March 2007 Busch Series Archive

Justin Labonte to Compete in Grand National Series: Justin Labonte, a former Busch Series winner, is back behind the wheel this weekend. Labonte will be competing in the Allstate Texas Thunder 150 Saturday at the .375-mile Thunderhill Raceway located in Kyle, Texas. Part of the NASCAR Grand National West Series, Labonte will be driving the Mainstreet Homes Chevy for Midgley Motorsports. Maintsreet Homes is central Texas’ largest locally owned homebuilder. Justin’s father, Terry Labonte, will also be participating in the weekend’s festivities. He will be the Grand Marshal of the 150-lap event. He will also drive the pace car for the start of the race. Justin Labonte participates in this weekend’s event as he continues to search for opportunities in the Craftsman Truck and Busch Series.(Labonte Racing PR)(3-29-2007)
UPDATE: Labonte, driving the #09, qualified for the race in 14th and unofficially finished 8th.(3-31-2007)
Richmond Testing: Busch Teams tested in Richmond March 27-28. See the Richmond Testing News page for complete results.(3-30-2007)
Julie Roberts to be Guest Sponsor of Revelocity Racing in Nashville: Julie Roberts, Nashville’s UMG (Universal Music Group) and Country Music Recording Artist will be a guest sponsor of Revelocity Racing’s #73 Ford at Nashville Superspeedway. Roberts, with her new single “Men and Mascara” and previous hit single “Break Down Here” will debut the brand new West Virginia based team in their first race of 2007 as Honorary Crew Chief.(Revelocity Racing PR)(3-28-2007)
Sad News: Doc MacDonald: “Doc” MacDonald, father of Randy and Teri MacDonald, passed away Monday evening. Doc was a long time NASCAR owner, fielding cars in the CTS and Busch Series’. Funeral services will be held Thursday, March 29 at 6:30 pm at Cumby Funeral home in High Point, NC.(3-28-2007)
Santos Fastest in Final Richmond Test Session: #91-Bobby Santos was fastest during the final test session at Richmond Wednesday evening. His top speed was 124.189mph. The rest of the top 5 were #9-Scott Riggs, #12-Sam Hornish, #88-Shane Huffman, and #38-Jason Leffer. Complete results are on the Richmond Testing Page.(3-28-2007)
Hamilton Jr. Fastest in Wednesday Afternoon Testing: The Busch Series drivers hit the track today for the second day of a two-day test session in preparation for the Circuit City 250 at Richmond on May 4. Bobby Hamilton, Jr. in the #35 McDonald’s car topped the speed charts at 124.458 mph during the four hour session from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Rounding out the top five fastest were Bobby Santos in the #91 [for Bill Davis], David Reutimann in the #99, Scott Wimmer in the #29 and Casey Mears in the #24. With only two cautions, one for debris on the backstretch early in the test and another when the #4 car of Regan Smith spun on the backstretch, the 40 teams were able to gather valuable information to help them prepare for their return to Richmond in just over a month.(RIR PR)(3-28-2007). Complete results are available on the Richmond Testing Page.(3-28-2007)
Germain Racing to Run some Busch Races: UPDATE 2: “We were going to run a few races with the new Car of Tomorrow, but in retrospect we felt we maybe ought to back down on that a little bit and run some Busch races instead,” [Ted] Musgrave said. “I think that’s where we’re leaning, try to get the Toyota flag flying there, but one thing’s for sure, we’re going to try to go for the championship in the Truck Series again.” [Tddd] Bodine will drive the Busch car, according to Germain, who explained that it was Toyota who came to his team and asked if they would hold off on the Car of Tomorrow and run a partial Busch schedule.(Naples Daily News)(2-12-2007)
UPDATE: Interviewed on Sirius Radio’s The Morning Drive, Todd Bodine said his Germain Racing team will test at Richmond this week. They currently plan on running about 12 Busch races this season, starting at Richmond. The team also still plans 3-4 Cup races, possibly starting at the Brickyard.(3-27-2007)
UPDATE 2: Germain Racing plans to field two fulltime Nextel Cup teams for Toyota by 2009. Todd Bodine took the first step in that process on Tuesday, testing a Busch Series car at Richmond. Germain Racing will enter Bodine in the May 4 Richmond Busch race in a Camry being built at its new Mooresville, N.C., shop. It is the first of 11 Busch events the 43-year-old Bodine is scheduled to enter this season.(ESPN.com)(3-27-2007)
Kenny Wallace to Drive for Childress at Gateway: Kenny Wallace will drive Richard Childress Racing’s (RCR) #2 Chevy in the July 21 Busch Series race at Gateway.(RCR PR)(3-27-2007)
Dixie Stampede to Continue Associate Sponsorship with Childress: Dixie Stampede reaffirmed its official partnership with Richard Childress Racing and will be an associate sponsor of its #29 Holiday Inn Busch Series team with drivers Jeff Burton and Scott Wimmer. The Dixie Stampede logo will adorn the “B-Post” position on the #29 Holiday Inn Chevy as well as the uniforms worn by Burton, Wimmer and the entire #29 crew. Last season, the Dixie Stampede logo occupied the same space as an associate sponsor of RCR’s #2 Busch Series team with driver Clint Bowyer.(RCR PR)(3-27-2007)
Brewco Partners with Bobby East; Will Drive 10 Races: Brewco Motorsports Inc. announced Ford Racing development driver and 2004 USAC National Midget Series Champion Bobby East will be behind the wheel of its Busch Series and ARCA RE/MAX Series Fords for several races in 2007. East is scheduled to run a minimum of 10 races between Brewco’s #27 and #37 Fords in the Busch Series and three to five races in ARCA RE/MAX Series competition.(Brewco PR)(3-27-2007)
Jeff Burton Leads Tuesday Testing: Jeff Burton led Tuesday’s NASCAR Busch Series test session at Richmond International Raceway, topping the speed charts at 125.267 mph (21.554 seconds). Matt Kenseth was second fastest with a speed of 124.850 mph (21.626 seconds). Forty drivers turned laps for the first of two days of testing, in preparation for the Circuit City 250 Presented by FUNAI NASCAR Busch Series race at Richmond on May 4. Overall, the top five drivers on the day were: #29-Jeff Burton, 125.267 mph, #17-Matt Kenseth, 124.850 mph, #5-Kyle Busch, 124.757 mph, #25-David Gilliland, 123.870 mph, and #10-Dave Blaney, 123.762 mph (RIR PR). See complete speeds from both sessions on the Richmond Testing Page.(3-27-2007)
Kyle Busch’s Crew Chief Penalized: NASCAR announced today that Mike Bumgarner, crew chief of the #5 Chevy driven by Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Busch Series, has been penalized due to rules violations at Bristol. Bumgarner was fined $2,000 for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules and 20A – 12.1A(8) (jacking bolts must be made of solid magnetic steel) of the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book. The infraction occurred during opening day inspection. (NASCAR PR)(3-27-2007)
ESPN360.com To Feature All 26 ESPN2 NASCAR Busch Series Races Live: ESPN announced that its signature broadband service, ESPN360.com, will deliver live online simulcasts of every remaining ESPN2 NASCAR Busch Series telecast – 26 in all, beginning on April 7 at the Nashville Superspeedway. Coverage will also include simulcasts of ESPN2’s pre-race programming, including each week’s NASCAR Countdown. ESPN360.com’s live coverage will be integrated directly into the ESPN.com RaceCast, allowing fans with access to ESPN360.com to not only watch the live race Webcast, but also follow the in-race animated graphic display and get track information, lap leaders, race leaders, driver stats and live chat with ESPN NASCAR contributor Tim Cowlishaw throughout the race. ESPN360.com is available at no charge to consumers in more than 15 million homes nationwide, via highspeed Internet connections provided by ESPN affiliated service providers. ESPN360.com’s coverage will make it the live online home of the NASCAR Busch Series, complementing ESPN2 as the television home of the Busch Series.(ESPN PR)(3-26-2007)
Cale Gale to Make Debut with KHI at Nashville: Cale Gale will drive the #33 Camping World Chevy in the Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway.(KHI PR)(3-26-2007)
Busch Series Testing at Richmond This Week: UPDATE: NASCAR instituted a new track testing policy last year that pre-sets a schedule for when and where NASCAR Busch Series tests are to be conducted. The scheduled tests are the only opportunities teams will have to test at NASCAR Busch Series tracks. The policy was implemented to serve as an aid to maintain better overall competitive balance for the teams and contain costs. The next NASCAR track test is Richmond International Raceway on March 27-28, (Rain Date March 29).(3-25-2007)
UPDATE: NASCAR’s press release of Richmond testing is posted on the Richmond Testing News page.(3-26-2007)
Arizona Police Searching for former NASCAR Owner Scott Glynn: Chandler [Arizona] police still were searching Thursday for a Gilbert businessman and one-time NASCAR team owner who eluded capture as SWAT officers surrounded his home, police said. Scott Glynn, 42, who has owned Lariat Construction, Inc. in Gilbert and a majority of the #58 NASCAR Busch Series team in 2005, was involved in a domestic violence incident Tuesday afternoon at his estranged wife’s home, police said. His wife, Diana, ran out of her home around 2:30 p.m. and contacted a nearby officer, police said. She was distraught and asking for help. Police said Glynn also came running out of the home and got into his pickup truck and left the area. Officers soon learned Glynn also has two felony warrants for his arrest, police said. Within 10 minutes, a Chandler police detective spotted Glynn in front of his Gilbert home police said. SWAT officers surrounded his home and believed he was inside alone, but when officers searched the residence, he wasn’t there, police said. In 2005, Glynn purchased the #58 Busch Series team from Akins Motorsports and began fielding a Craftsman Truck Series team, with plans to own a Nextel Cup Series team by this year. Glynn is suspected of unlawful imprisonment, burglary, assault, disorderly conduct, criminal damage, and driving with a revoked license. He also has two felony warrants, one from Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on theft on a $72,000 bond and one from North Carolina for assault and fraud.(Arizona Republic)(3-23-2007)
Culver’s to Sponsor Kreyer in 4 Busch Races with Mac Hill: Culver’s is expanding its motorsports sponsorship from a regional program to the national spotlight with entry into several NASCAR races this year. The chain said that long-time Culver’s Racing driver Frank Kreyer will move up from regional late-models to driving in two NASCAR’s Crafstman truck series events and four Busch Series events in 2007. Kreyer will drive the #44 at Martinsville and Mansfield in the Craftsman Truck Series. Kreyer will then return to Wisconsin for the his initial Busch Series event, driving the Mac Hill Motorsports #56 at the Milwaukee Mile. His other Busch races are Gateway, O’Reilly Raceway Park, and Phoenix.(Business Journal of Milwaukee)(3-22-2007)
O’Quinn Making 2007 Debut at Bristol with Mac Hill Motorsports: The Sharpie Mini 300 will be the first Busch Series race of the year for Mac Hill Motorsports and the #56 KYMCO Chevy. Danny O’Quinn will drive a limited schedule for Mac Hill beginning with the race, and he said he’s eager to get back behind the wheel. The primary sponsor of the #56 this week is KYMCO, the manufacturer of motor scooters, motorcycles and ATVs.(Mac Hill Motorsports PR)(3-22-2007)
NOS Energy Drink Joins SKI Motorsports as Associate Sponsor: The #30 Smith & Wesson/SKI Motorsports team, featuring driver Mike Bliss, announced that NOS Energy Drink, one of the fastest growing players in the energy drink market, has joined the organization as a major associate sponsor for 2007.(SKI Motorsports PR)(3-21-2007)
Fitz Motorsports Sign Dumarey for Busch East: Fitz Motorsports announced an addition to their team of NASCAR Busch East Series drivers. Eighteen-year-old Maxime “Max” Dumarey of Belgium has signed a contract to drive and contend for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title in the 2007 NASCAR Busch East series.(Fitz Motorsports PR)(3-21-2007)
Bliss to Drive 2 Races for Fitz: Fitz Motorsports will team up with driver Mike Bliss behind the wheel of the #22 Family Dollar/Supercuts Dodge for back-to-back races. Bliss will take the wheel starting this weekend at Bristol before heading off to Nashville in a few weeks.(Fitz Motorsports PR)(3-21-2007)
Sharpie Introduces #8 Marker, Sharpie Scheme and more: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr, is making a bold statement on and off the track as he prepares for the Sharpie MINI 300 Busch Series race this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS). The new Sharpie/Dale Earnhardt, Inc. relationship will officially kick off Saturday when Dale Jr steps behind the wheel of the new DEI #8 Chevy, co-sponsored by Sharpie and Budweiser. Race fans will get a glimpse of the race when Sharpie introduces the first-ever Dale Jr #8 Sharpie marker, rolling out in stores now. Dale Jr will unveil the marker and new paint scheme Thursday, March 22, at 5 pm at the track’s Tower 8, where he will also sign Sharpie’s giant autograph wall. Dozens of children representing Speedway Children’s Charities will join him, lending their signatures and support to the Sharpie “Autographs for Action” campaign to benefit Speedway Children’s Charities with $10,000 in funds and supplies. The Sharpie MINI 300 is Dale Jr’s second Busch race this season. Dale Jr is a former winner at Bristol, going to Victory Lane in the 2004 Sharpie 500 Nextel Cup Series race. DEI and Dale Jr’s new Sharpie partnership also includes a bold new addition to the BMS landscape – a giant three-story billboard covering Tower 8 and featuring Dale Jr’s larger-than-life likeness. The banner, which also includes an image of the Sharpie #8 paint scheme and the new #8 marker, will be unveiled Thursday along with the #8 marker. It will become a permanent fixture at BMS throughout the 2007 race season. The Dale Earnhardt Jr #8 Sharpie marker is the only marker endorsed by Dale Jr. Available in black fine point and imprinted with his autograph and #8, it is rolling out now in select stores nationwide where office products are sold. Autographs for Action annually seeks one million autographs as part of its program to give away $1 million in funds and supplies for community groups, charitable organizations and schools nationwide (go to www.sharpie.com). Sharpie will donate $10,00 in funds and supplies to Speedway Children’s Charities as part of the Bristol autograph drive. Visit sharpie.com for more information.(Sanford PR), See and image of the car on my #8 Busch Paint Scheme Page(3-21-2007)
Timothy Peters Returns to #21 at Bristol: Peters is scheduled to be behind the wheel of the #21 AutoZone Chevrolet for the next six races and 11 of the next 12. Between this weekend’s Sharpie Mini 300 and the June 23 AT&T 250 at the Milwaukee Mile, the May 11 Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington will be the only race he’ll miss.(RCR PR)(3-20-2007)
Kevin Conway to Make Debut with Joe Gibbs Racing at Bristol: California Dreamin’ finally turns to racing reality for driver Kevin Conway this weekend as he straps himself behind the wheel of Joe Gibbs Racing’s #18 Z-Line Designs Chevy for Saturday’s Sharpie Mini 300 at Bristol. As the newest member of the JGR driver lineup, Conway feels more than ready for his greatest racing opportunity to date. Saturday’s Sharpie Mini 300 will be his first of eight scheduled Busch Series events of 2007 in the #18 Z-Line Designs Chevy.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(3-20-2007)
Clauson to Make Stock Car Debut: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates development driver Bryan Clauson will make his stock car debut in the ARCA race Saturday at USA International Speedway in Lakeland, Fla. The 17-year-old racer will pilot the #40 Memorex Dodge in his first stock car appearance, which will also mark Memorex’ first motorsports event as a primary sponsor. The Memorex brand will assume primary sponsorship of the #41 Busch Series Dodge later this year during the final 10 races of the 2007 Busch schedule. Clauson will drive seven of those 10 races, sharing the ride with Reed Sorenson.(CGRFS PR)(3-20-2007)
Raybestos Rookie Notes for Bristol: Juan Pablo Montoya was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the Nicorette 300 at Atlanta. Montoya finished eighth, his second top-10 finish in nine career Busch Series races. He took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the second time this season and was the only first-year driver to finish inside the top-10. For the first time this season, Montoya took the lead in the Raybestos Rookie standings. He holds a five-point edge over Marcos Ambrose (58-53) entering the Sharpie Mini 300 at Bristol. FACT OF THE WEEK: Montoya is the only driver to simultaneously lead the Raybestos Rookie standings in both the Nextel Cup Series and the Busch Series since the rookie program was created in Busch in 1989. Two Raybestos Rookies rank inside the top-10 in the Busch Series championship standings. The most recent race where two or more rookies were in the top-10 was the 2006 Stater Bros. 300 at California (Todd Kluever was fifth followed by Burney Lamar in sixth). Ambrose is seventh in the series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie.(Raybestos PR)(3-20-2007)
Innovex Golf Joins Kevin Hamlin: Innovex Golf announced their alliance with NASCAR Busch Series driver Kevin Hamlin [#42]. The two way partnership is designed to help further Hamlin’s career while expanding the Innovex Golf brand to a wide audience.(Innovex PR) Hamlin will drive the #42 for Chip Ganassi Racing in all the Busch stand-alone events this year.(3-20-2006)
Smith Transport to Sponsor Mac Hill: Smith Transport Inc. will be a major associate sponsor for the 2007 racing season. Smith Transport will support the #56 Chevy in the Busch Series and the #65 and 56 Chevys in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series. In addition, the company will be the #56 car’s primary sponsor for a Busch Series race to be determined.(Mac Hill Motorsports PR)(3-19-2007)
Fridell Racing to Run Limited Busch Schedule: Fridell Racing Enterprises announced a plan to unveil a Busch Series program competing in a limited schedule this season beginning at New Hampshire June 30. Roger Carter II, a competitor in the ARCA RE/MAX Series has been selected to drive the team’s entry. Carter II pilots the #48 FreeFeds.org Dodge in the ARCA RE/MAX Series under the Carter-2-Motorsports banner owned by James Hylton. The group will combine engineering and technical assistance to advance both programs. The team run Dodges in competition with Arrington Motorsports supplying the horsepower. They hope to utilize #54. The team will announce a crew chief and sponsorship for the effort in the near future.(Fridell Racing PR)(3-19-2007)
ESPN on ABC To Televise NASCAR Busch Series Race From Bristol: The NASCAR Busch Series heads to one of NASCAR’s most unique race tracks, Bristol Motor Speedway, this weekend and ESPN on ABC will have live coverage of Saturday’s 250-lap race. The Bristol event is the first short track race of the season for the NASCAR Busch Series and one of six select NASCAR Busch Series races this season that will air on ABC, with the other 29 to be televised by ESPN2. Coverage will begin with the pre-race NASCAR Countdown show at 2:30 p.m. ET, with the race to start at 3 p.m. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver who runs only a handful of NASCAR Busch Series races, will compete in the Bristol event, seeking his second Bristol NASCAR Busch Series win. Kyle Busch won last year’s race after battling to the front from the 20th starting position. Rusty Wallace will lend his knowledge of the track to ESPN’s coverage as analyst, working alongside two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree in the booth with lead announcer Jerry Punch. ESPN’s pit reporter team will have a new face at Bristol as Shannon Spake, who has been reporting for ESPN’s SportsCenter, NASCAR Countdown and NASCAR Now this season, will join the telecast team working with Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro as regular pit reporter Allen Bestwick has the weekend off. Brent Musburger will host the telecast and studio analysts Tim Brewer and Brad Daugherty will join Musburger in the ESPN Pit Studio.(ESPN PR)(3-19-2007)
Randy LaJoie Going on Safety Tour: Randy LaJoie announced the launch of his Safer Racer Tour Saturday at Atlanta. The Tour will visit short tracks all over the country to educate racers on the importance of safety. Only an estimated 30 percent of short-track race cars are up to safety standards. According to LaJoie, getting the safety features in the cars is an uphill battle. Cost issues as well as negative attitudes are a huge obstacle. Lajoie hopes to work with drivers, track promoters and even chassis builders to get the word out. “I want to educate these guys,” LaJoie said. “The rest of the industry doesn’t know what the top three divisions know. Some people just don’t know what could happen to them.” LaJoie is a two-time NASCAR Busch Series Champion. His company, the Joie of Seating, has revolutionized the driver’s seat and is rapidly becoming the leading seat provider for drivers of all ages.(Atlanta Motors Speedway PR)(3-17-2007)
Steve Park Looking for a Ride: Steve Park, whose last NASCAR race was in a Busch car at O’Reilly Raceway Park last August, was in the garage at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday knocking on doors in the hopes of finding a ride for 2007. “I’m here looking for a job,” Park said. “Atlanta is the first stop on the East Coast for a lot of these teams and I wanted to be here to talk to a few people about a ride in the truck or Busch series.” Park said he had a deal to get back in the Busch Series this season, but it fell apart a month before Daytona.(Yahoo! Sports)(3-17-2007)
JR Motorsports to run ‘SEALs’ scheme at Daytona: JR Motorsports unveiled the #88 Navy SEALs Chevy that Shane Huffman will drive in the Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona. In honor and recognition of the Navy’s maritime Special Forces, the #88 Navy Chevyt will feature a special black paint scheme with the SEAL Trident on the hood for that event.(JR Motorsports PR), see an image of the car on the Paint Schemes Page.(3-17-2007)
Chase Austin Named Development Driver for RWI: Rusty Wallace Racing Inc. officials announced that Chase Austin has joined the team’s driver development program in preparation for driving a Busch Series entry full time for the team in 2008. Austin, 17, will compete for the team in the 14-race NASCAR Busch East Series with backing from HomeLife Communities.(SceneDaily.com)(3-16-2007)
Where’s Buckshot? Quick. Hide the women and children, and slap a straitjacket on Randy LaJoie. Buckshot Jones might be headed back to the Busch Series. After running the Snowball Derby in December, Jones is scheduled to make eight Hooters Cup races this season for DMT Motorsports owners David Bowen and Mike Phelps. It’s not a full-fledged return to the sport, but there are plans for Jones to possibly enter a couple of Busch Series events later this year at New Hampshire and Bristol.(NASCAR.com)(3-16-2007)
XM to Be Sponsor Reutimann at Chicago: XM announced that Michael Waltrip will join racing’s biggest stars exclusively on XM Radio. Waltrip will host the half-hour weekly show “Michael Waltrip Out Loud,” exclusively on XM. Debuting on March 20, “Michael Waltrip Out Loud” will air every Tuesday night from 7:00- 7:30pm ET on XM’s sports talk radio channel XM Sports Nation (XM 144). In addition to being home to “Michael Waltrip Out Loud” show, XM will partner to become primary sponsor of Waltrip Racing’s #99 Busch Series car driven by David Reutimann for the Chicagoland race July 14.(XM Radio PR)(3-16-2007)
Robby has a sponsor for Atlanta: Add another cellphone company to the NASCAR mix. Verizon Wireless officials plan to announce today they will work with Motorola to sponsor Robby Gordon in the [#55] Busch Series. The first-time Busch sponsorship for both companies will begin with Saturday’s Busch race at AMS. Motorola will also sponsor Gordon’s Cup #7 Ford in the Kobalt Tools 500 on Sunday. The sponsorship also includes Busch races at Charlotte, Chicago and Texas.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution), see images of the scheme on the #7 Team Schemes page and 2007 Busch Series Schemes page.(3-16-2007)
Stewart to Debut the Goody’s Cool Orange Chevy at Atlanta: Goody’s Headache Powders, the favorite pain reliever of race fans, recently introduced a revolutionary new flavor, Cool Orange. To celebrate the new flavor, Tony Stewart will drive the #20 Goody’s Cool Orange Chevy in the Nicorette 300 race this Saturday at.(Goodys PR)(3-16-2007)
What’s Up with Mark Green?: Mark joined Michael Waltrip Racing in January and serves as the test driver for the team’s three Nextel Cup Series entries and is the spotter for Michael Waltrip. He is also scheduled to practice and qualify MWR’s #99 Aaron’s Dream Machine in several Busch Series races in 2007.(Mark-Green.com)(2-15-2007)
Camping World to Sponsor New Hampshire Race?: UPDATE: The Richard Childress Racing press release, which announced the team’s sponsorship deal with Camping World, lists the New Hampshire Busch race as the Camping World 200.(3-14-2007)
UPDATE: Camping World and RVs.com have joined together to sponsor the Busch Series race at New Hampshire on June 30. The Camping World 200 presented by RVs.com will be a part of the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 event weekend.(NHIS PR)(3-15-2007)
ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown: ESPN On ABC Atlanta Motor Speedway Highlights: ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown will preview the Busch Series Atlanta action Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC with host Brent Musburger and co-host Chris Fowler, Brad Daugherty, Tim Brewer and reporter Shannon Spake. Jerry Punch, Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree will also contribute.
NASCAR Countdown will also include reports from pit reporters Mike Massaro, Allen Bestwick, Jamie Little and Dave Burns as drivers and teams leave Las Vegas and head to the Peach state for racing at Atlanta.
NASCAR Countdown will originate from Atlanta Motor Speedway and will be telecast from ESPN’s new, state-of-the-art mobile pit studio as it sets the stage for primetime coverage of the 300-mile Busch Series race Saturday afternoon, March 17. Highlights will include:
Featured live reports with NASCAR Busch Series drivers in Atlanta:
- Jamie Little will talk to current NASCAR Busch Series points leader Carl Edwards about what it will take to maintain the points lead.
- Dave Burns will ask current NASCAR Busch Series points runner-up driver Denny Hamlin about his announced decision to drive the remaining full season of the Busch Series — only if he’s leading the points race after Atlanta.
- Allen Bestwick talks with Jeff Burton, winner of last week’s Busch Series race from Las Vegas and 2006 Atlanta Motor Speedway winner. He talks with Burton of his recent success and the momentum needed to carry him through another win at Atlanta.
- Mike Massaro asks rookie and Australia native Marcos Ambrose his thoughts on his rookie season and being fifth in points.
Flying High with NASCAR Busch Series Rookie Shane Huffman
Andy Petree will join Busch Series rookie Shane Huffman and the Blue Angles in a high-flying adventure feature story. With Petree aboard, the Angels pilot let Huffman take control of the plane and he successfully completes a barrel roll while in control.
Recommended vs. Mandated Car Set-ups:
NASCAR Countdown will continue to analyze discussions among NASCAR officials and teams when it comes to “mandated” car set-ups, like air pressure in tires at Las Vegas, versus “recommendations” as used in years past. The discussion will include drivers’ opinions from the garage.(ESPN PR)(3-15-2007)
Gospel Choir to Sing National Anthem at Atlanta: The New Life Inspirational Gospel Choir of the Atlanta University Center comprised of college students from the greater Atlanta area will perform the National Anthem prior to the start of the Nicorette 300 Busch race on Saturday.The choir consists of members from Morehouse, Spelman, Morris Brown, Atlanta Metropolitan and Georgia Perimeter Colleges as well as, the Interdenominational Theological Seminary, Georgia Tech and Georgia State, Emory, Kennesaw State, Devry and Clark Atlanta Universities.(AMS PR)(3-15-2007)
#72 Cup Team Moving to Busch: The #72 Cup team, owned by Brian and Tony Mullet, announced to its team members and driver Brandon Whitt that it will be moving to the Busch Series. The team will be headed by Greg Pollex (formerly of ppc Racing), with Todd Gordon as Crew Chief and Jason Keller as the driver.(CJM Racing PR)(3-14-2007)
Camping World Joins RCR: Richard Childress Racing and Camping World have agreed on a multi-pronged sponsorship agreement for three of RCR’s Nextel Cup Series and Busch Series teams for 2007. Sponsorship in the Busch Series will include Clint Bowyer in the #2 Camping World Chevy in the races at Phoenix (April 20), Talladega, New Hampshire, and Chicagoland.(RCR PR)(3-14-2007)
Pierre Bourque signs deal with Fitz Racing: UPDATE: Canadian racer Pierre Bourque reports he has signed a deal with Fitz Racing that will see him drive for the team for the entire Busch East schedule and as many as 10 NASCAR Busch Series races. According to Bourque, his first Busch Series outing of the season is slated for the inagural Busch race weekend at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.(Inside Track News)(2-28-2007)
UPDATE: Bourque will be doing 6 or 7 Busch East races, then moving on to Busch, starting with Montreal and Watkins Glen, and then to a number of Busch short/intermediate-track races after that, dates and venues to be determined downstream.(Bourque PR)(3-1-2007)
UPDATE 2: Pierre Bourque has signed on to drive in the 2007 NASCAR Busch East Series and a limited number of NASCAR Busch Series Races. Bourque will make his Busch debut in Montreal, and will run at least one more Busch race throughout the remainder of the season.(Fitz Motorsports PR)(3-14-2007)
Busch Series Drawing Fans to ESPN2, ABC, and ESPN.com: After four races of ESPN’s new NASCAR agreement, the Busch Series is averaging 2,234,000 households, including a big jump from last year’s audience for Saturday’s race from Las Vegas, the first of six in 2007 to be aired on ABC. The broadcast earned a 2.4 rating and averaged 2,699,000 households, an increase of 58% compared to the same race in 2006 (1,713,000 homes). Also, ESPN2’s three races are the network’s top three ratings of 2007. The telecast of the season-opening event from Daytona was ESPN2’s most-viewed auto racing telecast ever with 2,200,600 household impressions (2.4 rating). It was the seventh-most-viewed telecast overall in ESPN2 history, with a larger audience than anything the network aired in 2006. ESPN’s eight-year NASCAR agreement provides benefits far beyond the race telecasts and television alone. This past weekend, the motorsports section of ESPN.com enjoyed 79% more traffic than the same weekend a year ago (739,000 page views, up from 414,000). For the season to date, racing content has generated nearly double the number of page views per day than 2006 (up 98%, from 199,000 to 393,000).(ESPN PR)(3-14-2007)
Yeley to Drive #1 in 2007: UPDATE: Still Planning Full Season: J.J. Yeley will drive Phoenix Racing’s #1 Chevrolet in the Busch Series next season, with a possible run for the championship. A spokesman for Yeley confirmed the move at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday. Yeley drives for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Nextel Cup and Busch Series, but Yeley was told recently a sponsorship deal to keep Yeley in a JGR Busch deal couldn’t be worked out. Yeley could end up running every Busch race next season. If he challenging for the point lead when the series begins running separately from Nextel Cup in June, Yeley will commute between the two series. If not, Phoenix will find another driver for its Busch car.(SceneDaily.com)(11-18-2006)
UPDATE: J.J. Yeley told Sirius’ The Morning Drive Wednesday morning that, despite early setbacks in the season, including missing the Daytona race, he still plans to run the full Busch schedule this year.(3-14-2007)
Special Paint Scheme for Kyle Busch at Atlanta: SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund will be showcased on Kyle Busch’s #5 Chevy this weekend. Featuring various endangered wildlife, the car demonstrates the fund’s commitment to species research, animal rescue and rehabilitation, and conservation education.(Hendrick PR)(3-14-2007).
Image: See an image of the car on the Paint Schemes Page
Two Crew Chiefs Fined by NASCAR: NASCAR announced that Mike Boerschinger, crew chief of the #87 Chevy driven by Joe Nemechek and Shane Wilson, crew chief of the #21 Chevy driven by Kevin Harvick in the Busch Series, have been penalized due to rule violations at Las Vegas. Both were fined $1,000 for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules) and 20A – 12.1A: jacking bolt must be made of solid magnetic steel of the 2007 Busch Series Rule Book. The infractions were discovered during opening day inspection.(NASCAR PR)(3-12-2007)
Waltrip Driving for Braun at Atlanta: Michael Waltrip will pilot the #32 Braun Racing Toyota in this weekend’s Nicorette 300 at Atlanta. Waltrip will have the support of primary sponsor Camping World on board the #32 entry. This will be Camping World’s third race of the season with Braun Racing.(Braun Racing PR)(3-14-2007)
Riley-D’Hondt Still Planning to Run this Year: Riley-D’Hondt Motorsports still plans on fielding a Busch Series car later this year as well as entering the two Nextel Cup road-course races, team co-owner Eddie D’Hondt said Sunday. Road racer Marc Goosens will drive in the Cup events, D’Hondt said. David Green has been working with the team and is presumed to be its Busch driver. The team has 10 Busch cars and two cars of tomorrow for its launch. Jerry Pitts will be the crew chief.(SceneDaily.com)(3-12-2007)
Biffle to Run Special Military Scheme at Lowe’s: Memorial Day Weekend is always thrilling for race fans at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. This year, a special celebration of America’s military personnel takes place with the American Heroes Program! Greg Biffle and Roush join the celebration of American Heroes with a special paint scheme representing the U.S. Coast Guard on the #16 Ford. Greg’s machine has a orange and white base with a featured “Coast Guard” emblem on the hood and USO logo on the rear deck lid. See images of the cars on Jayski’s Paint Schemes Page.(3-12-2007)
Raybestos Rookie Notes for Atlanta: Marcos Ambrose was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas. Ambrose scored a 10th-place finish, his second consecutive top-10 effort. He took top rookie honors for the second time in four races. Ambrose led once for one lap, the first time he has led a lap in his Busch Series career, and took WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors. Ambrose holds a two-point lead over Juan Pablo Montoya (46-44) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Nicorette 300 at Atlanta. Ambrose is fifth in the Busch Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie.(Raybestos PR)(3-12-2007)
Tony Raines to Make 2007 Debut with KHI at Atlanta: Tony Raines will drive the #33 RoadLoans.com Chevy at the Nicorette 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.(Kevin Harvick Inc PR)(3-12-2007)
Sam’s Town Extends Sponsorship of Las Vegas Busch Race: The Busch Series event at Las Vegas will continue to be sponsored by Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, officials of the sponsoring hotel and the speedway announced. The race name remains the Sam’s Town 300, which is the event’s only name in its 11-year history at LVMS.(LVMS PR)(3-10-2007)
Busch teams getting more tires in Vegas: Busch Series teams will get nine sets of tires this weekend for the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas instead of the six sets they get for use during other race weekends. Because NASCAR has decreased the size of the fuel cells from about 18 gallons to 13 gallons for this race in order to reduce the risk of a tire failure, the sanctioning body had to make sure teams had enough tires to change them at the end of a fuel run.(SceneDaily.com)(3-9-2007)
Morgan Shepherd to Drive at Atlanta & Bristol: Morgan Shepherd will drive the #01 Chevy in the Busch Series events at Atlanta and Bristol, Faith Motorsports announced. Shepherd, who piloted the #01 entry for DD&L Motorsports at California two weeks ago, agreed to the deal with DD&L principal partner Johnny Davis on Wednesday. The car will likely be unsponsored for the events and will likely be orange in color, but is not likely to carry the Hefty sponsorship seen at California or the Faith Motorsports Racing With Jesus logo.(Faith Motorsports PR)(3-7-2007)
Wizetrade to Sponsor RWI: Wizetrade trend-recognition software for stock traders, and RWI Racing, LLC, announced that Wizetrade will sponsor RWI’s #66 for the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas. The #66 Dodge will be fully adorned with the Wizetrade logo and the “Win with Wizetrade” slogan for the race.(Digital50.com)(3-7-2007) See an image of the car on Jayski’s Busch Series Paint Schemes Page.
D.J. Kennington to Run 5 Busch Races: Kennington, in his 14th year of racing, will be at Phoenix next month, trying to qualify for the Busch Series Bashas’ Supermarkets 200. It’s one of five Busch races he’ll attend this year after going to three last season. [He drove the #72 Northern Provincial Pipelines Dodge in those races].(London, Ontario Free Press)(3-7-2007)
TV Ratings for Mexico race down from last year: ESPN2’s broadcast of the Telcel-Motorola Mexico 200 Busch Series race garnered a Nielsen Media Research rating of 2.3 with 2,142,000 households watching, according to the network. ESPN’s Spanish-language telecast showed a 0.2 rating with 196,000, boosting the total households watching to 2,337,000. But those numbers were down 34.3% over 2006’s race, which was shown on the Fox network. Last year, the Fox broadcast had a 3.5 rating with 3,821,000 households.(SceneDaily.com)(3-7-2007)
Foyt Faces DUI Charge: Indy-car driver A.J. Foyt IV is scheduled to appear in a Mecklenburg County, N.C., court April 9 to face a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. Foyt, who lives in Huntersville, N.C., was arrested Dec. 10 for failing to yield to a stop light. He posted a $1,000 bond. [Foyt drove 11 Busch races in late 2005 & early 2006 with Akins Motorsports](Indianapolis Star)(3-6-2007)
Raybestos Rookie Notes for Las Vegas: Juan Pablo Montoya won the Telcel-Motorola 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Montoya scored his first victory in seven Busch Series starts. His previous best finish was 11th at Memphis in October 2006. A Raybestos Rookie has won at least one race in each of the past FOUR consecutive seasons (2004-2007). Marcos Ambrose scored an eighth-place finish, his first top-10 effort in three Busch Series starts. Ambrose and Montoya are tied for the lead (33-33) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Sam’s Town 300. Ambrose is sixth in the Busch Series standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie.(Raybestos PR)(3-6-2007)
Kobalt Tools To Sponsor Johnson in Cup, Busch Races: Kobalt Tools will sponsor the #48 Lowe’s Chevy in two of Jimmie Johnson’s Nextel Cup Series races as well as all three of his Busch Series races in 2007. Kobalt Tools will also be the title sponsor for the March 18 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway now called the Kobalt Tools 500. The Kobalt Tools paint scheme will appear on Johnson’s #48 Nextel Cup car at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 18 and at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 4. Johnson will race the Kobalt Tools paint scheme in Busch Series races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on May 26 and Oct. 12 as well as California Speedway on Sept. 1. Kobalt Tools is an industry frontrunner in hand tools, mechanics’ tools, tool accessories and just recently introduced the Portable CO2 Regulator which is a portable CO2 tank that connects to any standard pneumatic device for power and strength on-the-go.(GMR Marketing/Lowes Racing PR)(3-5-2007)
What’s Up with Burney Lamar?: From the Burney Lamar web site: “It has been a whirlwind few months for Burney Lamar. During the off season, the young racer got married, moved to Nashville and since then has been enjoying life with his new family. In his spare time he has been taking flying lessons to enable him to make the commute to the Charlotte area a little bit easier. Burney, along with his agent, are working hard and exploring the best possible opportunites for him to be racing again in the near future.”(BurneyLamarOnline.com)(3-5-2007)
Hamlin Could Run Full Busch Season: #20-Denny Hamlin made a promise to crew chief David Rogers that might result in Hamlin running more Busch Series races. Hamlin did not plan to run the full season, but that could change. “I’m pretty much stuck on not running the full season,” said Hamlin, who drove full time in both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series last year. “But I kind of made a deal with my crew chief that if I was leading the points come Atlanta, that maybe I would consider it.” Three races into the season and with one race remaining before Atlanta, Hamlin trails Carl Edwards by 40 points in the Busch Series standings.(SceneDaily.com)(3-5-2007)
ABC to Broadcast First NASCAR Race in 7 Years: Live NASCAR racing will return to ABC for the first time in seven years Saturday when ESPN on ABC presents the Busch Series race at Las Vegas. The Las Vegas event is the first of six select Busch Series races this season that will air on ABC, with the other 29 to be televised by ESPN2. Coverage will begin with the pre-race NASCAR Countdown show at 2:30 p.m. ET, with the race to start at 3 p.m. Brent Musburger and Chris Fowler will host the telecast. Play-by-play announcer Jerry Punch will be joined in the booth by Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree for analysis. Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro will serve as pit reporters. Studio analysts Tim Brewer and Brad Daugherty will join Fowler in the ESPN Pit Studio during the telecast. The Las Vegas race will be the first of three consecutive NASCAR Busch Series races that will be televised by ESPN on ABC, all on Saturday afternoons. The March 17 event from Atlanta and the March 24 race at Bristol will be the others. The Busch Series will return to ESPN2 with the April 7 event at Nashville.(ESPN PR)(3-5-2007)
Congrats to Eric McClure: Around 3:40pm at the Bristol Regional Medical Center, Busch Series driver Eric McClure and his wife Miranda became proud parents of a precious baby girl, Mabreigh Elizabeth McClure. Mabreigh weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. and was 19 inches long. Both mother and baby are doing fine.(McClure PR)(3-5-2007)
Contreras to Run More Races for Fitz: Dr. Jerry Punch mentioned during ESPN’s race coverage at Mexico that Carlos Contreras would run 8-10 Busch races for Fitz Racing this season and that he would also attempt the Cup race at Infineon Raceway in June.(3-4-2007)
Will the Busch Series return to Mexico in 2008? UPDATE: Team owners and drivers throughout the Busch Series garage are asking one big question as NASCAR prepares for the third running of the series road race there this weekend: Are we coming back in 2008? It’s a question that doesn’t have definitive answer yet. Many in the garage – tired of the logistical hurdles the race brings – say they have heard rumors that NASCAR might opt to move the race to Monterrey or just not return to Mexico. From the start, the Busch Series race at Mexico City has been viewed as a three-year experiment, and this is the third year of the race at the track with promotion company OCESA. “All of our sanctioning agreements are annual, and we’re excited about this year’s event and expect a good crowd,” NASCAR Vice President of Operations Steve O’Donnell said Friday morning at the track. “As with any event, we’ll work with the promoter after the race and evaluate how it went, but so far I think we’re happy with everything that’s been done.” O’Donnell said there have been no discussions about running a race in Monterrey and said the evaluation of this event will happen in four to six weeks.(SceneDaily.com)(3-2-2007)
UPDATE: The Busch Series will return to Mexico City in 2008, according to Federico Alaman, the director of sports events for race promoter OCESA. Speaking after the drivers meeting for the Telcel-Motorola Mexico 200, Alaman said NASCAR and OCESA have agreed to stage a race in 2008 for a fourth consecutive year at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. NASCAR Vice President of Operations Steve O’Donnell said there is no contract signed. He also wouldn’t commit to the same weekend in the schedule.(SceneDaily.com)(3-4-2007)
Colin Braun Looking for Busch or CTS Ride: NASCAR fans might not be interested in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race Saturday at Autodromo Hermano Rodrgiuez, but the guy starting on the pole likely will be in a NASCAR race by the end of the season. Colin Braun was one of the top drivers in Chevrolet’s racing combine last fall, and he said Friday that he had “lots of meetings” scheduled with NASCAR teams this weekend. That Braun put his Krohn Racing Pontiac on the pole for the Grand-Am race only boosts the interest in him. Braun said he hopes to run a full truck or Busch schedule next year.(SceneDaily.com)(3-2-2007)
Hooters Mexico to Sponsor Garcia at Mexico: Transnet Racing announced the signing of Hooters Mexico in a one-race deal for Sunday’s Telcel Motorola Mexico 200.(Transnet Racing PR)(3-2-2007)
Braun Racing Waiting for Crew Chiefs to Arrive: UPDATE: As team personnel scurried in and out of team haulers, there weren’t that many people around the Braun Racing haulers Friday morning at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Because of mechanical problems with the team plane, Braun had only four crew members (a couple of mechanics, one car chief and one engineer) plus four hauler drivers to get the cars pushed to the garages and begin getting them ready to go through technical inspection. Neither of Braun’s crew chiefs had made it yet to the track. They were scheduled to arrive in Mexico City around 10:30 a.m. EST and likely wouldn’t arrive to the track until noon EST – about two hours prior to practice at 2 p.m. EST. When the Braun plane was grounded for mechanical difficulties Thursday, Braun was able to scramble and get some of its crew on a Roush plane. The rest had hoped to get on a flight run by Racing Logistics, a company that many teams use to fly to and from races. But Racing Logistics was not allowed to change its manifest for immigration reasons, leaving those Braun personnel – including crew chiefs Todd Lohse and Trent Owens as well as driver Jason Leffler – to scramble for a commercial flight. Lohse and Owens are scheduled to get in this morning – and the team was still awaiting word on which flight Leffler was scheduled to be on as they began unloading their hauler at 7:30 a.m. EST.(SceneDaily.com)(3-2-2007)
UPDATE: By 1 p.m. EST, both of Braun’s crew chiefs had finally made it to the track.(SceneDaily.com)(3-2-2007)
NASCAR changes tire for Busch Series road-course races: The Busch Series will run on a slightly different tire this year on road courses than it did last year. The tire will be a little more resistant to heat and wear than in the past, said Goodyear’s Chad Fletcher, who oversees the Busch program for the tire company. The Busch tire is different than the Nextel Cup tire because the Busch tire is smaller in radius in order to keep it the same radius as the old rain tire compound, which will be used if it rains Sunday. Goodyear slightly enlarged the radius of the tire in 2005.(SceneDaily.com)(3-1-2007)
SKI Motorsports Returns for 4 Races in 2007: SKI Motorsports, the Charlotte, N.C. based independent affiliate of SKI & Company, announced that it will once again campaign the #30 Chevy on a limited basis in the Busch Series in 2007. Mike Bliss and primary sponsor Smith & Wesson will return for the third consecutive season with the team. The team will be led by returning crew chief Bob Schacht. Scheduled races include Chicago and the fall races at California, Lowe’s, and Texas.(SKI PR)(2-28-2007) IMAGE: See an image of the car on my Paint Schemes Page.(3-1-2007)
Montoya to be ESPN In-Race Reporter at Mexico City: #42-Juan Pablo Montoya and his crew chief, Brad Parrott, will be ESPN’s “In-Race Reporter” for coverage of Sunday’s Busch Series event at Mexico City. Montoya will have special cameras mounted inside his car to show his face as he speaks to ESPN booth analyst Rusty Wallace while on the race’s pace laps and during caution periods, providing the unique perspective of a driver in competition. Parrott will speak to booth analyst Andy Petree at various times throughout the telecast.(ESPN PR)(3-1-2007)
Cope Driving for Jay Robinson at Mexico: UPDATE: 2 From the Derrike Cope web site: “I will be driving a Busch Series car in Mexico City for Jay Robinson in a couple of weeks”.(DerrikeCope.com)
UPDATE: “I will not be driving the Jay Robinson Racing Chevy next weekend as earlier noted. At the last minute there has been a Mexican driver that has come through with some sponsorship for the event.”(DerrikeCope.com)(2-22-2007)
UPDATE 2: Daytonabrands, Inc. announced that German Quiroga Fossas will drive the #28 car in Mexico City this weekend. #42-Juan Pablo Montoya and German Quiroga Fossas will be teammates for cars primarily sponsored by Telcel, the Mexican Telephone company. Daytonabrands will be an associate sponsor for the car driven by Fossas.(Clipper Marketing PR)(3-1-2007)