November 2011 Nationwide Series Archive

• Ryan Sieg plans some Nationwide races: Ryan Sieg hopes the team can expand its partnership with Pull-A-Part to bigger and better things in 2012 and 2013. “I would love to do Nationwide [Series]. I know we are thinking of getting a Nationwide car and trying a few [races] next year. There are a few tracks we’d like to run. I’m thinking we can get our feet wet for 2013 and do a full Nationwide and full Truck [schedule] then, maybe.”(WSB Radio)(11-28-2011)

• Go Green will add second team in 2012: Shortly after completing their first full-season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS), Go Green Racing already has their eyes set on 2012. Although a number of teams are facing serious downsizing, Go Green Racing is pleased to announce plans of fielding a second full-time team in 2012. “We ran 34 races with 14 different drivers out of our 3,000 square foot shop in Mooresville (NC) and finished 26th in points,” said Archie St. Hilaire, Go Green Racing Team Owner. “I am confident our team is capable of running in the top-15 every week, and look forward to building on our first season.” The team expects to field one driver in their current #39 Ford Mustang with a rotation of drivers in a second car. In preparation for the 2012 season, Go Green Racing is currently searching for additional crew members and drivers.(Go Green Racing)(11-25-2011)
• Significant layoffs at Roush: UPDATE: Multiple sources have confirmed significant layoffs this week at Roush Fenway Racing. According to sources, more than 100 workers were released by the team Monday and [Tuesday]. One source put the number at 125. Prior to today, the team employed about 440 people. Roush Fenway is expected to reduce its NASCAR Sprint Cup car count from four cars to three next season, with the #6 driven by David Ragan likely to be shuttered. At last report, the team is also without sponsors for the #17 of Matt Kenseth. The team may also reduce the size of its NASCAR Nationwide Series operations from three cars to one or two.(SPEED)(1-22-2011)
  UPDATE: Team spokesman Kevin Woods indicated a second Nationwide car could run on a limited basis, and although talks with sponsors continue, the process of “right-sizing the organization to suit the number of anticipated teams” began Tuesday.(Associated Press)(11-22-2011)

• Champions Honored At Awards Banquet; Sadler named most popular driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 24 and Austin Dillon, 21, officially were proclaimed champions of the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, respectively, on the Americana Ballroom stage at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.

  Both were honored with their first NASCAR national series titles. Each became champion in the season following a rookie-of-the-year performance. Dillon becomes the youngest champion in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ 17-year history. Both champions won twice during the 2011 season.

  Roush Fenway Racing’s #60 Ford Mustang won the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner Championship, as driver Carl Edwards won eight times. The title is the second in the series for Jack Roush, his previous owner championship coming in 2002. It also marked the first time that the same owner claimed both the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver and owner titles with different teams.

  Kevin Harvick Inc. claimed its third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Owner Championship. DeLana Harvick’s #2 Chevrolet Silverado posted seven victories with three different drivers in adding to KHI’s owner titles from 2007 and 2009.

  Timmy Hill, an 18-year-old Maryland competitor, won NASCAR Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors by a single point, tying the series’ closest decision for that award. Dillon’s Richard Childress Racing teammate Joey Coulter, 21, won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award, the second time the same organization claimed both championship and rookie laurels.

  Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier, Aric Almirola and Reed Sorenson finished second through fifth in the championship standings and were honored along with Stenhouse in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

  Johnny Sauter, James Buescher, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Timothy Peters were second through fifth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final points and joined Dillon on stage.

  After a fan vote on NASCAR.com, in which more than 215,000 combined votes were cast, each series’ Most Popular Driver was revealed. Sadler and Dillon were chosen by the fans in the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, respectively.

  Each was honored for the first time. SPEED’s Rick Allen and Krista Voda hosted the event, which will air on Dec. 2 from 7-9 p.m. ET on SPEED, prior to the live telecast of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony from Las Vegas.(NASCAR)(11-21-2011)

• Plans for Stenhouse and Bayne still up in the air: Ricky Stenhouse and Trevor Bayne will have rides next year, [team owner Jack] Roush said, with the details dependent on sponsorship. Either Bayne or Stenhouse will figure into the Wood Brothers’ program, Roush said. Bayne ran a limited schedule for the Wood Brothers this season—including the Daytona 500 win—and was slated to run a full Nationwide schedule for Roush before an illness kept him out of the car for six weeks. Nevertheless, Bayne scored his first Nationwide win at Texas two weeks ago. “Ricky will have a ride with us next year, although I’m not sure what—or in which series, for that matter—and so will Trevor,” Roush said. “There are discussions ongoing that are certainly benefitted by the championship.”(Sporting News)(11-21-2011)
• Congrats: Brian Carrigan & Honey Rentz will be married Thursday Nov. 24th in The Florida Keys. Brian was tire specialist on Elliott Sadler’s #2 Nationwide Team this year. Honey is an employee of Rising Star Management,who helps with up and coming drivers.(11-20-2011)

• Koch will not return to #81: As the 2011 NASCAR racing season ends, many are uncertain about what’s next with the tough economic times and the reality of hundreds if not thousands of layoffs happening after this weekend. However, one thing is certain; Mooresville, NC based Nationwide Series Team MacDonald Motorsports is looking forward to the 2012 season. Randy MacDonald team owner of Mac Donald Motorsports and former NASCAR Driver is excited about the future of MacDonald Motorsports. “We had a great season in 2011 says McDonald, as we have began to reposition our program and lay the foundation and blueprint for the future of our race team, we are able to run competitively in the top-15. As MacDonald Motorsports will be moving on from Koch in 2012, the team’s planned expansion leaves opportunities available for both drivers and employees. Mac Donald Motorsports is offering fantastic opportunities for drivers that do not have the financial means of coming up with all that money. (MacDonald Motorsports)(11-20-2011)
• Kyle Busch uncertain if he will run other series in 2012: Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, #18-Kyle Busch, in part from a Toyota Racing Transcript:
  Q) Do you know if you will race in the Nationwide or Truck Series in 2012?
  Busch: “No, not yet. We’re working through all of the schedules. The schedules hadn’t been put together prior to Texas and still haven’t been put together yet either.”(Toyota Racing)(11-20-2011)

• Roush Fenway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Win Nationwide Series Championships: Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished second in the season finale at Homestead-Miami and clinched the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship. The championship is Roush Fenway’s sixth NASCAR title and its third Nationwide Series Championship. Stenhouse, who carried a 41-point lead into the race, clinched the championship on lap 27 of the race and won by 45 points. “It was just a lot of hard work by all these guys – Jack Roush, Ford Racing, everybody at Blackwell Angus Beef and Cargill – this crew right here, they didn’t give up on me,” said Stenhouse. “They were with us all through last year and I’m just glad to be here. This is just awesome what this team has done, what Jack Roush has done and everybody at Ford Racing and Nationwide Insurance for giving us this great series to run in and all the fans that come out to watch every week. We really appreciate that, especially the ones that support us.” Carl Edwards finished third and secured the 2011 Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship for Roush Fenway. Roush Fenway won its first Nationwide Championship via Greg Biffle in 2002. Edwards won the team’s second driver NNS title in 2007.
  • Roush Fenway wins its sixth NASCAR drivers championship.
  • Roush Fenway wins its third NASCAR drivers Nationwide Series Championship.
  • Roush Fenway wins it second NASCAR owners Nationwide Series Championship.
  • Roush Fenway will look to become the first team in NASCAR history to win the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series titles in the same season.
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr., led the Nationwide point standings for 17 weeks in 2011, including the final 14.
  • Stenhouse Jr,. won the first two races of his career sweeping both races at Iowa Speedway. He earned six top-five and nine top-10 finishes over the final nine races.
  • Carl Edwards won eight races in 2011 in the No. 60 Ford Mustang.(Roush Fenway Racing)(11-19-2011)
• Crum ready for Nationwide debut: Jake Crum will make his Nationwide Series debut this Saturday at Homestead in the Ford 300. Jake will be driving the all-new #72 Bandit Chippers.com / Zenith Cutter Toyota, with NASCAR veteran Dave Fuge serving as crew chief. “The last race of the year is always special and we wanted to be there for our customers and fans who’ve given us so much support,” said Bandit Large Equipment Sales Manager Travis Lint. “Jake has been a great driver and spokesperson for us in the Truck Series, and to share his Nationwide debut with our new partners at Zenith Cutter is a great way to celebrate. This Saturday will truly be a special day for Jake, for Zenith Cutter, and for Bandit.” (Jake Crum Racing PR), see an image of the car on the #72 team paint schemes page.(11-18-2011)
• Shepherd gets help to make it to Homestead: When Morgan Shepherd was involved in a crash last weekend at Phoenix, the 70-year-old racer admitted he didn’t know if he’d be able to make it to Homestead for this week’s season-ending Nationwide Series race. But thanks to the help of a few friends in the garage, Shepherd was able to overcome the setback and said he is looking forward to starting Saturday’s Ford 300. “Some things worked out,” Shepherd said Friday while seated outside his team’s hauler at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “We took the motor out of the wrecked car. … There was a lot of damage. We were able to repair some of it and put it back in the car. “Then Tony Stewart stepped up and bought me two sets of tires. The guys from Turner Motorsports, they bought me a set of tires. Just a lot of help from a lot of different friends to help me get here. It’s the racing people that keep us here; obviously we don’t have sponsors. We race off what we earn at the track.” As for 2012, Shepherd said he plans to continue to race. “Everything is the same,” he said. “I just spoke with [team owner] Richard Childress to see if he had a couple of cars [for next year], because obviously that one of ours was destroyed.(Scene Daily)(11-18-2011)
• Piquet joins Turner Motorsports: The 2011 racing season may be coming to a close, but Turner Motorsports already has an eye on the 2012 season. The organization announced the addition of Nelson Piquet Jr. to their 2012 driver line up. Piquet Jr., who will compete for the 2012 Camping World Truck Series championship, is also slated to run a limited Nationwide Series schedule for the team.(Turner Motorsports)(11-18-2011)
• Roderick in the #04 at Homestead: Randy Hill, one of the newest owners in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, surprised his driver Casey Roderick with an early Christmas present by informing the rookie Wednesday afternoon that he will attempt to qualify for the season-finale Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway this weekend. In an 11th hour deal struck between Hill and Go Green Racing (GGR), Roderick will pilot the #04 Randy Hill Racing Ford in the 34th and final Nationwide event of the 2011 season. Originally, Hill had not planned on entering the South Florida contest however, the opportunity arose for Roderick to reunite with GGR under the leadership of NASCAR champion crew chief Paul Andrews and Hill knew it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.(Randy Hill Racing)(11-17-2011)
• Performance Designed Products on the #20: Performance Designed Products and its Afterglow brand of video game controllers will ride along with the #20 GameStop Toyota this weekend in Homestead. PDP is an industry leader in designing and manufacturing products for all major video game platforms including the Sony PS2, PS3, PSP, Nintendo DS and Wii, and Microsoft Xbox 360, as well as a line of accessories for the Apple iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and Android-based phones.(Joe Gibbs Racing)(11-16-2011)

• Piquet driving the #30 for Turner at Homestead: Turner Motorsports welcomes Camping World Truck Series standout Nelson Piquet Jr. to the seat of the #30 Chevy for this weekend’s Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Piquet Jr. made his Nationwide Series debut at Watkins Glen International in 2010. In his lone NNS start, the Brazil native brought home a seventh-place finish after qualifying in the 10th position. This weekend, Piquet Jr. will work with veteran crew chief Stewart Cooper. Cooper has worked with several drivers in 2011 including Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Boris Said, James Buescher and Ricky Carmichael. In support of NASCAR’s ‘Bienvenidos a NASCAR’ program, Piquet Jr.’s #30 Chevy will sport a special program decal this weekend. In addition to decals on entries in all three of NASCAR’s top series, the program will provide bilingual brand ambassadors, virtual garage tours and guidebooks of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage. There will be a Spanish language broadcast available via scanner (via ESPN Deportes), as well as ‘Bienvenidos a NASCAR’ ticket packages though Homestead-Miami Speedway and a Chino y Nacho pre-race concert on Sunday, Nov. 20th at 12 p.m. at the Coca-Cola Stage.(Turner Motorsports)(11-16-2011)
• MAKE Motorsports to honor fallen hero at Homestead: The #50 Nationwide Series Chevy, driven by T.J. Bell, will feature a special tribute to fallen soldier and Shelby native Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Newmanfor Saturday’s Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Newman was killed in action in Kabul, Afghanistan on October 29, 2011 during a suicide bomb raid on a bus. Raised by his grandparents, Earlene and Donald Newman, Christopher graduated from Crest High School in Shelby. He leaves behind his grandparents, wife Amanda and a five year old daughter. The Newman family is longtime friends of MAKE Motorsport co-owners Mark Beaver and Tracy Lowe and they thought it appropriate to dedicate the #50 machine to Christopher’s memory.(MAKE Motorsports)(11-16-2011)
• Rusty Wallace to enter St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame: Racing legend and St. Louis, Missouri native Rusty Wallace, will be honored by his hometown this Wednesday, November 16th, as an inductee into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. Alongside Wallace in the class of 2011 are 15 sports figures, including St. Louis Rams legends Torry Holt and Issac Bruce, as well as coaching icons Lenny Wilkens and Scotty Bowman. They will join the likes of such St. Louis legends as Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Yogi Berra and Ozzie Smith as inductees into the St. Louis hall. The 2011 class was chosen from a pool of 350 qualified nominees, with induction determined through ballots issued to 120 media members and former athletes. This week’s induction will not mark the first time that Wallace has been honored by an entity representing his hometown. In 2005, Wallace was presented the key to the City of St. Louis, with the mayor proclaiming June 30, 2005 as “Rusty Wallace Day” in the “Gateway City.” One of Missouri’s favorite sons, Wallace was originally enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2006, he became the 14th individual to be named a “Missouri Sports Legend,” the Missouri hall’s highest honor.(Rusty Wallace Racing)(11-16-2011)
• Eury Jr. penalized by NASCAR: NASCAR announced penalties and fines to the #7 team that competes in the Nationwide Series as a result of rule infractions at Phoenix International Raceway. The #7 car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (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 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series rule book. The infraction occurred during the race on Nov. 12. As a result of the violations, crew chief Tony Eury Jr. has been fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until March 28, 2012.(NASCAR)(11-15-2011)
• Tia Rosa Tortillas & Takis Fuego return to the #23: Robert Richardson, Jr. and the #23 Chevy team of R3 Motorsports are closing out the Nationwide Series season on a high note at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. Tia Rosa Tortillas, of the Bimbo Bakeries USA brand, and Takis Fuego, of the Barcel brand, are returning to the hood and quarter panels of the #23 Chevy for the season-finale on the 1.5-mile oval in South Florida. They were previously on board the car for the Texas Motor Speedway event earlier this month.(R3 Motorsports)(11-15-2011)

• Final race for Leffler at Turner: In this weekend’s 2011 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Jason Leffler will make his final start behind the wheel of the #38 Great Clips machine. Leffler has piloted this car for the last six seasons, making headlines for the world’s largest haircare brand with his famous faux-hawk hairdo. Leffler will continue to represent Great Clips in select projects, with his long-time sponsor serving as his primary sponsor in his quest for victory in the 2012 Chili Bowl Nationals in January.(Turner Motorsports)(11-15-2011)
• Phoenix TV Ratings: ESPN2’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Phoenix on Saturday, Nov. 12, earned a 1.3 household coverage rating, averaging 1,757,000 viewers. The rating was up from a 1.2 for last year’s race, which also aired on ESPN2.p(ESPN)(11-15-2011)
• Buescher in the #32 at Homestead: The #32 Dollar General team welcomes James Buescher to the seat of the Dollar General Chevy this weekend in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This will mark Buescher’s 11th NASCAR Nationwide Series start for Turner Motorsports in 2011. A title contender in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition, Buescher will be pulling double duty as he climbs behind the wheel of the Exide Chevy on Friday night. (Turner Motorsports)(11-15-2011)
• Cope teams up to form new team: Creation Autosportif is excited to announce a partnership with NASCAR Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope to form ‘Creation-Cope Racing’ (CCR). The venture will see the respected British Le Mans LMP organisation teaming up with the 30-year NASCAR veteran Cope, with the capability of entering cars in Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Camping World Trucks and K&N Pro Series, out of its race shop premises in Mooresville, NC.(Creation-Cope Racing), more ifno on the #75 Cup Team News and Links page.(11-14-2011)
• Bruvado to sponsor Bliss at Homestead: Bruvado Imports has signed on to be primary sponsor of TriStar Motorsports and driver Mike Bliss for the Miami-Homestead Nationwide race. Bruvado Imports has had strong links with motorsports since its inception in 2001. Bruvado is going through a massive growth period and is using the sponsorship to test the waters in NASCAR and announce its national launch. TriStar is hoping to round out the season in the top 10, and improve their running position in 2012. The deal brokered by Drive Motorsports International will also see Bruvado activating with a 5 stop show car tour leading up to the race and a huge Hospitality trailer onsite at the race in Miami. The show car tour will be used to give away tickets to fans and help generate awareness in the Miami area.(Drive Motorsports International), see an image of the car on the #19 team paint schemes page.(11-11-2011)
• Stanton Barrett returns to Rick Ware Racing for Homestead: Stanton Barrett will make his return to NASCAR action with Rick Ware Racing in the Nationwide Series event at Homestead next weekend for the Ford 300. Barrett’s return will mark the 20th year consecutively competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events. During the past 21 years of Stanton’s professional racing career, he has raced in the world’s top levels of racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Izod Indy Cars, IMSA, ARCA and Goodies Dash Series. Barrett will be piloting the #41 BarCodeMedia.net/MyBrokenPalace.com Chevy in his return with RWR.(Rick Ware Racing)(11-11-2011)

• NASCAR announces plans for 2011 banquet: Following what promises to be an historic Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, NASCAR will hold its annual NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards Banquet – a postseason tradition honoring the champions and award winners from two of NASCAR’s national series. The ceremony takes place at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel on Monday, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m., one final opportunity for the sport to celebrate its champions, and its fans. SPEED’s Krista Voda and Rick Allen will host Monday’s banquet, with the band Simplified unleashing an opening to the show with a live performance. Comedian John Pinette returns to the ceremony, enlivening the festivities with his unique brand of self-deprecating humor. That’s the known. Everything else will be decided in the coming weeks by the competitors – and the fans. Voda and Allen will interview the top five drivers in each series, and even those participants are TBD. Jason Leffler, in sixth, currently trails fifth-place Reed Sorenson by 56 points (and third-place Justin Allgaier and fourth-place Aric Almirola by 61 points) in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings. With two races remaining before the banquet, Leffler’s deficit is far from insurmountable. And as the chances for championship glory near an end, so too do the opportunities for fans to vote for their favorites in the Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Most Popular Driver polls. NASCAR.COM has housed on-line voting for both series since July 20. Voting closes on Thursday, Nov. 17 as the teams from each series close out the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It’s not only each series’ driver championships that are in question as the season winds down. So too are their Most Popular Driver battles. To date, fans have cast nearly 180,000 total votes in both series. NASCAR Nationwide Series top five as of Oct. 31: #88-Aric Almirola, #16-Trevor Bayne, #2-Elliott Sadler, #6-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and #09-Kenny Wallace.(NASCAR)(11-10-2011)

• Z-Line wants Busch replaced by Hamlin at Homestead: One of Kyle Busch’s sponsors has asked for him to be removed from the season-ending Nationwide Series race, The Associated Press is reporting. Multiple people familiar with Busch’s schedule told the AP that Z-Line Designs wants to use Denny Hamlin instead of Busch in next weekend’s Nationwide race at Homestead. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because Busch’s future is still being discussed with sponsors and Joe Gibbs Racing.(Associated Press/ESPN)(11-10-2011)
• World Financial Group to sponsor Edwards at Phoenix: World Financial Group, Inc. has joined forces with Roush Fenway Racing to sponsor the #60 World Financial Group Ford Mustang in the Nationwide Series race on Nov. 12 at the Phoenix International Raceway. The #60 WFG Ford Mustang will be driven by the 2007 Nationwide Series Champion Carl Edwards. World Financial Group, Inc. has a rich history with Roush Fenway Racing. WFG partnered with Roush Fenway as one of Carl Edwards’ first sponsors in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2004, and continued to sponsor Edwards and other Roush Fenway drivers in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Series’ through 2008.(Roush Fenway)(11-9-2011)
• Layoffs at Rusty Wallace Racing? hearing that Rusty Wallace is having a mass temporary lay effective Sunday, November 20 and lasting until January 2nd, if sponsors are found. The team is losing 5-Hour Energy next season, but Michael Annett will reportedly return with sponsorship.(11-8-2011)
• Texas TV Ratings: ESPN2’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Texas on Saturday, Nov. 5, earned a 1.1 household coverage rating, averaging 1,430,000 viewers. The rating was also the same as for the 2010 race, which also aired on ESPN2.(ESPN)(11-8-2011)
• Hornaday in the #32 at Phoenix: Turner Motorsports and the #32 team welcome Ron Hornaday, Jr. as he pilots the Dollar General Chevy this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. A consistent force to be reckoned with and title contender in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), Hornaday is making his first NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) start for Turner Motorsports. In his 183 race NNS career, which spans 13 seasons, Hornaday boasts four wins, 32 top-five and 70 top-10 finishes along with one pole award.(Turner Motorsports)(11-8-2011)
• Special scheme for Annett at Homestead: The Nationwide Series season finishes up with the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, November 19. But that is just the start of a new partnership for Rusty Wallace Racing and the #62 Pilot Flying J race team. The #62 Pilot Flying J Toyota Camry, driven by 25-year old Michael Annett, will sport a new look at Homestead as they recognize new Mars Inc. brand sponsor Combos. The #62 car will feature a bag of combos on the rear quarter panel with the treats spilling out across the rear of the car. The featured flavor of these stuffed pretzel snacks is buffalo blue cheese, but Combos come in a variety of other flavors as well. In conjunction with the Pilot Flying J and Combos partnership for the Homestead race, Pilot Travel Centers and Flying J locations are offering a two for $4 promotion on assorted flavors of Combos through the end of November.(Rising Star Management)(11-8-2011)
• Sorenson gets sponsorship for final 2 races: Currently sitting 5th in the driver’s standings for the Nationwide Series, Reed Sorenson and MacDonald Motorsports have secured sponsorship for the remainder of the season. “We’re so happy to have Burtin Polymer Laboratories on board as the primary sponsor for Reed,” said Randy MacDonald. “The relationships that we have with the people at Burtin Polymer Labs have made this opportunity available and we hope to have an exciting finish to the season with them.” Bullet Liner products are primarily used for pickup truck beds, tailgates, wheel wells and other similar vehicle protection applications. Also, part of the impressive line of Burtin Polymer Labs products is Foametix Spray Foam Insulation, which is a series of light density, polyurethane spray-applied foam insulation systems designed for residential and commercial / industrial building applications. (MacDonald Motorsports)(11-8-2011)
• Kennington driving for MacDonald Motorsports at Phoenix: Former NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion DJ Kennington will reunite with fellow Canadian team owner Randy MacDonald this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. The two have had a long history racing together in the Nationwide Series, dating back to 2006. Dwight Kennedy from Northern Provincial Pipelines comes on board to support Kennington, continuing a long-standing relationship with him. Northern Provincial Pipelines have served as Kennington’s sponsor in 22 of his 47 career NASCAR Nationwide Series starts.(MacDonald Motorsports)(11-8-2011)
• Congrats: to Elliott Sadler and his wife Amanda on the birth of their daughter, Austyn Rose Sadler, born at 11:42am Monday.(11-7-2011)
• Ford wins manufacturer’s championship: Trevor Bayne captured his first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory and clinched the manufacturer’s championship for Ford Racing by winning Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. In addition to helping deliver a manufacturer’s championship, Mustang has been to victory lane more than any other model in 2011. Mustang has 13 wins so far this season, which represents the highest single-season win total in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Ford Racing since 2002 when it won 16 races.(Ford Racing)(11-5-2011)
• Sorenson gets Texas sponsor: Currently sitting fifth in the driver point standings for the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series, Reed Sorenson and MacDonald Motorsports have secured sponsorship with Burtin Polyer Laboratories (BPL). Burtin Polymer Laboratories (BPL) remains one of the foremost authorities in research, development, and commercialization of polyurethane systems produced for commercial roofing, commercial and residential insulation, flotation, adhesives, packaging, spray elastomers and custom molding products.(MacDonald Motorsports PR)(11-4-2011)

• Advocare to sponsor Dillon in 2012? UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing also could be fielding a part-time Cup car to prepare for Austin Dillon’s run in Cup in 2013. The company is expected to announce that AdvoCare will partially sponsor Dillon’s Nationwide effort for 2012. Expect an announcement at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend.(Fox Sports)(11-2-2011)
  UPATE: Richard Childress Racing and AdvoCare, an award-winning premier health and wellness company, have entered into a partnership for the company to be the primary sponsor of the #3 AdvoCare Chevy driven by Austin Dillon for 20 races in the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. RCR returns full time to the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2012 after a one-year hiatus but with a strong heritage to build from. RCR has earned 56 victories and five series championships since its first season in 2000. Kevin Harvick won overall championships (driver and owner) in 2001 and 2006, Harvick and Johnny Sauter won the owner championship in 2003, Jeff Burton and Scott Wimmer won the owner championship in 2007 and Clint Bowyer won the driver championship in 2008. AdvoCare was the title sponsor of the AdvoCare 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Plano, Texas, based company is also a platinum sponsor of Operation Homefront, an organization dedicated to providing emergency assistance to those serving in the military and their families. The AdvoCare National Spokesperson is NFL championship-winning and championship game MVP quarterback Drew Brees.(RCR), see an image of the car on my #3 team paint schemes page.(11-4-2011)
• Brookshire’s Food and Pharmacy to Sponsor Bliss: Brookshire’s has been the Official Grocery Store of Texas Motor Speedway the past six years and an official sponsor of NASCAR for three years, but this time around the Tyler, Texas-based grocer is getting into the race with TriStar Motorsports. Mike Bliss will take the wheel in the #19 Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy Chevy at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge Race on Saturday, November 5. The black, red and white Impala with red trim, along with the number 19 in red, will represents the colors of the Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy brand over the NASCAR Nationwide Series Race weekend.(TMI)(11-4-2011)
• Rheem sponsoring #33 team in 12 2012 races: Rheem Manufacturing Company officially announced a comprehensive plan to continue its involvement in various NASCAR racing series. Rheem has completed a multi-year agreement with Richard Childress Racing to be the primary sponsor of the #29 Chevy driven by Kevin Harvick for 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races as well as being the co-primary sponsor with Budweiser for NASCAR’s annual mid-season All-Star race over the term of the agreement. Rheem will also be a major associate sponsor of the #29 Chevy for the remaining 26 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in which Budweiser or Jimmy John’s are the primary sponsor. Rheem will continue its co-sponsorship with Menards of RCR’s #33 Chevy driven by Paul Menard and others in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for 12 races in the 2012 season. Rheem also announced an agreement with Eddie Sharp Racing to be the season-long, primary sponsor of the #33 Chevy Silverado that will compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2012. As a part of the agreement, RCR has formed a technical alliance with ESR to provide engineering, testing and technical assistance to the team while also receiving support from Chevy and ECR Engines. After successfully competing in several NASCAR races for Rheem in 2011, Cale Gale has been signed to drive the #33 Rheem truck full time for ESR in 2012.(RCR)(11-3-2011)
• Crew chief changes coming to RCR next season: Expect changes to Richard Childress Racing’s crew chief lineup next season. Shane Wilson, who guided Clint Bowyer to three of his five career Sprint Cup Series wins, will move to the #31 team and driver Jeff Burton in 2012. Wilson joined RCR at the start of 2006 as crew chief of the #21 Nationwide Series team. He led that squad to 14 wins and one championship (2006) in three seasons. Wilson was named crew chief to the #33 Chevrolet team with Bowyer at the start of the 2009 season and qualified for NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup the following year. Luke Lambert, who was promoted from team engineer on the #31 team to crew chief on July 25, will assume that same role with Elliott Sadler as RCR absorbs the Kevin Harvick Inc. Nationwide Series squads. Ernie Cope will be the crew chief of the #33 Nationwide team, which will feature a variety of drivers, including Kevin Harvick. Danny Stockman Jr. will continue his role as crew chief for Austin Dillon next season.(Fox Sports)(11-3-2011)
• Montreal promoter wants government funding: Octane Management president François Dumontier said that while his company has assumed financial responsibility for next year’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, he will continue to seek government funding. “We never ended the discussion with the government from last summer, and now it’s a different group that will have the discussion,” Dumontier said Wednesday. “When we announced that the event would be maintained, the levels of government welcomed it as a good thing.We signed the agreement (with NASCAR) to continue the race knowing we didn’t have any public funding,” Dumontier added. “But the event is important for Montreal and Quebec, and for sure in the next few weeks, I will have those discussions.” Octane Management has replaced U.S.-based International Speedway Corp. as official organizer of Montreal’s NAPA Auto Parts 200, presented by Dodge, and the sixth edition of the Nationwide Series event will be held next Aug. 17-18.(Montreal Gazette)(11-3-2011)
• Sam’s Club, Member’s Mark Angus Beef to sponsor Stenhouse at Texas: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will be sponsored by Sam’s Club and its Member’s Mark Angus Beef brand this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Sam’s Club logos will be featured prominently on the #6 Ford accented with Member’s Mark Angus Beef logos.(Roush Fenway)(-2011)
• Bimbo Bakeries USA and Barcel brands on #23 at Texas: Robert Richardson, Jr. and the #23 Chevy of R3 Motorsports will carry some unique marketing partners on board this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Tia Rosa Tortilla will adorn the upper quarter and TV panels of the uniquely colorful Chevy. Tia Rosa, part of the www.BimboBakeriesUSA.com brands, will also have a marketing partner with Takis, a spicy corn snack, part of the Barcel brands of parent company Bimbo, on the hood and decklid. Along with the Bimbo brands, Suburban Extended Stay of Lewisville will be on the lower quarter panels as the host hotel for R3 Motorsports this weekend.(R3 Motorsports)(11-2-2011)

• Advocare to sponsor Dillon in 2012? Richard Childress Racing also could be fielding a part-time Cup car to prepare for Austin Dillon’s run in Cup in 2013. The company is expected to announce that AdvoCare will partially sponsor Dillon’s Nationwide effort for 2012. Expect an announcement at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend.(Fox Sports)(11-2-2011)
• Danica to honor Wheldon at Texas: Danica Patrick and GoDaddy.com will honor the memory of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, through a memorial paint scheme on the #7 Chevy at Texas Motor Speedway. The #7 hood will showcase Wheldon’s “Lionheart” logo in bold letters across a black hood. Underscoring the black letters are the words “Dan Wheldon: 1978 – 2011”. DanWheldonMemorial.com will also be featured on the TV panel of the #7. Throughout the Texas race weekend, Danica Patrick will wear a special tribute helmet in remembrance of her friend Dan Wheldon. The race-used helmet will be auctioned off via the Dan Wheldon Memorial auction in the coming weeks.(JR Motorsports)(11-1-2011)
• Riggs returns to the #03: Scott Riggs is looking forward to all 200 laps of action at Texas Motor Speedway in the #03 McKinney Pipe and Steel Chevy of R3 Motorsports this Saturday afternoon. Despite the fact he’ll have to qualify in on time, the winner of four NASCAR Nationwide Series races has some pretty good numbers on his side at the Ft. Worth facility. In his two previous starts at the 1.5-mile oval, Riggs has started in the 12th and fourth positions in 2002 and 2003, respectively. The funding for this weekend came from within the R3 Motorsports family, literally, as Jan Richardson, wife of team owner Robert Richardson, Sr. and mother of driver Robert Jr., put her company on the #03 Chevy for sponsorship. This was done as birthday present to herself; which is next week Monday.(R3 Motorsports)(11-1-2011)
• Wallace familyt to honor Russ at Texas: The Wallace family lost their patriarch on Sunday, October 30. Russ Wallace passed away at the age of 77 from complications of a stroke. In memory of Wallace, both Rusty Wallace Racing entries will feature “in memory of Russ Wallace” in place of the driver’s names.(Rusty Wallace Racing)
  AND: In his honor, Mike, his brother Kenny and their nephew Steve Wallace are taking their names off their respective driving doors and replacing them with Russ Wallace. Adding a personal touch, Mike’s #01 Chevy will have “Russ Wallace – my Dad” on his car. With that, he and the #01 G&K Services team of JD Motorsports will take to the 1.5-mile oval of TMS in honor of Mike’s dad.(JD Motorsports)(11-1-2011)

• Kenny Wallace making 520th start: This Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway, #09-Kenny Wallace will make his 520th NASCAR Nationwide Series career-start. After the green flag flies in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge, Wallace will set the record for most NASCAR Nationwide Series starts by any driver and secure a lasting spot in Nationwide Series history. Wallace, who made his 519th start at Charlotte Motor Speedway, tied Jason Keller for most NNS starts. The two drivers have surprisingly similar NNS records, both with an average finishing position of 16.7. Wallace will surpass his friend this weekend and accomplish something he never thought possible. Of the record Wallace says, “When I was a little kid growing up in Arnold, Missouri, if you would have told me that I would be able to race in NASCAR my whole life, I would have considered that wishful thinking and a dream. Therefore; my 520th NASCAR Nationwide start will be a dream come true”.(RAB Racing)(11-1-2011)
• Ragan driving for Randy Hill at Texas: Randy Hill Racing announced that Sprint Cup Series driver David Ragan will pilot the #08 Texas Tech University Ford in Saturday’s Nationwide Series O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge. Ragan, a two-time winner in the Nationwide Series respectively replaces Casey Roderick who remains the team’s primary driver. Roderick, 19, will be in attendance for Saturday’s contest to support the team and confer with Ragan. The change comes as Randy Hill Racing has attempted to make its last two NNS starts at Richmond and Charlotte respectively but failed to earn a starting berth. Ragan’s experience will undoubtedly give the RHR team a fair evaluation of the team’s overall program.(Randy Hill Racing)(11-1-2011)
• Call of Duty on the #20: What might be one of the biggest and most highly- anticipated games of the season will ride on the side of the #20 GameStop Toyota this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Modern Warfare is back. The best-selling first person action series of all-time returns with the epic sequel to multiple Game of the Year award winner, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 hits store shelves November 8th and will be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.(Joe Gibbs Racing)(11-1-2011)