November 2009 Nationwide Series Archive

Danica still working on NASCAR deal: Danica Patrick confirmed a sponsor deal to drive an IndyCar for the next three years on Monday — and her plans to drive a part-time schedule for JR Motorsports in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series in 2010 remain on track as well, a source close to Patrick said. ESPN.com reported last month that Patrick was in the final stages of negotiating a two-year deal with JR Motorsports. A source said that has not changed, adding if she went with another team it would be a “surprise.” The plan is to debut Patrick in the ARCA race at Daytona International Speedway in February and earn approval from NASCAR to compete in the Daytona Nationwide race. Patrick is expected to run in 10 to 13 Nationwide events, with perhaps another ARCA race or two. The source said negotiations include putting Patrick in the #7 she drives in IndyCar and not the #5 that currently is the second car at JRM. GoDaddy.com, which already sponsors Patrick in IndyCar and was the primary sponsor for the #88 at JRM this past season, is a potential sponsor.(ESPN.com)(11-30-2009)
AND OOPS While IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick talked only about her non-NASCAR plans Monday morning, a photo on her Web site might have said more about her possible NASCAR plans than she did. The website had a picture of her as her Web site loaded that showed her in a GoDaddy.com uniform with a Chevrolet emblem and what appears to be a JR Motorsports logo and the Nationwide Series logo. The photo was later changed to her IndyCar Series uniform. The picture was small and only appeared on the screen for a few seconds. A representative of IMG, which represents Patrick, declined comment, and a JRM spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment (SceneDaily), many readers captured and sent the image, which is posted on my Misc Drivers page – Danica Patrick section.(11-30-2009)
Salo on course for Nationwide season: Mika Salo is on course to take part in next year’s NASCAR Nationwide Series after completing a successful first test in a stock car last week. The veteran of 109 grand prix starts, who has raced GTs since 2003, tested a Sprint Cup-spec Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing at New Smyrna Raceway in Florida last week along with fellow Ex-Toyota F1 man Jarno Trulli. He believes that the test can be a springboard to a full season in NASCAR’s second-tier series in 2010. “Two things were new to me: driving a big NASCAR and driving on an oval,” the 42-year-old Finn told AUTOSPORT. “It felt comfortable in the car from the beginning and I could feel the changes we made to the car. “It’s all about the money. If my sponsors are happy, it will happen. The plan is to learn the racing and learn the tracks in Nationwide and then move up to the Sprint Cup in 2011.”(Autosport)(11-27-2009)
Another championship run for Busch? Don’t be too quick to write Kyle Busch out of the Nationwide Series title picture next year. No, Busch hasn’t announced he’ll defend his championship next year, but Busch indicated over lunch earlier this week in Miami Beach there might be a scenario under which he would try for a second title. As it stands now, Busch intends to run all the Nationwide races that are companion events to Sprint Cup events in 2010. His schedule also may include a few stand-alone Nationwide events during off-weeks for Cup. “I think 24 to 27 (races) is what we’re planning,” Busch said. “The races haven’t been quite all worked out yet.” Whatever the final number, Busch has to run the bulk of the Nationwide schedule in his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to keep sponsors interested in the program. Busch also admitted that how well he starts the season may factor into whether he lobbies Gibbs to run the full Nationwide schedule. Eleven of the first 12 Nationwide races are companion events. The fifth race of the season, at Nashville, is scheduled for April 3, an open week for the Cup series. Asked whether there might be circumstances under which he would defend his title, Busch nodded. [JGR president J.D.] Gibbs shook his head emphatically, indicating, “No.” “I’ll talk him into it,” Busch said.(Sporting News)(11-27-2009)
At least 10 races for Kligerman: “Right now we’re trying to figure out how to start it simple,” [Penske Racing president Tim] Cindric said, calling to mind the ‘ABC [ARCA, Busch and Cup]’ schedule executed by Penske graduate Ryan Newman. “We’d like to run [Kligerman] in a limited schedule of at least 10 Nationwide races next year, [including] the new car races. In addition to that we may be in a position to run him in a few Truck races.” Cindric said Penske newcomer Brad Keselowski’s own Truck program, which Keselowski has styled as a driver development vehicle, could be used for those. Keselowski will also need a substitute driver for several events while he competes in full 2010 Sprint Cup and Nationwide schedules. “There may be opportunities for [Kligerman] in the non-companion races, where somebody’s got to practice and qualify the #22 car for Brad,” Cindric said. “So our idea for next year is to run him in as many quality races as possible. We want to make sure he’s in something that’s competitive.”(NASCAR.com)(11-27-2009)
Clements uncertain of 2010 plans: Jeremy Clements’ plans for 2010 remain unclear. He told [Frontstretch.com] his team may purchase a speedway car for Daytona, but there’s no firm decisions made on his schedule. The team had been working under a partnership agreement with #0-JD Motorsports for about the final third of 2009.(Frontstretch.com)(11-27-2009)
Images: added nearly 40 paint scheme images from Homestead to the 2009 Nationwide Series paint schemes pages.(11-25-2009)
Raybestos Rookie of the Year Notes:
• Justin Allgaier is the 2009 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Race. Allgaier claimed Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors 11 times during the 2009 season and his final margin of victory over Brendan Gaughan was 18 points (269-251).
• Allgaier finished the year with three top-five and 12 top-10 finishes and placed sixth in the series championship standings. His best finish was a fifth-place effort at Bristol Motor Speedway (race No. 4).
• Allgaier won his first career pole this past season at Memphis Motorsports Park (race 32) and came in his 36th career start.
• Three Raybestos Rookies finished inside the top-10 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship standings: Allgaier, Gaughan (ninth) and Michael Annett (tenth).
• At least one Raybestos Rookie scored a top-10 finish in 26 of 35 NASCAR Nationwide Series races this season.
• Allgaier is the first driver to win Raybestos Rookie of the Year winner for Penske Racing in a NASCAR national series since Ryan Newman captured top rookie honors in the 2002 Sprint Cup Series.(Camp & Assoc / Raybestos PR)(11-24-2009)
Homestead TV Ratings: ESPN2’s live coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Ford 300 at Homestead earned a final national household coverage rating of 1.3, down from a 1.6 rating for last year’s race that also aired on ESPN2. The telecast averaged 1,685,543 viewers. ESPN2’s average rating for 26 NASCAR Nationwide Series race telecasts in 2009 was a 1.4, down from a 1.5 average in 2008 but even with the final average for 2007.(ESPN PR)(11-24-2009)
NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards Banquet Combined Keselowski, Carmichael Named Series’ Most Popular Drivers
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 23, 2009) – Tonight, for the first time, the post-season awards banquet for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was a combined event. Kyle Busch and Ron Hornaday Jr. officially were crowned as champions of their respective series for the 2009 season on the Americana Ballroom stage at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.

Busch was honored with his first NASCAR national series title as champion of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Hornaday received his fourth championship ring in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, joining Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty as the only four-time champions in NASCAR’s three national series.

The champions were joined on stage by the drivers who finished in positions 2-5 in the final standings, along with each series’ Raybestos Rookie of the Year.

And after a fan vote on NASCAR.com, each series’ Most Popular Driver also was revealed. Brad Keselowski and Ricky Carmichael were chosen by the fans in the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, respectively. Keselowski took home the award for the second consecutive year.

Carl Edwards, Keselowski, Jason Leffler and Mike Bliss finished second through fifth and were honored along with Busch in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Matt Crafton, Mike Skinner, Todd Bodine and Colin Braun were second through fifth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings, and joined Hornaday on stage.

Justin Allgaier earned the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award in the NASCAR Nationwide Series while Johnny Sauter claimed the honor in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Both drivers just missed a top-five ranking as each finished sixth in their respective series standings.

Rick Allen and Krista Voda from NASCAR on SPEED served as hosts of the event. The NASCAR Nationwide Series/NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards Banquet will air on Dec. 4 from 7-9 p.m. ET on SPEED, prior to the live telecast of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony from Las Vegas. Subsequent broadcasts will air on Friday, Dec. 11 from 8-10 p.m. ET, Saturday, Dec. 12 from 12 p.m.-2 a.m. ET and again from 2-4 p.m. ET.(NASCAR PR)(11-23-2009)
One full time car for KHI in 2010: The KHI plan for next season is to run two full-time Trucks and one full-time Nationwide car with the possibility of a second car in select races. Hornaday will drive one truck while Harvick will drive the other along with Cup drivers in the companion events to Cup races and another driver for non-companion events, Harvick said. Harvick also plans to split time with Hornaday (four or five races), Ryan Newman and possibly others in the Nationwide car. (SceneDaily)(11-23-2009)
News/Notes from Homestead:
Kyle Busch won the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Busch won the 2009 Nationwide Series championship just by starting the race.
Busch broke eight series records in 2009.
This is the first Nationwide driver championship for Joe Gibbs Racing, which won its second owners’ championship (2008).
Busch scored his 30th career series victory in his 173rd start. He is fourth all time on the career wins list, one behind third-place Jack Ingram. It was his ninth victory of 2009.
Busch led 73 of the 200 laps, including the final 36. He led the most laps for the 17th time in 2009.
Busch scored 5,682 points, the most earned by a driver in a single season in series history.
It marked the second time the champion has won the final race of the season, joining Sam Ard (1983).
Busch has finished first or second in 35 of the last 65 races, since the start of 2008.
Carl Edwards (second) scored his fourth straight top-10 finish at Homestead, the longest current streak.
Jeff Burton (third) posted his fifth top-10 finish in seven races at Homestead.
Joey Logano (fourth) posted his first top-10 finish at Homestead.
Denny Hamlin (fifth) posted his third top-10 finish in five races at Homestead.
Brad Keselowski (12th) rebounded from a Lap 34 spin; he was running 35th on Lap 35. He ended a 16-race streak of top-10 finishes.
The 20 lead changes set a record for the most in a Nationwide race at Homestead.
Brendan Gaughan (11th) was the highest-finishing rookie contender.
Mike Bliss (16th) remained fifth in points (only the top five are on stage at the year-end banquet).(ESPN.com)(11-23-2009)
Kenny Wallace returning to Jay Robinson: UPDATE: #28-Kenny Wallace twittered Friday that he will return to run the full 2010 Nationwide Series season in the #28 of Jay Robinson Racing.(11-20-2009)
UPDATE: Kenny Wallace said this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway he will return to Jay Robinson Racing’s NASCAR Nationwide Series team for the full 2010 season. Wallace said the team has a sponsor for eight races, but the team will race the remaining 27 races as well. “It was an interesting moment,” Wallace said. “We were in Phoenix, up in my hauler. … Jay said, ‘I’d like to talk about next year.’ We agreed that we would do exactly what we’re doing this year. I would race for Jay, there would be no start-and-parking. “But one thing we agreed on was that I would be happy with the moving target. I said, ‘What’s a moving target?'” A moving target means Wallace and the team will race only with the money they have. “If we go to California, and we can only afford three sets of tires … I said, ‘OK, I’m all in,'” Wallace said. “We shook hands in front of everybody and made it official.”(SceneDaily)(11-22-2009)
Paul Wolfe leaving CJM: ESPN2 reported during the Nationwide Series race that #11 CJM Racing crew chief Paul Wolfe was leaving the team at the conclusion of the season. No word on his plans.(11-21-2009)
Milwaukee race in jeopardy; The 2010 Nationwide and Truck Series races at The Milwaukee Mile appear to be in jeopardy as the track is still without a promoter. No promoter has been hired by the Wisconsin State Fair Park Board, and time apparently is running out. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported Friday that the most recent potential promoter, headed by the Giuffre brothers, has ended negotiations with the fair board to become the promoter. NASCAR’s sanction for the 2010 races at the track was with the prior promoter, a fair board spokesman confirmed last month. So could those races move to other tracks? “There is a possibility [of those races moving],” NASCAR Vice President of Operations Steve O’Donnell said Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “We are still doing our best to keep that race [weekend] in Milwaukee. It’s no secret what you’ve seen in the papers. We’ve done everything we can to keep the race there. It’s a tremendous fan base for us. We’re still trying. We don’t want to give up hope. But we are exploring all options at this time from the 2010 standpoint.”(SceneDaily)(11-21-2009)
Howard returning to #70 team: UPDATE: Not only would the #70 ML Motorsports team like to finish the 2009 season on a good note, but also take some momentum into the 2010 season. Howard and ML Motorsports are tentatively planning to run 22 Nationwide Series events together next season.(ML Motorsports PR)(11-20-2009)
UPDATE: ML Motorsports will buy their engines for the 2010 Nationwide Series season from Earnhardt-Childress Racing. ML Motorsports will also update its fleet of #70 Chevys, which will again be driven by Greenwood native Shelby Howard. The team will purchase new cars from Kevin Harvick Incorporated, as well as share information and setups with the KHI teams.(Times Union)(11-20-2009)
Changes possible at RWI? UPDATE 3: hearing that David Stremme could be looking to run at least a handful of races in 2010 with Rusty Wallace, Inc. and could bring some sponsorship. The #66-Steve Wallace team has sponsorship for 2010 from 5-Hour Energy, but the #62 is looking for additional money. No word on the status of driver Brendan Gaughan, but he has expressed an interest in staying full time in the Nationwide Series next season with RWI.(10-29-2009)
UPDATE: Brendan Gaughan told Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody Thursday that while his sponsorship situation for 2010 is uncertain, but that he expects to return to Rusty Wallace, Inc. Steve (Wallace) has sponsors signed full-time for next year, but I don’t,” he said. “We have a couple of races with the South Point Hotel and Casino, and a couple with Loan Max. We’re working on the rest of schedule and all of RWI’s marketing resources are going toward that. Rusty and I have always been straightforward with each other. I hadn’t heard the Stremme rumor, but the bottom line is that we need sponsorship. Until we find that, I can’t tell you for surw what’s going to happen, but I’m certainly not calling any race teams saying, `I need a ride for next year.’ My whole goal is to come back and race for RWI.”(Sirius NASCAR Radio)(10-30-2009)
UPDATE 2: been told that additional sponsorship has yet to be secured for RWI’s #62 team for the 2010 season. Hearing that crew members [including crew chiefs?] from both teams have been told that there could potentially be cutbacks at some point if full sponsorship is not in place soon. Although there are no layoffs planned at this time, employees have been told that they are welcome to look at employment opportunities with other teams if they arise.(11-11-2009)
UPDATE 2: Rusty Wallace Racing owner Rusty Wallace said Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway that he may have to cut back to one NASCAR Nationwide Series team car next season if more sponsorship isn’t found for his #62 entry driven by Brendan Gaughan. Wallace said he has sold about 40 percent of the races for 2010, but that might not amount to enough to keep Gaughan in the car full time. Wallace said Michael Gaughan, Brendan’s father, subsidizes sponsorship on the #62, but that he wants the full season. Wallace said he would run the #62 car part time in 2010, but it appears Gaughan would not be the driver under that scenario. Wallace’s team has full sponsorship for the #66 entry and driver Steve Wallace, and the team announced this week it would switch to Toyota from Chevrolet next season. Wallace said Triad Racing Development would build the team’s engines next year. The move to Toyota could be a precursor of a move to Cup in 2011 or beyond, as Wallace has wanted to take his team a step up.(SceneDaily)(11-20-2009)
Kenny Wallace returning to Jay Robinson: #28-Kenny Wallace twittered Friday that he will return to run the full 2010 Nationwide Series season in the #28 of Jay Robinson Racing.(11-20-2009)
Westerman on the #40: The Key Motorsports #40 Chevy will carry the familiar colors of Westerman Companies in the Ford 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race this Saturday at the Homestead-Miami Speedway as a thank you gesture for being a loyal sponsor of the team for the past three years. Key Motorsports team owner Curtis W. Key, Sr. announced the team’s decision to honor Westerman Companies at the 2009 Nationwide Series season finale by painting the car in Westerman’s green and white scheme as well as adding the Westerman logos to the quarter panels of #40.(Key Motorsports PR)(11-20-2009)
Phoenix TV Ratings: Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Phoenix aired live on ESPN2 and earned a final national household coverage rating of 1.1, down from the 1.3 rating earned for last year’s race that also aired on ESPN2. The telecast averaged 1,419,953 viewers.(ESPN PR)(11-19-2009)
Rusty Wallace to Toyota: Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. and TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) announced that beginning with the 2010 season, RWR will field Toyota Camrys in its quest for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship. The team currently plans to enter the #66 and #62 Toyota Camrys in the 2010 Nationwide Series, piloted by Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan, respectively. Additionally, a separate agreement with RWR team owner, Rusty Wallace, will enable the racing legend, television analyst, and Toyota dealer to represent the Toyota brand on a national basis.(RWI PR)(11-19-2009)
Efland has 2010 deal: Nationwide Series driver Danny Efland announced a new partnership with M&W Motorsports to drive selected 2010 events in the NASCAR Nationwide series. The team, based in Columbia, South Carolina has purchased equipment from Richard Childress Racing and is currently equipping the shop. “This is a great opportunity for me,” said Danny, “Our first race will probably be California since we don’t have a Daytona car but we are looking.” M&W Motorsports has watched Danny for a long time and think both can work together towards furthering Danny’s career.(Danny Elfland PR)(11-19-2009)
Middle Tennessee State on the #05: Middle Tennessee State University and 31-W Insulation have teamed up to sponsor the #05 Day Enterprise Nationwide Series race car, with Mark Day of Clarksville, TN driving for the Ford 300 Nationwide Series Race at Homestead Miami Speedway. The MT logo will be on the hood, lower quarter panels, and TV panel with 31-W Insulation on the quarter panels. Middle Tennessee State University and 31-W Insulation will be teaming up again with the #05 team in the Spring at one of the Nashville Superspeedway races. (Day Enterprises PR), see an image of the car on the #05 team paint scheme page.(11-18-2009)
USPS on the #27: The United States Postal Service will be the primary sponsor on the #27 Baker Curb Ford and driver Jason Keller for the season finale at Homestead.(Baker Curb PR), see an image of the car on the #27 team paint scheme page.(11-18-2009)
Johns Mansville on the #98: Long time sponsor, Johns Manville will return to the hood of the #98 Johns Manville / Menards Ford for Paul Menard in this weekend’s Ford 400.(Yates Racing PR)(11-18-2009)
Marks in the #10 with new sponsor: Justin Marks returns to the #10 at Homestead. He has made five career NASCAR Nationwide Series starts and four in 2009. His best career start of seventh came at Montreal (August, 2009). His earned his best finish of 24th this season at Memphis Motorsports Park. Borrell Electric Co. joins Construct Corps on board the #10 Toyota this weekend. Borrell Electric Co., Inc. is one of the largest and oldest commercial/industrial contractors in the Tampa Bay area.(Braun Racing PR)(11-18-2009)
Final GoDaddy race for JR Motorsports: #88-Brad Keselowski will make his final start for primary sponsor GoDaddy.com in Homestead. GoDaddy.com has been a JRM partner since the 2008 season with drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ron Fellows in addition to Keselowski in 2009. This season, Keselowski has performed well with GoDaddy on the hood with three wins, 12 top-fives, 14 top-10s and an average finish of 6.7.(JR Motorsports PR)(11-17-2009)
Hefty Steel Sak back on the #24: Hefty Steel Sak will return to the #24 machine for the third and final time of the 2009 season. The black and silver paint scheme was previously run at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway where it garnered an 18th and 19th-place finish respectively.(Eric McClure PR), see an image of the car on the #24 team paint scheme page.(11-17-2009)
Call of Duty on the #20: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, will adorn the #20 this weekend, along with GameStop. The recently-released title is expected to be one of the biggest launches of the year for GameStop.(JGR PR)(11-17-2009)
GodSpeaks on the #11: Denny Hamlin will drive the #11-GodSpeaks.com Toyota at Homestead. See an image of the car on the #11 paint schemes page.(11-17-2009)
Homestead Rookie Notes:
• Justin Allgaier was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the Able Body Labor 200 at Phoenix. Allgaier posted a 16th-place finish to earn Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the second time in the last three races and for the 11th time this season.
• Allgaier leads Brendan Gaughan by eight points (230-222) entering the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.
• Allgaier is sixth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship standings, 14 behind fifth-place Mike Bliss and 86 ahead of seventh-place Steve Wallace.
• Three Raybestos Rookies are in the top-10 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship standings. Allgaier, Gaughan (ninth) and Michael Annett (tenth).
• Two Raybestos Rookies battling for 10th place: Annett is 10th in the standings, 41 points ahead of 11th-place Kenny Wallace and 44 ahead of 12th-place Tony Raines. Raybestos Rookie Michael McDowell is 13th in the standings, 49 points behind Annett.
• At least one Raybestos Rookie has scored a top-10 finish in 26 of 34 NASCAR Nationwide Series races this season.
• Bryan Clauson was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2008 Ford 300, collecting a 34th-place finish. He also led the race once for one lap.
• The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in the Ford 300 is third by Kyle Busch (2004) and Greg Biffle (2001).
• Casey Atwood (1998) and David Ragan (2007) are the only Raybestos Rookies to win pole positions at Homestead.
• A Raybestos Rookie has finished in the top-10 in four of the last five Nationwide Series races at Homestead.
• Only once in 14 previous Nationwide Series races at Homestead have two Raybestos Rookie finished in the top-five. In 2001, Greg Biffle place third just ahead of fellow Raybestos Rookie Scott Wimmer, who grabbed a fourth place finish.(Camp & Assoc. / Raybestos PR)(11-17-2009)
Mike Wallace renews with JD Motorsports: Mike Wallace and J-D Motorsports have agreed they will compete together for a championship title run in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series. Mike Wallace said, “I enjoy working with the entire 01 J-D Motorsports Chevrolet team. Johnny and Lori Davis are true racers and will do whatever it takes to be competitive. First and foremost they are great and honest people. They have already ramped up the shop and competition development with NASCAR Nationwide driver Kertus Davis heading up the team’s in-shop efforts. Ricky Viers, a veteran crew chief, brought his talents and efforts to help lead the team to respectable results. As we continue our search for marketing partners for the 2010 season, we invite companies that have the same goals in performance and perfection as J-D Motorsports”.(JD Motorsports PR)(11-17-2009)
Bires making debut with JR Motorsports: JR Motorsports announced that Kelly Bires will make his team debut driving the #5 Chevy in the NASCAR Nationwide Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 21 with primary sponsorship from Ragú. Ragú has been a season-long partner with JRM, but this marks its first primary paint scheme with the team. “We wanted to get Kelly in one of our cars before the season was out,” said team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. “Ragú has been with us since the beginning of the year, and I appreciate them stepping up their involvement and helping us put this deal together. It’s important that Kelly hit the ground running at Daytona next year, and this certainly helps.”(JR Motorsports PR)(11-17-2009)
News/Notes from Phoenix:
Carl Edwards won the Able Body Labor 200 at Phoenix International Raceway.
Kyle Busch will win the 2009 Nationwide Series championship simply by starting next weekend at Homestead-Miami.
Edwards won his 25th Nationwide race in his 175th start, tying Matt Kenseth for sixth all-time. It was Edwards’ fifth win in 2009 and his third win at Phoenix in his 10th series start there.
Roush Fenway Racing has won seven Nationwide races at Phoenix, the most of all teams. RFR won its 10th series race of 2009.
Edwards led twice for a race-high 109 laps, including the final 105. He led the most laps for only the second time in 2009.
Kevin Harvick (second) has finished in the top nine in his last nine series starts.
Reed Sorenson (third) finished in the top 10 for the fifth time in eight starts in 2009.
Clint Bowyer rebounded from a Lap 7 accident with Busch to finish fourth.
Points leader Busch finished ninth.
Brad Keselowski (fifth) has finished in the top 10 in the last 16 races.
Pole winner Denny Hamlin finished 12th after leading 91 of the first 95 laps.
Mike Bliss passed Justin Allgaier for fifth in the standings.
The 15 DNFs were a track record.
Justin Allgaier (16th) was the best-finishing rookie.(ESPN.com)(11-16-2009)
Andrews returns to the #31: Tim Andrews returns to the wheel of the #31 Rick Ware Racing entry at Miami-Homestead this weekend. Andrews is coming off an impressive race at Lowes Motor Speedway as well as a strong run at Dover International Speedway for Ware Racing and looks to make a mark at the close of the year for the organization.(RWR PR)(11-16-2009)
Fuller out at R3: Rob Fuller has been released from all duties at R3 Motorsports, effective immediately. Robert Richardson remains team owner of R3 Motorsports and Jeff Kirkendall will take over duties as interim crew chief on the #23 Chevy in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for the final race of the season. A permanent replacement for 2010 will be named at a later date.(R3 Motorsports PR)(11-16-2009)
Total Race Babe on the #81: Total Race Babe will be a part of#81 MacDonald Motorsports as an associate sponsor for the final Nationwide race of the season at Miami Homestead Speedway. They have had a long standing tie with the MacDonald Family, and hope to continue the association next year.(TRB PR)(11-16-2009)
Hamlin vows to retaliate against Keselowski: Joe Gibbs Racing’s #20-Denny Hamlin vowed that he will retaliate against JR Motorsports’ #88-Brad Keselowski during the Nationwide Series race next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After contact with Keselowski resulted in Hamlin spinning late in the Able Body Labor 200 on Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway, Hamlin and Keselowski had a discussion in the Nationwide Series garage. It was the third time in the last nine weeks that they were involved in an incident together. “I just wanted to say [to Keselowski], ‘Hey, look, you wreck me at Watkins Glen last year, you wreck me at Dover this year, you force me into the three-wide wreck at California, how many times have I wrecked you? Zero. Never have I wrecked you. Until I get back in a Nationwide car,'” Hamlin said after the meeting. “It’s a self-policing garage. NASCAR doesn’t want to get in the middle of it. … If it’s the opinion of me or maybe one other guy, then, hey, maybe it’s me. But every driver in the garage comes up to me and says, ‘That guy is a complete whack job.’ Not everyone is wrong and he’s right. And the thing is, he says, ‘What do you want me to say?’ I say, ‘You don’t want to say you’re sorry? Nothing? It’s cool?’ And he says, ‘I’m cool.’ And I said, ‘All right, we’re cool then.'” After the race, Keselowski didn’t seem to think there should be any payback. Nationwide Series Director Joe Balash said he would not approve of retaliation. “Race drivers, in the heat of battle, say a lot of things,” Balash said. “We had a conversation. A lot of things were said. There will be a whole different scenario when we get to the race track next week. We’ve got a whole week to manage the expectations of next week. You never condone retaliation.”(SceneDaily)(11-14-2009)
Bechtel Join Forces with MWR to Form Diamond-Waltrip Racing: Diamond Ridge Motorsports and Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) announced the formation of Diamond-Waltrip Racing which will enter a full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series team starting in 2010 for driver Trevor Bayne. Diamond-Waltrip Racing, co-owned by majority owners, Gary and Blake Bechtel and owners, Michael Waltrip and Rob Kauffman, has purchased the assets and associated car owner benefits of Michael Waltrip Racing’s #99 Toyota Camry team. Diamond-Waltrip Racing will field its team for Bayne out of Michael Waltrip Racing’s Cornelius, N.C., facility and will continue to be managed by MWR personnel. The team has secured limited sponsorship and is seeking additional race sponsors for 2010. Bechtel jumped onto the NASCAR scene in 1990 when he formed Diamond Ridge Motorsports. Bobby Hamilton was slated as the first driver for Bechtel’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. His first race was in the 1990 Coca-Cola 600. Bechtel’s success on the race track didn’t come until he started his NASCAR Nationwide Series program in 1995. Steve Grissom was tabbed as Bechtel’s first Nationwide Series driver. In only 15 races, he notched two wins, four top-five and seven top-10 finishes.(Diamond-Waltrip PR)(11-14-2009)
Bayne to return to MWR? UPDATE 3: Trevory Bayne made 13 starts in 2009, including 10 races for #99-Michael Waltrip Racing, where he is expected to drive next year. The 19-year-old Knoxville, Tenn.-native’s best finish was seventh on two occasions. Once at O’Reilly Raceway Park and again at Richmond. Bayne also won the pole at ORP.(FoxSports)(11-6-2009)
UPDATE: Representative from Michael Waltrip will make an announcement about a new partnership and the plans for the #99 NASCAR Nationwide Series team Saturday mroning at Phoenix International Raceway. Attending will be: Michael Waltrip, Gary and Blake Bechtel, Trevor Bayne.(MWR PR)(11-13-2009)
UPDATE 2: Former NASCAR team owner Gary Bechtel has purchased a majority interest in Michael Waltrip Racing’s Nationwide Series team and will put Trevor Bayne in the #99 Toyota full time next year, sources say. MWR will continue to operate the team out of its shop in Cornelius, N.C. Bechtel was the owner of Diamond Ridge Motorsports, which won 10 races in what is now the Nationwide Series and competed in 129 Cup events from 1990 through 1998. Bechtel’s last full season in Cup was 1997, and he sold the assets of his operation following the 1998 season to Joe Gibbs Racing.(SceneDaily)(11-13-2009)
UPDATE 3: Diamond-Waltrip Racing (DWR) announced that Trevor Bayne has signed a multi-year contract to drive the #99 Toyota in the NASCAR Nationwide Series beginning in 2010. Additionally, MWR has signed a contract with Bayne to run a minimum of seven NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2011 with an eye on full-time Sprint Cup competition by 2012. Currently, Diamond-Waltrip Racing has limited sponsorship from Aaron’s for the 2010 season and is still searching for additional sponsor support for the remaining races. “We are extremely excited to have Trevor behind the wheel of the #99 Toyota,” said Gary Bechtel, co-owner of DWR. “Even though the No. 99 team is not fully sponsored, we are committed to running Trevor in the entire season so he can compete for the championship. He has shown a lot of promise this season and we expect him to be one of the frontrunners next year.”(Diamond-Waltrip PR)(11-14-2009)
Paint schemes add images of the #12 Verizon Dodge and #22 Discount Tire Dodge to the 2010 Nationwide Series paint schemes page.(11-14-2009)
Danica to JR Motorsports not a done deal; partial schedule for #88 next year? Dale Earnhardt Jr. says a deal to put Danica Patrick in his Nationwide Series car isn’t imminent, and even if it were, JR Motorsports wouldn’t necessarily have the funding for the IndyCar Series’ most popular driver. Multiple media outlets have reported in recent weeks that Patrick was on the verge of signing with JRM for a part-time Nationwide schedule next season while continuing to run the Indy Racing League. Patrick and JRM share a sponsor in GoDaddy.com, but Earnhardt says it doesn’t make the deal a cinch. “We’ve had a relationship with GoDaddy, so that makes us look like a nice fit, but they’re moving (next year), so we don’t really have it anymore,” Earnhardt said after Sprint Cup practice Friday at Phoenix International Raceway. “We’re having to search around.” JRM’s #88 Chevy currently driven by Brad Keselowski is sponsored by GoDaddy.com, but the company will move to Cup next year to back the #5 Chevy of Mark Martin at Hendrick Motorsports, which has an alliance with JRM. Earnhardt says JRM has only “three-quarters to half a season” of sponsors for the #88 in 2010. “We basically started this summer with nothing for our program,” he said. “I don’t even have that car full, and it’s worrying me, some of the programs we’re trying to talk to just can’t commit. So I’m not sure JR Motorsports will field a full time ride next year at all. Which is OK. “We’ll still be able to keep employing the people who work there, and they’ll go to the racetrack, just not every week. It wouldn’t bother me to skip some of them tracks, anyway.”(USA Today)(11-13-2009)
Latest on Sorenson: Reed Sorenson drove two full seasons in the Nationwide Series, finishing fourth and 10th in the points, in 2005 and 2006. He ran 19 races in 2007. He also has been a full-time Cup driver since 2006 but is a free agent for 2010. Sorenson is working on deals that would allow him to remain in the Cup Series and expand his Nationwide schedule with Braun, which has announced plans to expand from three to four cars next season. “I want to run as many races as I can,” Sorenson said. “I want to be at the race track every week and want to be on the track in as many races as can be put together. We’re definitely working on a few things in Cup. I’m pretty optimistic about it. It’s not a Hendrick or a Gibbs, but there are some good teams out there, and there are some that would be challenging. And I’d look forward to those challenges. I’m just not sure how many Cup races we’ll have. I definitely want to run more Nationwide and definitely am interested in running with Braun. I’ve known Todd a few years and never had an opportunity to race with him until this year. We started talking about running Gateway (where Sorenson has Nationwide wins in 2005 and 2007) and I told Todd I wanted to run some more and we planned a few more.”(NASCAR.com)(11-13-2009)
Lowery Plumbing on the #0: Jeremey Clements, driver of the #0 Chevy will have an associate sponsor at the Phoenix Nationwide Series event. Lowery Plumbing has been long-time supporter of the Johnny Davis team. The Kerrville, Texas firm owned by Daniel and Anne Lowery are quite excited to be involved with the rapidly improving Clements in the J-D Motorsports entry.(JD Motorsports PR)(11-13-2009)
New Gateway GM named: Gateway International Raceway announced that Terry Harmeson, a senior executive with the track’s parent company Dover Motorsports, Inc., has been named interim Vice President and General Manager of Gateway International Raceway. Harmeson, who has more than 35 years of operational experience over a diversified range of business facets, most recently served as Vice President of Design and Construction with Dover Motorsports, Inc. in Dover, Del. for the last seven years. Prior to joining Dover Motorsports, Harmeson spent seven years as the Vice President and General Manager of the Rollins Environmental Services facility in Bridgeport, N.J., a $30 million-a-year operation with over 100 employees.(Gateway Raceway PR)(11-12-2009)
More details on new Nationwide car: As the new Nationwide Series car gets rolled out for four races in 2010 before a full season in 2011, fans will likely hear feedback from veteran drivers who say the new Nationwide car handles better than the new Sprint Cup car. And that is how it is supposed to be. “The design and the rules package is meant to be that the trucks are the easiest to drive – they’ve got the most downforce, are the easiest to handle. Nationwide is second, and the Cup has got the least amount of downforce and the most horsepower,” NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said during the new Nationwide car test at Talladega last week. “Those cars will always be a little more difficult to drive. It’s easy to say this [new car] drives better than the old Nationwide car because we’ve worked on that, but it’s also just a known fact that with much more downforce, it will drive better than a Cup car. The new Nationwide car will be used next July at Daytona, August at Michigan, September at Richmond and October at Charlotte. Teams will be allowed on track a day early for those events to test the new car, Nationwide Series Director Joe Balash said. The chassis is virtually the same, as is the greenhouse area. But the suspension pieces are different, bump stops are not allowed, there is a spoiler instead of a wing at the rear, and the front of the car juts out more than two inches farther than the Cup car. The spoiler also is different than the current spoiler, having a 12-inch-by-2-inch extension at each of the ends. That extension will mean there will be no roof strip needed at the restrictor-plate tracks. The hood heights in the Nationwide cars are different, as is the template that runs from center line of the front bumper wrapping around to the top of the front tire. The lower section is similar, but there are unique openings for the radiator. The Nationwide Series will have its own “claw” inspection template that will be placed atop the cars, similar to the Sprint Cup Series template. The tolerances are still being evaluated as some Nationwide Series teams fear that they won’t have time to get cars turned around after one event to be legal for the next one. Balash said there could be some leeway for teams. Pemberton said that NASCAR is considering limiting the number of cars a team can have certified at any one time. He didn’t say what that number would be. There has been talk of teams looking at using only four or five cars, but it could take as many as eight or more just with the logistics of racing all over the country on a variety of tracks.(SceneDaily)(11-12-2009)
Tagliani to make oval debut at Phoenix: After the race in Montreal, MacDonald Motorsport owner Randy MacDonald promised Alex Tagliani a NASCAR race on an oval. Promise kept. Originally planned for Texas, Bobby Hillin steepped in and finished 23rd. For Tagliani, will be in Phoenix. “It was delayed one week,” said Alex Tagliani to CBC Sports.(translated from Radio-Canada.ca)(11-12-2009)
Penalties possible for Busch and Townley: UPDATE: #18-Kyle Busch might need to finish a little better than originally expected to clinch the Nationwide Series title next week. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver faces a possible point penalty as the team had improperly secured weight in opening-day inspection, NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway. NASCAR penalized Nationwide Series Mike Harmon 25 points for a similar improper weight violation earlier this year at Daytona. And while it did not take points, NASCAR fined Sprint Cup crew chief Donnie Wingo $25,000 for an improperly secured weight violation last year. If Busch receives a 25-point penalty, he could still clinch the title if he finishes seventh or better at Phoenix or 30th in each of the last two events. NASCAR also is looking into an issue it had with the #09-RAB Racing team prior to the race for unapproved adjustments after the impound, Tharp said.(SceneDaily)(11-7-2009)
UPDATE: NASCAR announced that two NASCAR Nationwide Series teams have been fined and penalized due to rule violations discovered during this past weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway. Jason Ratcliff, crew chief of the #18 Toyota driven by Kyle Busch, has been fined $5,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31, 2009 for violating Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-I (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules) and 20A-2.3A (improperly attached weight) of the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series rule book. Busch also was penalized with the loss of 25 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship driver points while Joe Gibbs was docked 25 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship owner points. The infractions were discovered Nov. 5 during opening-day inspection. Additionally, Brad Parrott, crew chief of the #09 Ford driven by John Wes Townley, has been fined $5,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31, 2009 after he was found to be in violation of Section 12-1, 9-4-A (crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his/her driver, car owner and crew members) and 12-4-I (unapproved panhard bar adjustment during impound by a team member). The infractions occurred on Nov. 7 during pre-race inspection.(NASCAR PR)(11-11-2009)
Changes possible at RWI? UPDATE 2: hearing that David Stremme could be looking to run at least a handful of races in 2010 with Rusty Wallace, Inc. and could bring some sponsorship. The #66-Steve Wallace team has sponsorship for 2010 from 5-Hour Energy, but the #62 is looking for additional money. No word on the status of driver Brendan Gaughan, but he has expressed an interest in staying full time in the Nationwide Series next season with RWI.(10-29-2009)
UPDATE: Brendan Gaughan told Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody Thursday that while his sponsorship situation for 2010 is uncertain, but that he expects to return to Rusty Wallace, Inc. Steve (Wallace) has sponsors signed full-time for next year, but I don’t,” he said. “We have a couple of races with the South Point Hotel and Casino, and a couple with Loan Max. We’re working on the rest of schedule and all of RWI’s marketing resources are going toward that. Rusty and I have always been straightforward with each other. I hadn’t heard the Stremme rumor, but the bottom line is that we need sponsorship. Until we find that, I can’t tell you for surw what’s going to happen, but I’m certainly not calling any race teams saying, `I need a ride for next year.’ My whole goal is to come back and race for RWI.”(Sirius NASCAR Radio)(10-30-2009)
UPDATE 2: been told that additional sponsorship has yet to be secured for RWI’s #62 team for the 2010 season. Hearing that crew members [including crew chiefs?] from both teams have been told that there could potentially be cutbacks at some point if full sponsorship is not in place soon. Although there are no layoffs planned at this time, employees have been told that they are welcome to look at employment opportunities with other teams if they arise.(11-11-2009)
Phoenix Rookie Notes:
• Brendan Gaughan was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. Gaughan posted a 16th-place finish and took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the eighth time this season and for the second consecutive event.
• Justin Allgaier leads Gaughan by eight points (228-220) entering the Able Body Labor 200 at Phoenix International Raceway.
• Allgaier is fifth in the series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie. He holds a 13-point edge over sixth-place Mike Bliss and 105 on seventh-place Steve Wallace.
• At least one Raybestos Rookie has scored a top-10 finish in 26 of 33 NASCAR Nationwide Series races this season.
• Three Raybestos Rookies are in the top-10 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship standings. Allgaier is fifth followed by Gaughan (ninth) and Micheal Annett (tenth).
• Landon Cassill was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2008 Able Body Labor 200, posting a sixth-place finish.
• In 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Phoenix, Greg Biffle (2001) and Carl Edwards (2005) are the only Raybestos Rookies to score a win. Both drivers found victory lane in the fall race at the one-mile Arizona speedway.(Camp & Assoc / Raybestos PR)(11-11-2009)
Final race for Kimberly-Clark: Saturday will be the final race that Kimberly-Clark will serve as primary sponsor for the #27 Ford of Jason Keller, ending a 15-year association as the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ longest-running continuous sponsor. Kimberly-Clark announced earlier this season that it will be moving to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for 2010 as a sponsor of JTG Daugherty’s #47 Toyota driven by Marcos Ambrose. The United States Postal Service will be the primary sponsor on the #27 for the season finale at Homestead.(NASCAR PR)(11-10-2009)
Final 2009 race for Harvick; special scheme: IMAGE Kevin Harvick will make his last start of the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season this weekend when he climbs in the driver’s seat of the #33 “Sun Runner” Rheem Chevy at Phoenix. Ryan Newman will close out the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Rheem Manufacturing Company will introduce an exciting new paint scheme dubbed “Sun Runner” this weekend at PIR to heighten public awareness of the significant energy and cost saving benefits of its solar water heater systems.(KHI PR)(11-9-2009)
UPDATE: See an image of the scheme on the #33 paint schemes page.(11-10-2009)
Parrott released from #09 team: RAB Racing announced today that Brad Parrott was released from his duties as crew chief on the #09 Zaxby’s Ford in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, effective immediately. Car Chief Ben Gable will assume those responsibilities for the final two races of 2009. A permanent replacement for 2010 will be named at a later date.(RAB Racing PR)(11-10-2009)
Hamlin in the #20 at Phoenix: Joey Logano will take a late season break from the NASCAR Nationwide Series as he hands over the reins of his #20 GameStop Toyota to his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin, at the Able Body Labor 200. The 19-year-old driver has taken the GameStop colors to Victory Lane five times in 2009. Logano will be back in his familiar ride for the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.(JGR PR)(11-10-2009)
Texas TV Ratings: ESPN2’s live coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, Nov. 7, earned a final national household coverage rating of 0.9, down from the 1.2 rating for last year’s race that also aired on ESPN2. The telecast averaged 1,152,187 viewers.(ESPN)(11-10-2009)
Cook parts with HT Motorsports; stays with MSRP: According to Terry Cook’s Facebook page, “Terry and HT Motorsports have parted ways effective immediately. Terry will finish out the season with the MSRP Nationwide Series Team #91.”(11-9-2009)
Brian Scott joining Braun; team expanding to 4 cars: Braun Racing announced that it will be expanding its already successful organization to field four NASCAR Nationwide Series entries in 2010. Brian Scott, who has driven a select number of races for the team this season, has been named as driver of the team’s fourth Toyota Camry. Sponsor, car number as well as crew chief and personnel for Braun Racing’s fourth entry will be announced in the coming weeks.(Braun Racing PR)(11-9-2009)
Notes/Facts after Texas Motor Speedway:
Kyle Busch won the O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway, posting his 29th career victory in his 171st series start. Busch’s 29 wins rank fourth all-time. He won his fourth consecutive series race at Texas Motor Speedway. The last driver to win four straight at a track was Jamie McMurray at Rockingham. The record for most consecutive wins at a track is five by Dale Earnhardt (Daytona) and Jack Ingram (South Boston). The only track Busch has more wins at is Lowe’s, with five. Busch led six times for 179 laps including the final 45. He has now led more than 2,500 laps in 2009 across three series.
Busch posted his eighth win in 2009, the most among all drivers. His last win came at Lowe’s three races ago. He won the race from the sixth-place starting position. Only 13 drivers have more career wins than Busch’s 18 in the past two seasons. It was his 61st NASCAR National Touring series win (16 Truck, 29 Nationwide, 16 Cup). It was his 19th win of 2009 (seven Truck, eight Nationwide, four Cup). It was the third time Busch has won the Truck and Nationwide races on the same weekend. No driver has ever won all three races in the same weekend.
Busch’s championship lead over Carl Edwards is 272 points. He will become the 21st series champion if he finishes 15th or better at Phoenix.
Brad Keselowski (fifth) scored his 21st top-5 finish of 2009, and his 15th consecutive top-10 finish.
The top 10 consisted of four Toyotas, three Chevys and three Fords. Bobby Hillin Jr. (23rd) was the highest-finishing Dodge.
(ESPN.com)(11-9-2009)
Penalties possible for Busch and Townley: #18-Kyle Busch might need to finish a little better than originally expected to clinch the Nationwide Series title next week. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver faces a possible point penalty as the team had improperly secured weight in opening-day inspection, NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway. NASCAR penalized Nationwide Series Mike Harmon 25 points for a similar improper weight violation earlier this year at Daytona. And while it did not take points, NASCAR fined Sprint Cup crew chief Donnie Wingo $25,000 for an improperly secured weight violation last year. If Busch receives a 25-point penalty, he could still clinch the title if he finishes seventh or better at Phoenix or 30th in each of the last two events. NASCAR also is looking into an issue it had with the #09-RAB Racing team prior to the race for unapproved adjustments after the impound, Tharp said.(SceneDaily)(11-7-2009)
Mears in for Burton: Following #29-Jeff Burton’s wreck in Turn 2 during first practice for the Dickies 500, team owner Richard Childress has decided to replace him with Casey Mears for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday. The driver change was done as a precaution according to Childress and Burton is expected to be fine for Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race.(FoxSports)(11-6-2009)
Yeley back to Nationwide? More than three months after suffering a neck injury in a Midget race at Lakeside Speedway, J.J. Yeley isn’t cleared to race a car just yet, but he was walking around without a neck brace talking to people about 2010 in the garage Friday at Texas Motor Speedway. Still focused on NASCAR, Yeley said he feels he has a good chance to secure a Nationwide Series ride for 2010.(SceneDaily)(11-6-2009)
Townley to RCR? UPDATE: official catchfence.com has learned that current RAB Racing with Brack Maggard driver John Wes Townley could be headed to Richard Childress Racing for the full 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season behind the wheel of a Zaxby’s-sponsored Chevy. Townley currently is in his first full-season of NASCAR Nationwide Series competiton driving the #09 Zaxby’s Ford.(Catchfence)(10-28-2009)
UPDATE: RAB Racing with Brack Maggard announced today that John Wes Townley, driver of the No. 09 Ford in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and sponsor, Zaxby’s, will be moving on following the conclusion of the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. “The rumors are true,” stated Robby Benton, RAB Racing Co-Owner/General Manager. “I have been informed that both Zaxby’s and driver John Wes Townley will be moving on. I’m sure they will make an announcement regarding their new home in the coming weeks,” continued Benton, “I will leave that news for them to announce. The Townley’s are great people and Zaxby’s has been an outstanding partner over the past two years. We are grateful for the relationship we have had with them and wish both John Wes and Zaxby’s the best of luck in their future endeavors.” As for RAB Racing, “We are currently entertaining other opportunities for 2010 as we would like to remain a fulltime competitor in the NASCAR Nationwide Series,” stated Benton. (RAB Racing PR)(10-29-2009)
UPDATE 2: Richard Childress Racing has partnered with Zaxby’s, a southeast favorite for Buffalo wings and chicken fingers, to be the primary sponsor for a NASCAR Nationwide Series team in 2010 with John Wes Townley as their driver. The number to be used by RCR for the Zaxby’s Chevy has yet to be determined.(RCR PR)(11-6-2009)
Bliss back in the #1 at Homestead: Mike Bliss, the Camping World Truck Series champion in 2002, also will drive for #11-CJM next week at Phoenix but will return to Phoenix Racing’s #1 in the season finale.(< A HREF=”http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/article/2009-11-05/bliss-finds-success-mind-boggling-season”>Sporting News)(11-5-2009)
Camo scheme back on the #99: For the third and final time in 2009, Aaron’s, Inc. of Atlanta, GA, the Aaron’s Outdoors television program and Mossy Oak Brand Camouflage will bring a special camouflage paint scheme to the track. On Saturday Nov. 7, the #99 Aaron’s Dream Machine will be transformed into the Aaron’s Outdoors Mossy Oak Camry for the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway.(Aarons’ PR)(11-5-2009)
Nationwide COT test at Homestead? UPDATE: Though rumors continue to swirl that NASCAR will conduct another Nationwide new car test at Homestead on Monday Nov. 23, [Nationwide Series Director Joe] Balash declined to confirm any test dates. He said tracks will open one day early for practice next year during the five weekends when the new cars will be in competition.(Racin Today)(11-4-2009)
UPDATE: Hearing there is NOT a Nationwide Series new car test scheduled for Homestead on Monday Nov. 23. This date also conflicts with the NNS awards banquet.(11-5-2009), for all the information on the new Nationwide Car, see my Nationwide new car news page.
StopRepairBills.com and Key Motorsports team with St. Jude: StopRepairBills.com and Key Motorsports have teamed up with St Jude Children’s Research Hospital for the Texas race on November 7th. The partnership will include St Jude logos on the #40 car. In addition to bringing the Peel Family from Dallas. The Peel’s have had their 11 year old daughter in remission for one year. Curtis Key, who owns the #40 team, said “This family has been through the trenches and has come out to lead us by example. At Key Motorsports it is an example of how we should give thanks everyday. We are so humbled to have the Peel Family as part of our team this weekend. The Peel Family will wear StopRepairBills.com pit crew shirts, hats and sit on the pit box with Gary Showalter our crew chief,” stated Key.(StopRepairBills.com PR)(11-5-2009)
Buescher to drive #1 in 2010: The 2010 NASCAR season will prove to be a busy one for current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) competitor James Buescher. The 19-year-old will compete full-time for Phoenix Racing, piloting the #1 Miccosukee Resort & Gaming Chevy in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In addition to the 35-race schedule for NASCAR’s second-tier series, Buescher will drive the No. 31 Chevrolet Silverado for Turner Motorsports, LLC in a minimum of 19 Truck Series events.(Buescher PR)(11-4-2009)
Milwaukee Mile promoter pulls out: UPDATE: Tony Machi, whose investor group wanted to promote races at the Milwaukee Mile, told Wisconsin State Fair Park officials on Tuesday that his group is pulling out. Machi’s decision means the future of the historic racetrack is in jeopardy. The 106-year-old track is the oldest continuously operated speedway in the country. Machi said Tuesday that his group, which includes local businessman Jim Beaudoin, could not reach agreement with NASCAR. NASCAR has scheduled two races next summer at the track, but wanted Machi’s group, Historic Mile LLC, to pay sanction fees run from last summer’s races as well as the fees for the two races next summer. Machi said he had funding for the 2010 races, but could not come up with funds to pay NASCAR. With Historic Mile out, the focus now shifts to the Giuffre brothers, local businessmen who have promoted races at the track before. The Giuffres had made their intentions known months ago, but State Fair officials elected to negotiate with Historic Mile first.(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)(11-4-2009)
UPDATE: Despite the latest setback in dealings to save big-time racing at the Milwaukee Mile, NASCAR hasn’t given up hope of coming back next year. “We’re in touch with the Fair board, and Milwaukee is a very important market to us and we’re considering every option available,” Ramsey Poston, managing director of corporate communications for NASCAR, said Wednesday. Poston refused to place any sort of timeline on the decision-making process. Most observers have been surprised to see NASCAR keep Milwaukee on its 2010 Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series schedules this long. But there isn’t a huge demand for those dates, and many of the options would result in the need to shuffle other races around on the schedules.(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)(11-4-2009)
No Danica at Phoenix: UPDATE: Don’t look for Danica Patrick to make her first NASCAR Nationwide Series start in the #5 JR Motorsports car at Phoenix International Raceway in two weeks, according to NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick. When asked before Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Talladega if Patrick, who has signed to stay in the IndyCar Series with team owner Michael Andretti, would make her first NASCAR start near her Scottsdale, Ariz., home, his answer was short and simple. “No,” Hendrick said. “That’s not going to happen.”
According to sources within the NASCAR garage area, Patrick’s asking price to compete in Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races is $300,000 per race. If she were to run a truck race and a Nationwide race on the same weekend, the price is $600,000. Even with the sheer amount of publicity that Patrick would bring to NASCAR, team owners don’t appear interested in paying that price.(Sports Illustrated)(11-4-2009)
UPDATE: IndyCar Series and crossover media star Danica Patrick is nearing completion of a two-year contract with JR Motorsports, the NASCAR Nationwide Series operation owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., and a source close to the negotiations described them as “in the final phase.” A second source close to the situation confirmed the deal is moving forward, saying “talks are moving in a very positive direction and it would probably be a surprise if it didn’t happen.” The partnership is expected to make its on-track debut during next February’s Daytona Speedweeks, with Patrick’s first action coming in the ARCA race. Patrick, the 2005 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year and the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race, will compete in NASCAR’s second-largest series for JR Motorsports while continuing to race full-time for Andretti Green Racing in IndyCar.(ESPN.com)(11-4-2009)
Busch going for 4th consecutive Texas win: Busch, driver of the #18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, enters Saturday morning’s O’Reilly Challenge at Texas having won three consecutive Nationwide Series events at the 1.5-mile oval. He’ll go after his fourth consecutive Texas Nationwide Series victory with a special paint scheme featuring the logo of the new WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 video game. Busch’s JGR teammate, Joey Logano, will have a similar paint scheme on his #20 Toyota at Texas. Last week, the duo served as guest hosts of WWE Monday Night Raw in Buffalo, N.Y. In addition, Conn’s, a Beaumont, Texas-based appliance and electronics retailer, will also be featured on Busch’s #18 Toyota. The company recently announced the opening of its 20th store in the Dallas/Fort Worth area (Joe Gibbs Racing PR), see images of the cars on the 2009 Nationwide Series paint schemes page.(11-4-2009)
Nationwide COT test at Homestead? Though rumors continue to swirl that NASCAR will conduct another Nationwide new car test at Homestead on Monday Nov. 23, [Nationwide Series Director Joe] Balash declined to confirm any test dates. He said tracks will open one day early for practice next year during the five weekends when the new cars will be in competition.(Racin Today)(11-4-2009)
Raybestos Rookie Notes for Texas:
• Brendan Gaughan was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the Kroger On Track For The Cure 250 at Memphis Motorsports Park. Gaughan scored a fifth-place finish, his third top-five and eighth top-10 of the season. He took top rookie honors for the seventh time this season and led the race once for eight laps.
• Justin Allgaier won the pole at Memphis, his first in 36 NASCAR Nationwide Series races. Allgaier is the third Raybestos Rookie to win a pole this season joining Gaughan and Erik Darnell.
• Allgaier leads Brendan Gaughan by 10 points (227-217) entering the O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway.
• Allgaier is fifth in the series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie.
• At least one Raybestos Rookie has scored a top-10 finish in 26 of 32 NASCAR Nationwide Series races this season.
• Three Raybestos Rookies are in the top-10 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship standings. Allgaier is fifth followed by Gaughan (10th) and Micheal Annett (tenth). (Raybestos / Camp & Assoc PR)(11-4-2009)
Full time ride for Eggleston: hearing that Chris Eggleston will be racing for Keith Duesenburg and Leik Racing full time in the Nationwide Series for the 2010 Season. Chris is the 2009 ASA North Champion driving for 5K motorsports. No word on sponsorship or what the car number will be. The Duesenburg and Leik team debuted in 2006 with the #01 and merged with Johnny Davis in 2007.(11-4-2009)
Nutone returns to the #01: Mike Wallace will again pilot the #01 WinWholesale NuTone Heating and Cooling Products Chevy at the Texas NASCAR Nationwide Series race.(J-D Motorsports PR)(11-4-2009)
Final 2009 race for Vickers: This weekend marks the 17th and final 2009 race for Vickers behind the wheel of the #32 Camry. He has led the team to seven top-five and 11 top-10 finishes this season. He has also claimed the runner-up spot twice, finishing second at both Michigan and Auto Club Speedway, led for 133 laps and earned the pole position at Michigan (August).(Braun Racing PR)(11-3-2009)
Hillin in the #81 at Texas: Retirement is never easy for a race car driver but in 2000, after 18 years of racing, Bobby Hillin, Jr. decided it was time to move on. Question was—what now? Applying the ambition and drive he had from success in racing at a very young age, Hillin founded T-Rex Companies with just one truck and a prayer. Today, he overseas two companies— Texas ReExcavation, L.C., a non-destructive sub-surface vacuum excavation company, and T-Rex Engineering & Construction, L.C., a subsea design and fabrication concern that caters to the offshore oil & gas industry. This weekend marks the return of what many have since called the “Original Young Gun” to Texas Motor Speedway. T-Rex had already planned on entertaining clients during Texas race week which begins November 6. “It has always been hard for me to be at the track and not race,” Hillin stated. “So when we had the opportunity to sponsor the #81 car and I could drive, well—- we jumped on it. For me, this is equivalent of going back and playing in a high school football game, and I know so many men can relate to that!” (MacDonald Motorsports PR)(11-3-2009)
World Craniofacial Foundation on the #70 at Texas: ML Motorsports, a developing team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, is honoring the boys and girls of the World Craniofacial Foundation (WCF) with a special decal on the hood of the #70 Foretravel Chevy driven by Shelby Howard this weekend at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway located in Ft. Worth. The decal will feature the images of Ahmed and Mohamed Ibrahim, the now famous twins from Cairo, Egypt, who were separated at the head and then cared for under the direction of the WCF headquartered in Dallas. The WCF focuses on craniofacial surgeries, which provide care for children with deformities of the skull and face. The foundation strives to help all people with craniofacial abnormalities, regardless of economic class.(Breaking Limits PR)(11-3-2009)
Associate sponsor returning to Jay Robinson: Acredale Vending & Coffee Service will return to Jay Robinson Racing in 2010 as an associate sponsor for the #28 and #49 cars.(Acredale PR)(11-3-2009)
Nationwide New Car test on Monday: UPDATES: The first superspeedway test for the NASCAR Nationwide Series new car will be held Monday, November 2 from 11am-5pm at Talladega Superspeedway. The new car previously tested in 2008 at Richmond International Raceway and Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Drivers scheduled to participate include: #12Justin Allgaier (Dodge); #16-Colin Braun (Ford); #17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Ford); #29-Jeff Burton (Chevy); #33-Kevin Harvick (Chevy); #88-Kelly Bires (Chevy); #99-Trevor Bayne (Toyota).(NASCAR PR)(10-31-2009)
UPDATE: One more Chevy in the mix at NNS new car test: James Buescher in the #1 for Phoenix Racing(NASCAR)(11-2-2009)
UPDATE 2: According to Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition, the purpose of today’s six-hour test was to gather information relative to the size of the tapered spacer that the car will need in order to achieve its desired speed at tracks such as Talladega and Daytona International Speedway – where the new car will make its points-racing debut in July, 2010. Additionally, the test helped to better identify the proper gear ratio that the new car will need to generate the proper RPM. The first few hours of the test were spent in single runs, followed by drafting during the afternoon. Following its debut next summer at Daytona, the NASCAR Nationwide Series new car also will compete in points races at Michigan International Speedway in August, at Richmond in September and at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in October. Full integration for the new car into the series is targeted for 2011.(NASCAR PR), see images of all the COT cars on my 2010 paint schemes pages.(11-2-2009)
2010 scheme posted an image of the 201 #60 Copart Ford on the #60 Paint schemes page.(11-2-2009)
Bowles to run Phoenix race: As the 2009 champions from across North America take the stage for the NASCAR Touring Series Awards Gala in Concord, N.C., on Saturday, Nov. 14, Jason Bowles will be more than 2,000 miles away. But the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series West champion has a great excuse: He’ll be driving in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. For Bowles, who parlayed a victory at Phoenix this spring in the NASCAR Camping World Series event to his first championship, the chance to take the next step and run in the Able Body Labor 200 is an opportunity too good to pass up. Bowles, who has finished third, second and first in consecutive years in the NASCAR Camping World Series West, is hoping a good run at a familiar track will open more doors for the 2010 season. Bowles will be driving the #61 Specialty Racing Ford for car owner Doug Taylor.(PR)(11-2-2009)
Leffler and Kahne running matching cars at Texas: You just can’t go to Texas without thinking of a good, old-fashioned duel. In next weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, that is exactly what Kasey Kahne and Jason Leffler will provide – a “great” duel of sorts, though as teammates, when they take on 41 other competitors. Both drivers will carry matching Great Clips paint schemes – Leffler in Braun Racing’s #8 Toyota and Kahne in the #10 Toyota.(Braun Racing PR)(11-2-2009)