Ali not approved to race at Texas: Nur Ali was not approved by NASCAR to run the Nationwide Series race this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway [he was on the preliminary entry list in the Rick Ware #75]. Ali struggled in his Oct. 20 NASCAR debut at Kansas, where he crashed and finished 33rd in the Nationwide race. He is the first driver of Pakistani descent to compete at NASCAR’s national level. The Fort Worth resident had hoped to drive for Rick Ware Racing in Saturday’s race at Texas. But he said NASCAR wants him to gain more experience on smaller tracks before he’ll be approved to compete at 1.5-mile Texas. Ali said he’ll enter the Nov. 10 race at Phoenix, which is a 1-mile track.(Associated Press)(10-31-2012)
NASCAR Bashers returns to the #88: For the second time this season, the NASCAR Bashers brand is featured as primary sponsor of the #88 Chevy and driver Cole Whitt. NASCAR Bashers is a line of toys produced by SpinMaster and styled like an actual NASCAR race car. These cars actually crash, featuring multiple different dramatic crash transformations. NASCAR Bashers are available at major toy retailers like Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Kmart and more.(JR Motorsports), see an image of the car on the (#88 team paint schemes page.(10-30-2012)
Sonic the Hedgehog on the #7: Sonic the Hedgehog makes his NASCAR debut this weekend on board Danica Patrick’s #7 SEGA Sonic the Hedgehog/ GoDaddy.com Chevy, which is in promotion of the upcoming release of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Patrick is featured in the game, which challenges players to race across land, air and water in fully transforming vehicles against an All- Star cast of SEGA characters like Sonic, Knuckles, AiAi and others. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed will be available on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, Play- Station Vita system, the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system, Nintendo’s Wii U system and PC Digital Download this holiday season.(JR Motorsports), see an image of the car on the (#7 team paint schemes page.(10-30-2012)
NASCAR the Game on the #20 at Texas: While Joey Logano’s #20 Toyota’s normally carries special paint schemes with aliens, cowboys, military members or even cartoons that are featured in popular upcoming games, this weekend the car will have a familiar logo on it the NASCAR logo. The GameStop Toyota will carry the look of the new NASCAR The Game: Inside Line this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. NASCAR The Game: Inside Line blows open the adrenaline-fueled world of stock car racing, thrusting you right into the heart of the world’s best motor sports racing series. It’s the most accurate, authentic, pulse-pounding NASCAR game yet. NASCAR The Game: Inside Line is available Nov. 6 for PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.(JGR)(10-30-2012)
Undaunted Movie on #81 at Texas:MacDonald Motorsports and Echolight Studios have teamed up to promote Unduanted: The Early Life of Josh McDowell at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge 300 this weekend in Texas. Supporters are literally racing to help promote the inspiring faith film Unduanted: The Early Life of Josh McDowell, which launched on DVD this month. NASCAR team MacDonald Motorsports; author Jeff Elliott and Soul Surfer Producer Dutch Hofstetter; and film distributor EchoLight Studios team with Josh McDowell Ministry to highlight the film at Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at the Texas Motor Speedway with on-car promotion, DVD giveaways and special appearances by McDowell with drivers and race fans. Unduanted: The Early Life of Josh McDowell is an award-winning, “pull no punches” docudrama. A dysfunctional family life, an alcoholic and violent father, and a sexually abusive worker on the family farm contributed to deep scars in McDowell’s life, causing him to deny God’s existence. Undaunted unfolds the dramatic spiritual transformation that occurs when Josh faces his past head-on and puts everything in God’s hands.(MacDonald Motorsports)(10-30-2012)
Kevin Swindell driving 2 races for Biagi-DenBeste Racing: Former sprint car standout Kevin Swindell will race for NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) team Biagi-DenBeste Racing at Texas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway next month. Swindell has previously competed in four NNS races, with a best start of fifth at Dover International Speedway in 2011. This season, Swindell has made eight starts in the ARCA Racing Series, securing seven top-five starts along with four top-five finishes. The young driver scored his first stock car win at Chicagoland Speedway in July after earning the pole and leading every lap. After taking a hiatus from racing, Biagi-DenBeste Racing has returned to the NNS to compete in five races this season. The team earned a best starting spot of 11th at Atlanta Motor Speedway and a season-best finish of 12th earlier this month at Charlotte Motor Speedway.(Biagi-DenBeste Racing)(10-24-2012)
JR Motorsports looking at Regan Smith for 2013: UPDATE: Regan Smith will step out of the #88 Chevy when Dale Earnhardt Jr. is expected to return from a concussion next week, but Smith’s connection with NASCAR’s most popular driver could become more permanent. Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports has targeted Smith as the team’s first choice to contend for a Nationwide Series championship in 2013. “We are in discussions with Regan,” JRM general manager and co-owner Kelley Earnhardt told USA TODAY Sports. “That’s who we would like for that to be. We’ve been in dialogue and are just trying to work some of the details out. So it’s not a done deal, but that’s definitely a direction we’d like to go.” The ongoing talks paved the way for Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick (also a minority owner in JRM) to choose Smith when Earnhardt Jr. was forced to miss two races with a head injury. JRM hopes to run two Chevys full time again next year with a third part-time entry driven by Earnhardt Jr. for at least four races. The car slated for Smith is virtually funded in full, and the team still is seeking full sponsorship for a second car driven by Cole Whitt, who is ranked seventh in Nationwide points in JRM’s #88. “We’re hoping we can get that funding and Cole can stay on board in that car,” Kelley Earnhardt said. Danica Patrick, who is in third year with JRM and first full season, still might run some races for JRM next year when she moves to Sprint Cup with Stewart-Haas Racing.(USA Today)(10-16-2012) UPDATE: JR Motorsports announced it has reached an agreement with Regan Smith to drive the team’s #5 NASCAR Nationwide Series entry full time in 2013. General Manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller said Smith will make his JRM debut this year, as the company will field three teams for the Nov. 17 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Smith will join teammates Cole Whitt and Danica Patrick in the season finale. Smith has not competed in the Nationwide Series since 2007 when he tallied three top-fives, five top-10s, and a pole award at Kentucky Speedway. Smith’s #5 Chevy, to date, is the only JRM entry cemented for a full-season slate in 2013. Earnhardt Miller said the goal of the organization is still to run two full-time teams the #5 and #7 with addition to Earnhardt Jr. competing in select Nationwide Series races in the #88 car. “We feel it is important for our sponsors, our fans, and even Dale to keep his Nationwide Series number consistent with his Cup number,” Earnhardt Miller said. “His brand is associated with the #88. That’s what makes him distinguishable on the race track, so it’s only natural that he drives the #88 all the time. To do that, we are making our #5 Chevy our full-time entry. We hope to have Cole in the #7 full time in 2013, and we are working hard on securing sponsorship for that.(JR Motorsports)(10-24-2012)
Nationwide Series remaining in Canada? The Nationwide Series has perhaps not left Quebec, Canada for good, it could end up in Trois-Rivi�res, and, starting next year. Discussions were initiated, according to sources, with representatives from NASCAR to maintain a Canadian race on the schedule. The mayor of Trois-Rivi�res has appointed the chairman of the Grand Prix, Dominic Fugere to conduct these talks. Also, there was some discussion of holding a Nationwide Series race at Mosport next year, but the track does not currently meet the crieteria necessary for a NASCAR race. NASCAR has not disclosed the Nationwide schedule in 2013, which suggests that negotiations are ongoing with various promoters.(Montreal Journal, article in French, translated with Google Translate at edited)(10-24-2012)
Kansas TV Ratings: ESPN earned its highest rating and viewership ever for a NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Kansas Speedway with its live telecast of the event on Saturday, Oct. 20. The telecast saw a 36 percent jump from the 2011 race with a 1.5 household coverage rating (1.3 U.S. rating) and an average of 1,502,310 viewers, according to the Nielsen Company. The 2011 race earned a 1.1 rating and ESPN’s previous high was a 1.3 in both 2007 and 2008.(ESPN)(10-23-2012)
Pastrana has shoulder surgery: Two days after racing in the fifth stop of the Global RallyCross series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Travis Pastrana did something he’s been putting off for nearly 10 years: He had surgery to repair the rotator cuff and labrum in his left shoulder. Although he’s tallied more than 20 knee surgeries, Pastrana had never addressed his nagging shoulder issues, knowing the recovery time — six to eight months — was more than he could take off while he was still riding dirt bikes. For years, Pastrana was able to tape it well enough to ride or drive. “But it was getting impossible to brace,” he said. “There was nothing left of the labrum. My shoulder used to pop out and go right back in. But that wasn’t happening anymore. It was popping out and staying out.” Pastrana said his shoulder dislocated a few times during every RallyCross race this season, leading to many of his crashes. During a late model race in Michigan in July, his car lost power steering and his shoulder dislocated, making steering virtually impossible. At the Charlotte K&N; Pro Series race, it dislocated the first time he took his left hand off the steering wheel. “It became dangerous, and I didn’t want to take any more chances with me or anyone else on the track,” Pastrana said. “I would have waited, but this surgery has a four-month recovery period before I can even think about testing and taking a direct hit in certain directions,” Pastrana said. “I wanted to be back in the car and solid for Daytona. The NASCAR season is my priority, so I didn’t want to wait any longer. Nothing is concrete yet, and nothing is signed, but it looks really good that I’ll be doing the entire Nationwide series next year,” Pastrana said. “I’m excited. I need the experience. Every track I’ve gone to, I’ve been better when I’ve gone back. And I’m excited to work with a team that has a lot of data and knowledge. That’s going to help me a lot. Then we’ll see how I do.” (ESPN)(10-22-2012)
Chevy clinches 2012 manufacturer’s championship: With #3-Austin Dillon’s second place finish in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway, Chevy has clinched the Manufacturers’ Championship in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The 2012 achievement marks the 15th time the Bowtie Brand has captured the prestigious Bill France Performance Cup. “Chevrolet is honored to win the 2012 Bill France Performance Cup, and capture the Manufacturers’ Championship in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for the 15th time,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Our success is the result of dedication and determination of our Nationwide Series team owners, crew chiefs and their crews as well as the drivers giving it their all on the track. We salute the efforts of everyone who worked tirelessly to bring this award to Chevrolet.” On the way to securing the Bill France Performance Cup, Chevy drivers have won 11 races in the 30 Nationwide Series races held to-date. The quest for the coveted Manufacturers’ title began at the first race of the season when James Buescher took the win at Daytona International Speedway. In addition to Buescher, the following Team Chevy drivers that contributed to Chevy’s capturing the Manufacturers’ crown with manufacturers’ points-paying finishes are: Elliott Sader (four wins); Austin Dillon (two wins); Kevin Harvick (one win); Justin Allgaier (one win); Nelson Piquet, Jr. (one win); Kurt Busch (one win); Paul Menard, Cole Whitt, Ty Dillon and Ron Fellows.(Chevy PR)(10-20-2012)
Richard Petty Motorsports renews with Ford: Richard Petty Motorsports and Ford Racing announced they will continue their manufacturer partnership. The announcement ensures that Richard Petty Motorsports’ two NASCAR Sprint Cup race teams and its Nationwide Series race team will race under the Ford Racing banner into 2013. It will be the fourth consecutive season the team has raced with the manufacturer. Subsequently, RPM will continue its services contract with Roush-Fenway Racing and Roush-Yates Racing to supply new Ford Fusions and Ford horsepower for its entries. RPM will continue to enter the #9 Ford Fusion with partners Stanley and DEWALT and the # 43 Ford Fusion with Smithfield Foods and its family of brands, Smithfield, Eckrich, Farmland and Gwaltney, in the Sprint Cup Series, as well as the #43 Pilot/Flying J Ford Mustang with driver Michael Annett in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team is currently in the process of securing its Sprint Cup Series driver agreements.(RPM)(10-19-2012)
Clements will make 100th start: The Nationwide Series race on October 20th at Kansas Speedway will be the 100th start in the NNS for Jeremy Clements, driver of the #51 Jeremy Clements Chevy. Clements started his first race in the NNS at Pikes Peak International Raceway in 2003 for owner Jerry Young. Due to a serious injury while racing Late Models in 2004, Clements did not return to NNS until 2007 and ran part time through 2010. In 2011, Clements and his family set up their own race team, Jeremy Clements Racing, to compete full time in the NNS. Clements, who runs with very little sponsorship funding, is currently in 14th place in the NNS driver point standings.(Clements PR)(10-18-2012)
Thrush & Son to present SupportMilitary.org #81 for Jason Bowles at Kansas: The MacDonald Motorsports #81 will once again have a special “camo” paint scheme this weekend for the Kansas Lottery 300. Jason Bowles will drive the SUPPORTMILITARY.ORG #81 presented by Thrush & Son Complete Home Improvement in his first ever start at Kansas Speedway this weekend. The mission of the Support Military Foundation is to connect a grateful nation through armed forces awareness and personal involvement. SUPPORTMILITARY.ORG provides a launch pad for turning awareness into action for individuals, businesses, non-governmental agencies, community & civic groups, local governments and faith-based organizations in support of our uniformed services past and present. For the third time this season, Thrush & Son Complete Home Improvement and HI-Technologies.com will be on the #81 for Jason Bowles. This time, they will be presenting the SUPPORTMILITARY.ORG No. 81 in an effort to garner more support for members of all branches of the military and their families.(MacDonald Motorsports)(10-17-2012)
Hal Martin making Series debut at Kansas: Hal Martin brings his Bayou roots to the Midwest this weekend at Kansas Speedway. A longtime racer of Gulf Coast historic tracks like Mobile Speedway and Five Flags Speedway (home of the Snowball Derby), Martin hails from an area best-known for seafood, beautiful beaches, Mardi Gras and Drew Brees. He hopes to not only make his home state proud, being the only current Louisiana driver in any of NASCAR’s elite three series; but also have a learning experience going into his bid for NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2013. Martin’s primary sponsor, American Custom Yachts, will don the hood of the #44 this weekend. In addition, Martin’s first employer forensic engineering firm US Forensic joins as an associate sponsor.(Maritn PR), see an image of the car on the #44 team paint schemes page.(10-17-2012)
Tissot returns to the #7: Tissot, a manufacturer of Swiss watches since 1853, will be featured as co-primary sponsor of the #7 Chevy this weekend at Kansas along with GoDaddy.com. Tissot has been a partner of JR Motorsports since 2010 and this marks its third race in as many years as co-primary sponsor of Danica Patrick and the #7.(JR Motorsports)(10-17-2012)
Chrissy Wallace to drive at Kansas: UPDATE: For the second time, Chrissy Wallace will team up with her father, Mike, in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race when the green flag falls over Kansas Speedway on Saturday, October 20. The younger Wallace will drive a #4 Chevy for JD Motorsports w/Gary Keller at the 1.5-mile oval with associate sponsorship from JEGS; the team is still seeking a primary partner for the race. This will be her third NNS start and 10th overall NASCAR start as she’s raced in seven NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events, as well. In 2010, Chrissy was a teammate to Mike at Talladega Superspeedway where she started 18th and finished 24th. Since then, she’s kept herself busy in Late Model competition. She was the 2011 ASA Late Model West Series champion and Late Model divisional champion at Lebanon I-44 (Missouri) Speedway. Right up until the last weekend of competition, she slugged it out for the ASA Overall National championship having to settle for second by a close margin.(JD Motorsports)(10-12-2012) UPDATE: Because of a change in partnership status for this weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Kansas Speedway, JD Motorsports has been forced to not enter Chrissy Wallace in the team’s #4 Chevy as originally planned. The team did secure an associate partnership with JEGS, but the primary partnership didn’t come through as planned. Thus, the team didn’t want to put the younger Wallace in the car without proper funding which, in turn, would have greatly affected her performance and results with negative results. Danny Elfand will drive the #4 Tradebank Chevy in Kansas, instead.(JD Motorsports)(10-16-2012)
Charlotte TV Ratings: ESPN’s live telecast of Charlotte’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Friday night, Oct. 12, earned a 1.2 household coverage rating (1.0 U.S. rating), averaging 1,525,790 viewers. The rating was up from a 1.1 for last year’s event.(ESPN)(10-16-2012)
Nationwide fields cut to 40 in 2013; limted testing allowed: In an effort to strengthen the ownership base up and create a sense of urgency among teams to make races, the maximum starting field for the NASCAR Nationwide Series will be set at 40, as opposed to the 43-car field in previous years. A maximum NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starting field will remain at 43 cars while the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will hold steady at 36. AND For the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, starting in 2013, there will be up to two tests per organization at tracks where those series compete. If the organization has an official Sunoco Rookie of Year candidate, then that team will receive one additional test. Additionally, NASCAR will open track activity early for extended practice at two additional events per series, to be determined.(NASCAR)(10-16-2012)
JR Motorsports looking at Regan Smith for 2013: Regan Smith will step out of the #88 Chevy when Dale Earnhardt Jr. is expected to return from a concussion next week, but Smith’s connection with NASCAR’s most popular driver could become more permanent. Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports has targeted Smith as the team’s first choice to contend for a Nationwide Series championship in 2013. “We are in discussions with Regan,” JRM general manager and co-owner Kelley Earnhardt told USA TODAY Sports. “That’s who we would like for that to be. We’ve been in dialogue and are just trying to work some of the details out. So it’s not a done deal, but that’s definitely a direction we’d like to go.” The ongoing talks paved the way for Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick (also a minority owner in JRM) to choose Smith when Earnhardt Jr. was forced to miss two races with a head injury. JRM hopes to run two Chevys full time again next year with a third part-time entry driven by Earnhardt Jr. for at least four races. The car slated for Smith is virtually funded in full, and the team still is seeking full sponsorship for a second car driven by Cole Whitt, who is ranked seventh in Nationwide points in JRM’s #88. “We’re hoping we can get that funding and Cole can stay on board in that car,” Kelley Earnhardt said. Danica Patrick, who is in third year with JRM and first full season, still might run some races for JRM next year when she moves to Sprint Cup with Stewart-Haas Racing.(USA Today)(10-16-2012)
New Jersey Motorsports Park interested in Nationwide race: The NASCAR Nationwide Series appears to have an opening on next year’s schedule for a road course. Why not New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville? That’s the question on the mind of NJMP general manager Brad Scott, who spoke via telephone Monday from the AMA Pro Road Racing awards banquet in New Orleans before flying back to New Jersey on Tuesday. “Once I get back into town, one of my immediate goals is going to be to really get aggressive and at least throw out name in the hat,” Scott said. “If there’s an opportunity to host something like that, we’d love to.” The opportunity could be there because Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve last week ended its six-year relationship with the Nationwide Series. That road-course race had been run independently of the Sprint Cup Series. Nationwide Series official Amanda Ellis said by phone Tuesday that she could not comment in detail on next year’s schedule, which she said likely will be released in a few weeks. “We constantly have conversations with promoters who are interested in having a NASCAR Nationwide Series event at their track,” Ellis said. Working against NJMP is the fact that there are several other tracks that offer similar benefits, including one Road Atlanta in which NASCAR has an ownership stake. Road Atlanta is owned by the American Le Mans Series, which last month merged with the NASCAR-owned Grand-Am Road Racing Series. “We just kind of got wind of it last week that Nationwide was looking, with the termination of the contract with Montreal, that they were considering running on (another) road course,” Scott said. “Mid-Ohio and other tracks apparently have been contacted, but we have been known to get aggressive and go after them ourselves, so that’s what we plan to do.” NJMP has hosted several major racing series, including Grand-Am and AMA, in its five-year history. But Nationwide, NASCAR’s second-tier stock-car racing series, would be the highest-profile race ever for the park. The track does have a history of hosting stock-car races as the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) has come to Millville the last five years.(Press pf Atlantic City)(10-14-2012)
Speedway Children’s Charities Honors Gen. Tom Sadler with Special Paint Scheme on #08 at Charlotte: Speedway Children’s Charities National Executive Director, retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Tom Sadler was honored with the unveiling of a special paint scheme that will be run in Dollar General 300 on Friday. SCC officials surprised Sadler with the NASCAR Nationwide Series car, painted black with the SCC logo and “In Honor of General Sadler” across the hood. The car, which will be driven by NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Kyle Fowler, also has pink flames running down the side as part of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s “Pink Out” to raise awareness of the fight against breast cancer. “I can’t say enough about Gen. Sadler. We have so many children out there and so many kids that rely on Speedway Children’s Charities every year,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “It’s a real privilege for us to be a part of helping children in need.” Gen. Sadler was quick to share the credit for the success of SCC with Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) Chairman Bruton Smith and the many, many others who have worked alongside him over the years. “Without this man right here, we would have never had a Speedway Children’s Charities. I mean it,” Sadler said. “I want to thank each and every one of you. You could not do more in your lifetime than to help a child in need. That’s what it’s all about helping children in need.” Gen. Sadler has served as executive director of SCC since 1990. Under his leadership, the organization raises funds for more than 400 children’s organizations nationwide each year, impacting more than 300,000 needy children annually. Since the organization was founded in 1982, Speedway Children’s Charities has raised more than $47 million and made a difference in the lives of more than 11.3 million children across the United States. The children who have been helped over the last 30 years would fill the stands of the eight SMI tracks more than nine times. Before his work with SCC, Gen. Sadler served his country for more than 37 years in the U.S. Air Force. Sadler retired from the Air Force in 1983 as commander of the 21st Air Force at McGuire Air Force Base, commanding some 37,000 people in 70 locations in 15 countries on five continents. At the time of his retirement, he was the only general on active duty who had flown in combat in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, flying more than 400 combat missions.(Speedway Children’s Charities), see an image of the car on the #08 team paint schemes page.(10-12-2012)
Chrissy Wallace to drive at Kansas: For the second time, Chrissy Wallace will team up with her father, Mike, in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race when the green flag falls over Kansas Speedway on Saturday, October 20. The younger Wallace will drive a #4 Chevy for JD Motorsports w/Gary Keller at the 1.5-mile oval with associate sponsorship from JEGS; the team is still seeking a primary partner for the race. This will be her third NNS start and 10th overall NASCAR start as she’s raced in seven NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events, as well. In 2010, Chrissy was a teammate to Mike at Talladega Superspeedway where she started 18th and finished 24th. Since then, she’s kept herself busy in Late Model competition. She was the 2011 ASA Late Model West Series champion and Late Model divisional champion at Lebanon I-44 (Missouri) Speedway. Right up until the last weekend of competition, she slugged it out for the ASA Overall National championship having to settle for second by a close margin.(JD Motorsports)(10-12-2012)
R3 Motorsports teams with Bryson’s FUEL for Charlotte race: R3 Motorsports and Robert Richardson, Jr. are carrying a very special paint scheme this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Nationwide race on Friday night. The #23 Chevy will be bright orange adorned with handprints of children who are fighting cancer as well as those who have already lost the battle, and Bryson’s F.U.E.L. decals. Bryson’s F.U.E.L. (Families United to Eliminate Leukemia) was founded in November 2011 when Heather and James Smith’s four- year old son, Bryson, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. The mission is to raise awareness for the lack of medical funding for childhood cancer research and provide families touched by this illness with support. For more information, go to www.brysonsfuel.org. On Tuesday, October 9, R3 Motorsports hosted several families fighting this disease at their China Grove, N.C. shop where the children put their hand prints all over the #23 Chevy, then signed their names below their prints. Some families came from as far away as Ohio to show their support and participate.(R3 Motorsports), see an image of the car on the #23 team paint schemes page.(10-12-2012)
GoLaborBids.com to sponsor Hill and Barrett: GoLaborBids.com announced that they have formed a partnership with Rick Ware Racing to become an associate sponsor on the #41 Ford Mustang, driven by Timmy Hill, and the #15 Ford Mustang, driven by Stanton Barrett, for the Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. GoLaborBids.com is a reverse-bid online portal that provides everyday people with the best value and competitive price quotes on things they need done. Instead of wasting time making countless phone calls shopping around for quotes, simply post a free ad on the LaborBids website and let service providers compete for your business.(PR)(10-12-2012)
Clemson University student working with JD Motorsports on marketing: Several universities have initiated NASCAR engineering curriculums in recent years, but one has taken its program to the next level. Clemson University and nine marketing students have formed a creative inquiry class in partnership with NASCAR Nationwide driver Mike Wallace. Their hope is to attain sponsorship for Wallace’s #01 team for the 2013 NASCAR season. “Our program is a first for a major university,” explained TJ Hall, one of the nine students in the program. The car will be introduced to Clemson fans at halftime of this week’s Clemson-Georgia Tech football game and participate in the last Nationwide race of the season in Homestead. “The short-term goal is to create awareness and excitement among Clemson alums, supporters, and future sponsors in hopes of gaining full sponsorship for the 2013 Nationwide season,” continued Hall. The Clemson Tiger Paw will dominate the hood of Wallace’s JD Motorsports Chevrolet with Clemson Racing covering all sponsorship panels on the car. Under the supervision of Clemson staff members, the students will handle the entire scope of the sponsorship process from initial client contact to activating the contract with the team. If the pilot program is a success, the University plans to incorporate this into their curriculum as part of their existing Motorsports programs.(Fox 54)(10-11-2012)
BRANDT Chevy goes pink at Charlotte: This weekend, the #31 Chevy will feature a bright pink paint scheme, temporarily replacing the famous BRANDT red seen on a weekly basis. Not only is the team supporting a sport-wide effort to bring attention to Breast Cancer Awareness month, but the scheme also marks the creation of The BRANDT Foundation, which launches on Friday. The mission of the Foundation is to provide meaningful assistance and support to the communities, farms and families where BRANDT does business, with donations directed to charitable, education and social issues. Additionally, Justin Allgaier will be sporting a bright pink fire suit to match his car, which will be auctioned off at a later date as one of the first charitable efforts of the Foundation.(Turner Motorsports)(10-11-2012)
Re-Load Wellness joins Randy Hill Racing: Re-Load will be a major associate sponsor on Randy Hill Racing’s #08 in the Dollar General 300 this Friday. This week is a very special race for the team and driver Kyle Fowler, as the have Speedway Children’s Charity on the hood. This is the company’s third time with the #08.(DBM Marketing Group)(10-11-2012)
Nur Ali to make two starts for Rick Ware: For Nur Ali, being patient has finally paid off. After years of trying, the 37-year-old Fort Worth, Texas resident will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut on October 20 in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. He will also compete in the series at Texas Motor Speedway on November 3 and Phoenix International Raceway on November 10. No stranger to stock cars, Ali has six starts in the ARCA Racing Series. Prior to setting his sights on a career in NASCAR, he spent several years competing internationally. He was the driver for Team Pakistan in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport during the 2006-2007 season. He also spent eight seasons competing in the Star Mazda Series, scoring two championships. Ali, who has raced in 12 countries, is also the first and only professional race car driver of Pakistani descent. Ali, who will announce sponsors at a later date, is driving for Rick Ware Racing (RWR) of Thomasville, NC.(Ali PR)(10-10-2012)
Timmy Hill pulling double duty at Charlotte: NASCAR Nationwide Series regular Timmy Hill will be pulling double duty this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway (NC), racing in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series “Dollar General 300” on Friday, October 12th, and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series “Bank of America 500” on Saturday, October 13th. Friday he will be racing the #41 Lilly Trucking Ford for Rick Ware Racing, and on Saturday he will be in the #32 U.S. Chrome Ford for FAS Lane Racing. “I am excited to be back in a Sprint Cup car this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a track I have had some great runs at,” said Hill. “I have two great race cars this weekend and I am looking forward to driving both the Rick Ware Racing #41 Friday night and the FAS Lane Racing #32 Saturday night.”(TimmyHill.com)(10-10-2012)
JGR cars going pink at Charlotte: For the second year in a row, Dollar General and Charlotte Motor Speedway are going pink for the Dollar General 300. For Friday’s 300 mile race, the discount retailer is changing the colors of the annual race to pink in support of breast cancer awareness month. Their efforts include a pink Dollar General 300 pace car, pink grandstand tickets and a pink start/finish line. Dollar General has also exchanged its traditional yellow for pink on its racecars. The #11 Dollar General Toyota driven by Brian Scott and the #18 Dollar General Toyota piloted by Denny Hamlin will be sporting special pink paint schemes. Dollar General and Charlotte Motor Speedway will also have a special recognition for breast cancer survivors during driver introductions for the Dollar General 300. The “Ring of Survivors” will include over 300 breast cancer survivors from the Carolinas.(JGR)(10-10-2012)
HostGator returns to sponsor Nemechek: NEMCO Motorsports announced that HostGator will be returning as primary sponsor of the #87 NEMCO Nationwide Toyota at the Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Dollar General 300 on Friday October 12, 2012. HostGator, a leading web host and domain registrar, will again be partnered with Joe Nemechek, who has been fighting to maintain his top-10 position in the Nationwide Series standings. Both outfits have been making advances against their competition, and are reuniting not only to share success but also to help each other in their respective battles.(NEMCO)(10-10-2012)
Two Great Clips cars at Charlotte: Friday night’s NNS race under the lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway will see two Great Clips Chevrolets on the track vying for the win. In addition to the #30 Great Clips Impala, Brad Sweet will be behind the wheel of the #38 Great Clips machine, also featuring a pink paint scheme.(Turner Motorsports)(10-10-2012)
Wurth making final appearance on #12: This weekend the #12 Penske Dodge will compete under the WURTH banner as they make their seventh and final appearance of the 2012 season as the primary sponsor of the Penske Racing Dodge in NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) competition. The Wurth Companies of North America provide customers with everything they need to succeed in the Automotive, Industrial and Woodworking Industries. Whether it is a small body shop or nationwide fleet maintenance company, Wurth USA offers the unparalleled selection and unbeatable service that is synonymous with the Wurth brand(Penske Racing)(10-9-2012)
Stanton Barrett returns to Nationwide at Charlotte: On Saturday, October 12th 2012, Stanton Barrett will make his return to NASCAR action with Rick Ware Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Charlotte next weekend for the Dollar General 300. Barrett’s return will mark the 21th anniversary of competition where he has competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, Indy Racing League, IMSA and ARCA Series. Barrett will be piloting the #15 FairGirls.org/4caring.org in his return with RWR. Stanton Barrett will wear his heart on his car by literally placing the logo of FAIR Girls, an international nonprofit helping in the recovery of girl survivors of sex trafficking and labor exploitation, on his NASCAR racecar. Stanton is an advisory board member and host committee member for FAIR Girls annual Pearls of Purpose gala. In 2012,Stanton’s own charity, 4Caring.org, supported FAIR Girls’ work to create an art therapy and economic empowerment program for 25 teen girls living in inner city Washington D.C. by providing a $10,000 grant.(FAIR Girls PR), see an image of the car on the #15 team paint schemes page.(10-9-2012)
Call of Duty joins the #20 GameStop team at Charlotte: It’s been a few months, but GameStop, Logano’s longtime NASCAR Nationwide Series sponsor, will finally be returning to the side of the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. And GameStop will be bringing one of the biggest video games of the year to ride along – Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Pushing the boundaries of what fans have come to expect from the record-setting entertainment franchise, Call of Duty: Black Ops II propels players into a near future, 21st century Cold War, where technology and weapons have converged to create a new generation of warfare.(Joe Gibbs Racing)(10-9-2012)
Go Green Racing adds sponsor:JoeUSA.com is a new sponsor for Go Green Racing. This is their first venture into NASCAR and they are excited to be part of NASCAR Nationwide Series car #39.(DBM Marketing Group)(10-9-2012)
Tax Slayer renews with JR Motorsports:TaxSlayer.com, the online tax preparation service that has been a cornerstone sponsor of JR Motorsports since 2011, has renewed its partnership with the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned race team with a long-term sponsorship agreement, JRM general manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller announced. As part of the new agreement, TaxSlayer.com will receive primary paint schemes in 17 Nationwide Series races each year of its contract, starting with the 2013 season-opening Daytona race with Earnhardt Jr., at the wheel. Earnhardt Miller said the complete JRM sponsor and driver line-up for 2013 is still in the final stages and will be announced soon. JR Motorsports is a nine-time winner in the Nationwide Series since its inception in 2005.(JR Motorsports)(10-9-2012)
Mike Wallace to make 750th career start: Mike Wallace will reach another major milestone in this Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in his unsponsored #01 HELPJD01.com Chevy. For the 750th time in his NASCAR career, the nine-time race winner will be taking a green flag to start a race. The starts are spread out across NASCAR Sprint Cup (190 starts), Nationwide (445th start) and Camping World Truck Series (115 starts) competition. With five victories in the NCWTS and four in NNS, Wallace will put this accomplishment right up there with his other memorable moments behind the wheel.(JD Motorsports)(10-8-2012)
MacDonald Motorsports picks up associate sponsor: Megabus.com has joined the #81 team for the Charlotte race this Friday night and Kansas and Texas races coming up later this season. Megabus.com is the first, low-cost, express bus service to offer city-to-city travel for as low as $1 via the Internet. Since launching in April 2006, megabus.com has served more than 18 million passengers throughout more than 80 major cities across North America.(MacDonald Motorsports)(10-8-2012)
Kengor Metals sponsoring #86 team at Charlotte: Kengor Metals will team up with driver Kevin Lepage for this Friday night’s Dollar General 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Washington, Pennsylvania base leader and installer of industrial roofing, siding, decking, and conveyor covers for the coal, cement, and power plant industries, will serve as the primary sponsor of the #86 Deware Racing Group Ford for the event.(Deware Racing Group PR)(10-8-2012)
Nice Fries sponsoring Raines at Charlotte: North Carolina Based Nice Blends through its’ Nice Fries branded sweet potato French fries has joined forces with Robinson Blakeney Racing and Tony Raines to enter the Dollar General 300. Tony will be behind the wheel of the #70 Nice Fries Chevy.(Robinson Blakeney PR)(10-8-2012)
McClure’s #14 going pink in 3 races: Eric McClure’s #14 Toyota Camry will look a little different when it rolls into Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage on October 12th. Rather than carrying the familiar orange and blue colors of the Hefty and Reynolds Wrap brands, McClure’s Camry will sport an all- pink paint scheme in honor of Reynolds Consumer Products’ support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) and its mission to save lives through early detection and to provide mammograms for those in need. In addition to Charlotte, the special paint scheme will be run at Kansas Speedway on October 20th and Texas Motor Speedway on November 3rd.(TMI), see an image of the car on the #14 team paint schemes page.(10-6-2012)
Angela Cope in the #00 at Charlotte: Angela Cope is ready to start her engine. Primary Sponsor, Highland Wealth Advisors, a wealth stewardship and profitability consulting firm that serves clients throughout the East Coast including the Tri-State Area, Florida and the Carolinas is back on board with Angela Cope as she will take the field in SR� Motorsports #00 Toyota on October 12, 2012, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.(SR� Motorsports)(10-6-2012)
ISC reports $1 million net loss in quarterly earnings; no Montreal NNS race: UPDATE: Changes in NASCAR’s race schedule, a reduction in revenues from corporate sponsors and a broadcast partner and, of course, the struggling economy combined to sharply reduce both quarterly earnings and revenues for International Speedway Corp., the company announced Thursday morning. Daytona Beach-based ISC reported a $1 million net loss for its fiscal third quarter, which ended Aug. 31, down from a $9.7 million profit for the same quarter a year ago. Revenues also fell sharply to $115.9 million, from $150.3 million in fiscal third quarter 2011 – a 22.9 percent year-over-year drop. ISC officials said NASCAR’s shifting of its races at Kansas Speedway to the second quarter this year, as opposed to the third quarter last year, and the elimination of a NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Montreal, Canada, were big reasons for the lower revenues in its latest quarterly earnings report. “Adjusting for the schedule changes, . . . total revenues were down only slightly, approximately 3 percent, from the comparable period delivering core business results within our range of expectations,” said Lesa France Kennedy, ISC’s chief executive officer, in a conference call with stock analysts. ISC officials said other factors contributing to the drop in revenues and earnings included NASCAR’s new multiyear contract with Sirius XM Radio Inc., signed at the start of the year, which has resulted in $8 million less in annual revenues for ISC compared to its previous contract with the satellite radio broadcaster, which expired at the end of last year. See more at Daytona Beach News-Journal.(10-5-20120) UPDATE: NASCAR will not return to the Circuit Gilles Villeneueve in Montreal next season, ending a six-year run for the Nationwide Series. Promoter Francois Dumontier announced Friday the end of the agreement, which had been operated on a year-to-year basis. NASCAR said it wanted to return to Montreal, but could not work out a sanctioning agreement with Dumontier’s promotion group. NASCAR hopes to still be racing in Canada next season, possibly with the Truck Series. One potential venue for NASCAR is Mosport International Raceway in Toronto. NASCAR also plans to fill the void left by Montreal in its 33-race schedule, which has yet to be announced. NASCAR’s preference is to explore new markets where it’s not currently sanctioning national series events.(Associated Press)(10-5-2012)
Thrush & Son Complete returns to #81 for Charlotte: Kentucky primary sponsor Thrush & Son Complete Home Improvement and HI-Technologies return to the MacDonald Motorsports #81 car October 12th at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Dollar General 300. On the hood of the Thrush & Son No. 81 will once again be C.H.I.P., a web-based software designed to save Home Improvement companies time and money by tracking closing rates, managing commissions, organizing information, creates material and work orders, tracks profit and loss, and much more.(MacDonald Motorsports)(10-3-2012)
Cheez-It on the #43 at Charlotte: Kellogg Company brand Cheez-It will be featured on the #43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang for Richard Petty Motorsports driver Michael Annett in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday night, October 12. Annett, who currently sits sixth in the NNS driver point standings, will have his Mustang adorned with the branding and imagery of Cheez-It. Cheez-It snacks and Pilot Flying J stores are perfect compliments for one another.(Annett PR)(10-3-2012)
Malsam and TriStar part ways: UPDATE: After a 26-race relationship, TriStar Motorsports officials announced today that they have agreed to part ways with NASCAR Nationwide Series sophomore, Tayler Malsam. The decision ends a relationship that saw the Sammamish, WA native drive the #19 G-Oil Toyota to 13th in the Nationwide Series standings. “All of us at TriStar Motorsports appreciate what Tayler has done for our race team this year,” said Team Owner, Mark Smith. “Tayler did a great job for us and we wish him nothing but the best of luck as he explores future opportunities in this sport. I think it is really important for us as a team to set our sights on the future and take the appropriate steps in that direction.” 2002 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion and current TriStar Motorsports driver, Mike Bliss, will pilot the #19 Toyota in the next race at Dover International Speedway on September 29th. Jeff Green, the 2000 Nationwide Series Champion, will fill in for Bliss in TriStar’s #44 car. The team will make future announcements on its driver and sponsor lineup for the remainder of the season at a later date.(TriStar PR)(9-26-2012) UPDATE: “In response to last week’s announcement regarding Tayler Malsam and Tri-Star Motorsports, Tayler would like to thank Mark Smith, Eddie Pardue and the rest of the team, for a great year and all their hard work. Tayler has completed all the races that him and Tri-Star had committed to and Tayler is now moving on with his plans for the 2013 Nationwide Season. We will be announcing at a later date Tayler’s future plans and the team he will be driving for. Tayler ended his 2012 Season in 13th Place in the Nationwide Standings and is looking forward to continuing his racing career with some new, exciting opportunities.”(Malsam PR)(10-2-2012)
Dover TV Ratings: ESPN’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Dover on Saturday, Sept. 29, earned a 1.0 household coverage rating (0.9 U.S. rating), averaging 1,229,916 viewers. Last year’s race earned a 1.1 household coverage rating.(ESPN)(10-2-2012)
Keselowski skipping Kansas Nationwide race to focus on Cup: NASCAR points leader Brad Keselowski says he’s scaling back his Nationwide Series schedule to focus on winning the Sprint Cup championship. Keselowski says he will not run the Nationwide race at Kansas later this month. Penske Racing will instead have Ryan Blaney run the event. Keselowski said Tuesday during an appearance at Charlotte Motor Speedway he’ll evaluate the rest of his Nationwide schedule as the season winds down. He is leading the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship with seven races remaining.(Associated Press)(10-2-2012)
Jeffrey Earnhardt driving at Charlotte: Jeffrey Earnhardt announced that he will be driving the #39 Uponor Ford Mustang for Go Green Racing in the Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Earnhardt will be racing in his fifth Nationwide race of the season and looks forward to competing in his hometown. Uponor is a leading manufacturer and supplier of plumbing, fire sprinkler and radiant heating and cooling systems for commercial and residential building markets across North America and Europe.(Earnhardt PR), see an image of the car on the #39 team paint schemes page.(10-2-2012)
Pink schemes at Charlotte: Several drivers will show their support during the Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway by driving cars with special pink paint schemes. #31-Justin Allgaier, #54-Kyle Busch, #18-Denny Hamlin, #14-Eric McClure, #7-Danica Patrick, #11-Brian Scott, #88-Cole Whitt and #2-Elliott Sadler are among the drivers who will have pink on their cars. Sadler is even going a step further by sporting pink shoes along with his pink fire suit for the Friday night race. He and his pit crew will also wear pink helmets. Series sponsor Nationwide is also joining the cause. The Nationwide windshield logo on each of the 43 cars starting the race will be pink.(Charlotte Motor Speedway), see an image of the #14 Toyota on the #14 team paint schemes page.(10-1-2012)
