beyond that will give true meaning to what he said Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Annett spoke to the media Saturday at Daytona for the first time since his arrest. He offered apologies to his family, his team and the NASCAR community. “This is definitely the worst week of my life,” Annett said. “This can go two ways. It can be the end of me or the start of a new life and a better person and a better driver. I’m owning up to everything. There’s no excuse for it. I’m taking full blame and hoping everybody can learn from this. It honestly scared the hell out of me.” Annett was asked if he felt he needed counseling. He said he didn’t know. Asked if he considered removing himself from driving in at least a race, Annett said no. Asked if he was disappointed that no one prevented him from driving that night, Annett said: “I got behind the wheel. I had the keys in my hand. I turned the truck on. It was my choice. It was a horrible one.”(Hampton Roads)(2-12-2011)
Cobb plans full season with 2nd Chance: On Tuesday, February 8, 2011, Jennifer Jo Cobb sat down for an interview on Speed Channel’s NASCAR Race Hub. It was here that Jennifer revealed that she will be running in the 2011 Nationwide Series and will be running for rookie of the year in the 2nd Chance Motorsports 2011 Ford Mustang with the horsepower of Roush Yates engines under the hood.(2nd Chance Motorsports)(2-11-2011)
Fuel Injection to NASCAR in 2012: NASCAR is expected to announce Friday that the Sprint Cup Series will shift to fuel injection in time for the 2012 season-opening Daytona 500. It is expected that Britain’s McLaren Electronic Systems will provide the controller through a partnership with Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. out of Austin, Texas. Testing and development of the components will continue throughout the year.(FoxSports)(2-11-2011) UPDATE: NASCAR announced a historic technology partnership with Freescale Semiconductor and McLaren Electronic Systems to develop and integrate fuel injection systems into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, targeted for the 2012 season. Freescale will provide the processors for McLaren’s engine control units (ECUs) that will be used to manage the fuel and ignition systems in the engines for all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars, replacing carburetors which have been used in the series since its inception in 1949. NASCAR and its top series teams will test the technology during the 2011 season with the anticipation of the systems being rolled out for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The fuel injection system will bring increased technology and efficiency to the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars while at the same time complementing the car’s high performance. This announcement marks the most significant strategic change to NASCAR’s engine platform in decades. As part of this program, Freescale is designated as the “Official Automotive Semiconductor of NASCAR” and McLaren the “Official Engine Control Unit of NASCAR.”
For decades, most of the parts and equipment on NASCAR race cars have been highly customized for racing but at the same time relevant in standard automobiles. This move to fuel injection brings back an important synergy between these two vehicle types. ECUs maximize each racing team’s ability to get the most performance and best fuel economy under all race conditions. With this announcement, plans call for every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race team to use a control system with Freescale’s advanced 32-bit Power Architecture based engine management processors at its core, beginning in 2012. These same processors power millions of today’s most energy efficient engines.
The ECUs are tamper-proof, ensuring that only approved software may ever be run during a race weekend. Additionally, NASCAR will have special electronic tools at its disposal during every event to ensure the legality of all ECUs.(NASCAR) AND Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition, said during the news conference that Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series will not be going to the fuel injection system in 2012 and that NASCAR is working on a new engine package for both series (Nancy/Jayski)(2-11-2011)
Faith Motorsports announces additional 2011 details: Veteran Nationwide Series garage man Morris Van Vleet will serve as crew chief of Brett Rowe’s #55 Faith Motorsports entry in 2011. Van Vleet spent 2010 as crew chief for two different Nationwide Series programs, as well as some time atop the pit box in the Camping World Truck Series. Van Vleet and Rowe worked together at Daytona and Nashville last season while both were with former Nationwide team Herd Racing. AND Gary Ravan has been promoted to team manager of the two-car Nationwide shop at Faith Motorsports. Ravan, who served as crew chief of the #89 Nationwide entry driven by Morgan Shepherd in 2010, will now over see both the #89 program and Brett Rowe’s #55 Nationwide rides. AND Imperial Bedding Company, one of the nation’s oldest and most respected mattress makers, will serve as the primary sponsor of Brett Rowe’s #55 Nationwide Series entry at Daytona. The Huntington, WV-based company’s name will appear on the upper rear quarter panels of Rowe’s red and gold Racing With Jesus stock car.(Faith Motorsports)(2-11-2011)
Salvation Army on the #89 at Daytona: UPDATE: Sixty-nine-year-old NASCAR veteran Morgan Shepherd will be sporting new colors and the most highly recognizable charitable organization in the world at the upcoming Daytona NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Saturday, February 19th. Shepherd has partnered with The Salvation Army and donated the hood of his #89 Nationwide Series race car at Daytona to assist the organization on a national level during difficult economic times. (Faith Motorsports), see an image of the car on the #89 team paint schemes page.(2-8-2011) UPDATE: Brown Services LLC, a partner to Medcor, Inc. in McHenry, Illinois has joined the #89 Morgan Shepherd race team effort to maximize exposure and visibility for The Salvation Army at Daytona and beyond, Faith Motorsports announced February 11. Brown Services LLC is HUB Zone and Ohio EDGE-certified company focused on safety services for work sites with specially trained professionals implementing safety programs to ensure a safe work environment. The company will be an associate partner of the #89 team at Daytona and in future races in 2011 with financial support to promote the message of The Salvation Army.(Faith Motorsports) (2-11-2011)
D.A.B. Constructors sponsoring Nemechek: NEMCO Motorsports announced D.A.B. Constructors, Inc. as primary sponsor of driver Joe Nemechek’s #87 NASCAR entry for the Drive4COPD 300 Nationwide Series on Saturday, February 19, 2011. In addition, D.A.B Constructors will be an associate sponsor on the #87 Sprint Cup Toyota as part of the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 events at Daytona International Speedway. D.A.B. Constructors, Inc. located in central Florida, is a service-oriented road and asphalt construction company with a focus on offering quality results. A returning sponsor, D.A.B. has supported Nemechek two years running; first as an associate sponsor in 2009 and then as a 2010 primary sponsor for Nemechek, a Lakeland, FL native.(NEMCO PR)(2-20-2011)
Cajun Industries partners with Go Green Racing at Daytona: Josh Wise will be teaming up with Go Green Racing for the first four races of the 2011 Nationwide Series season. Cajun Industries will come on board to support the team’s effort at Daytona International Speedway. Wise will compete for the Drive4COPD 300 win in the #39 Cajun Industries Ford at Daytona on Saturday, February 19. Cajun Industries LLC, based in Baton Rouge, La., is one of the nation’s largest full-service, self-performing contractors. The company, which employs upwards of 2,000 people, has been heavily involved in the reconstruction of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. In addition to serving as the primary sponsor at Daytona, Cajun Industries will also be an associate sponsor for Josh Wise and Go Green Racing at Phoenix International Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway.(Spire Sports + Entertainment/Cajun PR)(2-10-2011)
G&K Services returns to JD Motorsports: After a limited involvement last season, G&K Services has returned to JD Motorsports with Mike Wallace driving the #01 Chevy beginning with the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota; the uniform company has improved their association with the NASCAR Nationwide Series team by signing on as a primary marketing partner for six races this season. After the 300-mile race in Daytona on February 19, they will be on board for the Auto Club Speedway event in Fontana, Calif. The other primary races will be determined based on their sales regions. (JD Motorsports)(2-10-2011)
Richert joins Hill and RWR: When Doug Richert joined Rick Ware Racing he felt right at home with a fleet of Roush-Fenway Mustangs at his control. The former crew chief for Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle at Roush-Fenway Racing just grinned as he walked through the small shop of RWR. Richert, a thirty year veteran of calling the shots in NASCAR, will once again will give guidence to a young driver that few have heard of such as Timmy Hill.(Rick Ware Racing)(2-10-2011)
Neuenberger to run 10 races for MacDonald: MacDonald Motorsports has hired Donnie Neuenberger to drive the #81 Eagle Convenience Stores Dodge in ten races for the 2011 Nationwide Series Season. The first race for Donnie and the #81 team will be February 19th at Daytona in the DRIVE4COPD 300. Donnie is slated to run ten total races for MacDonald Motorsports with the possible addition of more. Eagle Convenience Stores joins Donnie and MacDonald Motorsports as primary sponsor for the ten committed races. MacDonald Motorsports would also like to announce the hiring of Bobby Burrell as the crew chief for the #81 Dodge. (MacDonald Motorsports PR), see an image of the car on the #81 team paint schemes page.(2-9-2011)
Tire Kingdom sponsoring Bodine at Daytona: Tire Kingdom, a leading brand of automotive service centers for the Florida-based TBC Retail Group, announced that it will be the primary sponsor in Todd Bodine’s quest to compete in NASCAR’s three national racing series for Germain Racing at Daytona International Speedway. Bodine is entered in the #30 Tire Kingdom Toyota Tundra for the Feb. 18 Camping World Truck Series race, the #15 Tire Kingdom Toyota Camry for the Feb. 19 Nationwide Series event and the #60 Tire Kingdom Toyota Camry for the Feb. 20 Daytona 500 Sprint Cup Series opener. Bodine’s vehicles for the season-opening races will also carry associate sponsorship from Valvoline and TBC Retail’s other automotive service centers — NTB – National Tire and Battery, Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers and Big O Tires. (Germain Racing), see an image of the car on the #15 team paint schemes page.(2-9-2011)
Danica’s 2011 schedule announced: Danica Patrick has finalized her 2011 Nationwide Series plans. Patrick’s tour will closely resemble her rookie campaign in that she will compete in a cluster of races on the front and back ends of the Nationwide Series schedule. She will appear in select races during the middle parts of the year while competing full time in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Patrick’s 2011 NASCAR plans feature 12 races across 10 NASCAR markets. Four of those markets will host Patrick for the first time in a stock car. As announced last October, Patrick will compete in the first four Nationwide Series races – Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 19), Phoenix International Raceway (Feb. 26), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 5) and Bristol Motor Speedway (March 19). Patrick will continue with races at Chicagoland Speedway (June 4), Daytona International Speedway (July 1), Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Aug. 20), Richmond International Speedway (Sept. 9), and Kansas Speedway (Oct. 8). She will conclude her second NASCAR season with the final three races on the Nationwide Series schedule — Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 5), Phoenix International Raceway (Nov. 12) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 19). (JR Motorsports)(2-9-2011)
Truex tests at GMP: Michael Waltrip Racing returned to Gresham Motorsports Park for the second time this year on Tuesday. Ryan Truex tested for MWR at GMP, following teammate, Travis Pastrana, who tested at GMP in January. Truex raced in the NASCAR K&N race at GMP last August, but his agenda did not include K&N today. Running the Nationwide car for MWR in 2011, Truex used the test time to prepare for Daytona next week. (GMP)(2-8-2011)
TV Start times announced: NASCAR released its telecast times for the 2011 season. ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 will telecast 33 of the 34 NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2011. ESPN2 opens the season with the DRIVE4COPD 300 at 1:15 p.m. ET on Feb. 19 at Daytona International Speedway. ESPN2 will also telecast the season finale Ford 300 on Nov. 19 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (4:30 p.m. ET). SPEED will air one NASCAR Nationwide Series race in 2011 with the 24th running of the Bubba Burger 250 from Richmond International Raceway on April 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET.(NASCAR), see the complete schedule and start times on the 2011 Nationwide Series schedule page.(2-7-2011)
Hunt Brothers to sponsor Sadler: In a partnership with Kevin Harvick Inc., Hunt Brothers Pizza will be the primary sponsor for two of NASCAR’s most successful and influential drivers, Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler. Hunt Brothers Pizza will serve as a primary sponsor for the KHI #2 and #4 Nationwide Series entries, with Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler behind the wheel. Hunt Brothers Pizza will also be represented as primary sponsor of the KHI #2 Chevy in the Truck Series, with drivers Harvick and Sadler. Additionally, Hunt Brothers Pizza will join Harvick as an associate sponsor for the full 2011 season on Harvick’s #29 Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Sprint Cup Series car. Hunt Brothers Pizza will be represented on Harvick’s uniform and have logo placement on the car. Hunt Brothers Pizza and KHI kick off the NASCAR season April 23, 2011, at the Nashville Superspeedway with Sadler driving the KHI #2 Nationwide Series Car. The Hunt Brothers Pizza sponsorship with KHI also includes special NASCAR-related promotions, on-track giveaways and other special events. (KHI)(2-7-2011)
Baker Curb suspends operations: UPDATE: Baker Curb Racing, a veteran Nationwide Series team, has suspended operations indefinitely due to lack of funding RacinToday.com has learned. Team co-owner Gary Baker said the team has not officially folded. He said it will re-open its doors if and when a sponsor is found. However, with the season less than a month away and no driver or personnel on board, Baker admitted the outlook is dismal. “As it stands right now, we won’t be racing,” he said. Baker co-owns the team with music mogul Mike Curb. It was known as Brewco Motorsports when they bought it and moved it from Kentucky to Nashville.(Racin’ Today)(1-29-2011) UPDATE: hearing that Baker Curb has worked out a deal with J.R. Fitzpatrick to run at Daytona.(2-6-2011)
Wise to drive for Go Green: Go Green Racing announces that Josh Wise has joined GGR and the #39 NASCAR Nationwide team for the first four races of 2011. Josh will be piloting the new Ford Mustang COT at Daytona, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Bristol.(Go Green Racing) (2-3-2011)
Wimmer to drive for Key Motorsports: Curtis Key and his Key Motorsports team will again be fielding the #40 Chevy, now with the new Impala, in the 2011 Nationwide Series season. For this coming season Curtis has gone back to the well with a driver that he is very familiar with, and knows can show the true ability of his team and the equipment they are putting on track in Wausau, Wisconsin native Scott Wimmer. In limited action in 2010 Wimmer led every race in which he competed, finishing with three Top-10’s in just five races.(Key Motorsports)(2-3-2011)
Ingram to crew chief for Shepherd: Veteran NASCAR crew chief David Ingram has been tabbed to crew chief Morgan’s Shepherd’s #89 NASCAR Nationwide Series entry in 2011, Faith Motorsports announced. Ingram, who served as crew chief for K-Automotive Racing’s #26 program in 2010 has been around the garage for quite a few years. Ingram also worked as a crew chief for McDonald Motorsports’ #81 program in 2009. Shepherd said his 2010 crew chief Gary Ravan is still with the Faith Motorsports program and has assumed other duties in the two-car shop which will feature Shepherd’s #89 and Brett Rowe’s #55 Nationwide entries. (Faith Motorsports)(2-3-2011)
Danica, Almirola test at Gresham: Nationwide drivers, Danica Patrick and Aric Almirola, with JR Motorsports and NASCAR Camping World Truck drivers, Ron Hornaday and Nelson Piquet Jr., drivers for Kevin Harvick Inc. tested at Gresham Motorsports Park in preparation for the 2011 season. Both Nationwide drivers, Patrick and Almirola, were at GMP specifically to test for the Phoenix and Bristol races. Although it was not Almirola’s first visit to GMP, it was a first for Patrick.(GMP)(2-3-2011)
Hill to drive for Rick Ware: When Timmy Hill turns 18 on February 25th, the opening day of Nationwide Series practice at Phoenix, buying a lottery ticket or going to a movie rated “R” will not be on the agenda; jumping behind the wheel of his full time ride in the #15 Ford for Rick Ware Racing will be. Due to NASCAR’s age restriction for drivers, Hill will sit out the opening race at Daytona, but his #15 car will be under the veteran care of Todd Bodine. Hill will compete for Rookie of the Year, and RWR purchased a stable of Fords with Roush-Fenway and engines from Roush-Yates for Hills efforts. (RWR)(2-2-2011)
PPG renews with Penske: Building on one of the longest relationships in motorsports, PPG Industries announced that it has reached a multi-year extension of its partnership with Penske Racing. Beginning its 32nd season working with the team in 2011, PPG returns as an associate sponsor on all of Penske Racing’s NASCAR entries this season. This includes the #22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driven by Kurt Busch and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge driven by Brad Keselowski in the Sprint Cup Series. In addition, PPG will be an associate sponsor on the defending champion #22 Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge piloted by Keselowski and the #12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge with driver Sam Hornish Jr. in the Nationwide Series.( Penske PR)(2-2-2011)
TapouT sponsoring Sadler at Vegas: Kevin Harvick Inc. announced a multi-year partnership with world-renowned mixed martial arts (MMA) apparel brand TapouT, an Authentic Brands Group company. TapouT will make its NASCAR debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 5, 2011 as sponsor of the #2 Chevy in the Nationwide Series event with driver Elliott Sadler. KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick will also carry the world renowned black and white logo on the hood of the #2 TapouT Chevy in the Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway in 2011.(KHI) see an image of the car on the #2 team paint scheme page.(2-1-2011)
JD Motorsports teams up with HalfOffDeals.com: JD Motorsports and HalfOffDeals.com have agreed to partner for the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series. The website that features products, restaurants, and services at a 50% – 90% discount has been around for over 10 years. In honor of this partnership, Norwegian Cruise Lines has offered a fantastic deal to launch this program. As of today, a cruise for two to the Bahamas on the “Norwegian Sky” is being offered for $349.00 for one week, valued at $699.00.(JD Motorsports)(2-1-2011)
Kenny Wallace to sub for Kenseth at Daytona: Kenny Wallace told Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that he will be standing by to take over Matt Kenseth’s Crown Royal Ford, if Kenseth is called away during SpeedWeek 2011. “I got a call last night from (Roush Fenway Racing GM) Robbie Reiser, and he said Katie Kenseth is due to give birth to their second baby in a couple of weeks,” said Wallace. “They want me to be on standby in case she goes into labor before the Bud Shootout or Gatorade Duel. He said Matt will run the Daytona 500 no matter what, but they want me there in case they need me earlier in the week. ven though it’s probably because I’m the same size as Matt and will fit into the seat easily, it took me about a quarter of a second to agree.”(Sirius Speedway)(2-1-2011)
