Congrats: Brendan and Tatum Gaughan are the parents of their first child, Michael James Gaughan, born on Saturday. Mother and child are both happy and healthy.(10-31-2010)
Go Green gets Homestead sponsor: Go Green Racing will return to the track at Homestead with Sean Caisse back behind the wheel and sponsorship from Tork Performance.(PR) See an image of the Ragu car and others on the #39 team paint schemes page.(10-31-2010)
Unilever returns to #88 team in 2011: Unilever’s family of brands will have a significant on track presence in 2011 as the primary sponsor for JR Motorsports #88 car driven by Aric Almirola. Ragu, a family favorite since 1937, will run on track at four races in 2011. One of the four brands that will be spotlighted on the # 88 NASCAR Nationwide Series car. Suave, offering quality products for the entire family, proven to work as well as salon and specialty brands, will run on track at four races in 2011. See image of the Ragu and Suave cars and others on the #88 2011 paint schemes page.(10-31-2010)
RAB switches to Toyota: RAB Racing with Brack Maggard will arrive at Texas Motor Speedway next week for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race with a new manufacturer alliance. Beginning with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway on November 6th, RAB Racing will make the switch to Toyota. Brian Scott will continue as driver of the #09 Shore Lodge Toyota for the remaining Nationwide Series races in 2010.(RAB Racing)(10-29-2010)
Rheem and Menards to sponsor KHI: Kevin Harvick Inc. announced the signing of two multi-year sponsorship agreements with Rheem Manufacturing Company and Menards for the #33 Nationwide Series entry for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Returning to KHI for their fourth and fifth years, Rheem will serve as the primary sponsor of the #33 KHI Chevy for 22 races throughout each season. Fans will not only see two-time Nationwide Series champion Harvick pilot the #33 Rheem Chevy, but also a variety of RCR drivers will join him throughout the season. Clint Bowyer will debut a new edition of the classic red and black Rheem paint scheme at Daytona on February 19, 2011. Having recently announced an alliance with RCR for the Nationwide Series program, the driver line-up for the #33 KHI Rheem car is a key example of the important synergies and cooperation among the two companies. KHI has also signed a multi-year sponsorship with Menards to serve as the primary sponsor for 12 races in both the 2011 and 2012 Nationwide Series season. Harvick will debut a new yellow and black paint scheme at Phoenix on February 26, 2011 for the first scheduled Menards race event. Richmond water heaters will serve as associate sponsor of the 33 car for these 12 races. For the Menards races, Harvick will share the driver’s seat with Paul Menard and a variety of RCR drivers. This will mark the first time that multiple drivers will pilot the Menards car during a season. Menard has driven the familiar Menards paint scheme in both the Nationwide and Cup series throughout his career and will continue the tradition next season as he joins KHI in the Nationwide Series.(KHI), see images of the cars on my #33 2011 Nationwide paint schemes page.(10-29-2010)
Brookshires sponsoring Kenny at Texas: Brookshire’s will sponsor Kenny Wallace and the #28 Jay Robinson Racing team at Texas. See a graphic of the car on the #28 team paint schemes page.(10-29-2010)
Kennedy driving two races for Baker Curb: Baker Curb Racing announced that they have signed 18-year old Alex Kennedy to a two-race deal. Kennedy will drive the team’s #27 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway on November 6th and the Wypall 200 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 13th. Kennedy made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Road America in June. He had a top-15 run going before getting caught up in a couple late accidents and had to settle for a 28th-place finish. He has made four Nationwide Series starts this season, registering a career-best 16th-place finish in the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International. The New Mexico native has also made two starts in the ARCA Racing Series this season, including a 19th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway. Kennedy finished 11th in the Sunoco 150 at Dover International Raceway in his lone K&N Pro Series East start.(Baker Curb)(10-28-2010)
KHI, RCR Create Alliance with Nationwide Series Program: Kevin Harvick Inc. and Richard Childress Racing (RCR) will no longer compete against each other in the NASCAR Nationwide Series beginning in 2011. KHI will field the Nationwide Series entries beginning with next year’s season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway with RCR providing chassis, engine and technical support. KHI will continue to use Earnhardt-Childress Racing engines in both their NASCAR Nationwide and Truck Series programs in 2011. RCR will focus its development program through its NASCAR Camping World Truck Series program with Austin Dillon and a second team to be named later. Since its inception in 2000, RCR’s Nationwide Series program has earned 56 victories and five championships: two overall championships (2001, 2006 with Kevin Harvick), two owners-only titles (2003 with Harvick and Johnny Sauter; 2007 with Jeff Burton and Scott Wimmer) and one driver-only title (2008 with Clint Bowyer). KHI will maintain its presence in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, fielding two fulltime teams, as well as continuing its customer support programs. Further announcements regarding KHI’s on-track plans for 2011 will be forthcoming. (KHI PR)(10-28-2010)
Gateway TV Ratings: ESPN2’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis on Saturday earned a final national household coverage rating of 1.1, averaging 1,386,547 viewers. The event at Gateway replaced a race held on the same weekend last year at now-closed Memphis Motorsports Park that earned a 0.9 final rating.(ESPN)(10-26-2010)
Latest on Cup drivers in Nationwide: Joe Gibbs Racing is preparing for next year’s Nationwide Series on the assumption NASCAR will not allow fulltime Sprint Cup drivers to compete for the title. That probably means putting a young driver in the series fulltime. Look for other teams to do the same.(ESPN.com)(10-26-2010)
Gateway News & Facts:
• Brad Keselowski won the 5-hour Energy 250 at Gateway International Raceway on Saturday. It was his 12th career win in his 136th start and his sixth victory of 2010. It was his first win at Gateway in his fifth start, the 10th driver to win a series race at Gateway. Keselowski recorded his 23rd top-5 finish in 2010 and will set a series record for most top-5s in a season if he scores one in each of the last three races. His win was his first after starting the race at the rear of the field; he started the race 40th after Parker Kligerman qualified his car 20th. He led four times for 83 laps, including the final two.
• Keselowski leads Carl Edwards by 485 points and will win the 2010 championship if he finishes 21st or better at Texas.
• Keselowski’s victory was the 16th in the series for Penske Racing and the team’s seventh win of 2010.
• Mike Bliss (finished second) earned his best finish of the season.
• Justin Allgaier (third) earned his fifth straight top-10 finish. Allgaier led 88 of the 200 laps; it was the first time in his series career that he led the most laps in a race.
• Jason Leffler (fourth) got his sixth top-5 finish of the season.
• Edwards (fifth) has finished in the top six in his past seven Gateway starts in the series. He started the race 39th after Erik Darnell qualified his car.
• Josh Wise (seventh) earned his best finish of the season.
• Jeremy Clements (10th) earned his best career finish.
• Brandon McReynolds (19th) and Brad Sweet (31st) made their series debuts.(ESPN.com)(10-25-2010)
5-Hour Energy returning to RWR next season: Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) and Living Essentials (LE)–the makers of 5-Hour Energy, the leading two-ounce energy shot–announced that 5-Hour Energy will again serve as primary sponsor of third-generation driver, Steve Wallace and RWR’s #66 Toyota Camry, in the full 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series. The announcement marks the continued expansion of a program which has grown from an original four-race commitment in 2008, to 27 races between RWR’s #62 and #66 cars for 2009 and now, to the full schedule for the second-straight year.(RWR)(10-22-2010)
BeAStockCarDriver.com on the #34: BeAStockCarDriver.com returns with TriStar Motorsports this week as the new sponsor will adorn the #34 Chevy driven by Tony Raines for the running of the 5 Hour Energy 250 at Gateway International Raceway. Last week at Charlotte, BeAStockCarDriver.com debuted their sponsorship on the team’s #35 entry driven by Jason Keller.(Integrity Sports Marketing)(10-22-2010)
Braun unsure of 2011 plans: NASCAR Nationwide Series rookie #16-Colin Braun is unsure what his sophomore year in the series and his fifth year overall in NASCAR will look like. The 22-year-old Texan tells WSB that his plans with Roush Fenway Racing for next season are not limited to any series, as there are rumors floating around that Roush may be looking to restart a program in the Camping World Truck Series. “I’m not really sure exactly what the situation is exactly with the Truck program,” Braun said. “Obviously, it’d be pretty cool if they get back into the Truck Series – that’d be pretty awesome. It’s fun to race there.” Braun’s future in the Nationwide Series, or any NASCAR series, likely very much depends on the commitment that sponsor Con-way Freight, who sponsored Braun for two seasons in the Truck Series and has been aboard the #16 Ford for 18 races this season (16 of which with Braun as the driver), can out forth for 2011. Right now, those plans are very much in the air, but Braun says that Roush Fenway is working hard to not only re-sign Con-way Freight, but also any other potential backers for the team. (WSB Radio)(-2010)
Drive Reply returns to the #81: The Smartphone technology behind apps that prevent distracted driving and avoid auto accidents, Drive Reply from Iconosys, Inc., will sponsor MacDonald Motorsports Team 81 and NASCAR driver Michael McDowell at the Nationwide Series 5 Hour Energy 250 at Gateway International Raceway. In an ongoing promotion, McDowell’s Dodge Charger will prominently display the Drive Reply logo on the car. Introduced earlier this year, Drive Reply™ reduces battery consumption by up to 50 percent and offers simple, focused driver-attendant software that helps protect users, and ultimately, save lives by promoting safe, distraction-free driving. Drive Reply is the only product that automatically responds to calls and texts with a fully customizable response while allowing the driver to stay focused on the road.(MacDonald Motorsports)(10-21-2010)
Brandon McReynolds to make debut at Gateway: UPDATE: Brandon McReynolds, will pilot the TEAM 42 RACING entry in this Saturday’s 5 Hour Energy 250 at Gateway International Raceway. With four starts this year in the ARCA Re/Max Series and 2 Wins in the UARA Series, Brandon will make his first NASCAR Nationwide start this weekend. “We are very excited to have Brandon at the wheel for this race and we are looking forward to working with him. The crew has been busy preparing the car, installing the seat, and getting ready for the pull down” owner Eddie Smith stated. We are happy to have “Adaptive One by NAPA Brakes” on board as a sponsor and plan on this being the beginning of a long relationship with Brandon. McReynolds competed full-time in the UARA Series in 2009 posting 8 Top Ten Finishes and 2 wins. Brandon is the son of two time Daytona 500 winning Crew Chief Larry McReynolds.(Team 42 PR)(10-17-2010) UPDATE: McReynolds will be promoting GetMoreVacations.com. GetMoreVacations.com returns as a sponsor to Team 42 to continue promoting the Gulf Coast after the oil spill to encourage tourists to come back to the area. Every vacation rental on GetMoreVacations.com includes free activities like golf, theater shows, water parks and amusement parks every day of your stay.(PR)(10-21-2010)
Perez to replace Keller for 2 races? UPDATE 2: Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody is reporting that talks are underway to put 2008 NASCAR Mexico Series champion Antonio Perez behind the wheel of the Tri-Star Motorsports #35 NASCAR Nationwide Series entry at both Phoenix and Gateway. Currently second in NASCAR Mexico Series points to German Quiroga, Perez is expected to bring sponsorship from TELMEX to the team. He has six career Nationwide starts dating back to 2007 — no more than two in any season – and has also competed on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in recent seasons. He would replace veteran Jason Keller Keller, who is currently 22nd in Nationwide points with one Top-5 finish in 25 starts.(Sirius Speedway)(10-18-2010) UPDATE: The Gateway entry list has been updated to replace Jason Keller with Antonio Perez.(10-19-2010) UPDATE 2: 2008 NASCAR Corona Series Champion Antonio Perez will drive the #35 Tri-Star Motorsports Chevy in this Saturday’s 5 Hour Energy 250 at Gateway International Raceway. Sponsorship for Perez will come from CBD Glass Studios, and KSG Innovations.(PR)(10-21-2010)
Sellers driving for R3 at Gateway: UPDATE: Peyton Sellers announced Brandt will be the primary sponsor on the #23 Chevry of R3 Motorsports for this weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Gateway International Raceway. What began as a local fertilizer company in 1953 is today a technology-driven agriculture company. Under the leadership of Rick Brandt, President and CEO, the agriculture company has experienced aggressive growth throughout the United States and in many international markets, as well. Sellers, one of NASCAR’s up and coming drivers, will be making his first start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this year, and for the team.(R3 PR)(10-18-2010) UPDATE: The KT Foundation will be represented in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for the first time in the 5 Hour Energy 250 this weekend at Gateway International Raceway. Peyton Sellers, driving the #23 Brandt Chevrolet for R3 Motorsports, will carry the foundation’s logo in his first Nationwide Series race of 2010. Founded in 2002, the KT Foundation was created to increase awareness of Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS), a congenital vascular disorder of unknown cause. KTS is extremely rare and each case is unique. Therefore, the disorder is a relatively unknown medical condition except to those that have been directly impacted by the disorder. KTS primarily consists of three common symptoms: vascular anomalies, port wine stains, and hypertrophy (enlargement) of the limbs.(KT Foundation PR)(10-21-2010)
Teams line up drivers for Gateway: UPDATE: The Nationwide Series goes to Gateway for the final time next week, and with the Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway, three drivers who have been doing double duty this season will continue that effort. #22-Brad Keselowski, #60-Carl Edwards and #98-Paul Menard will have development drivers from their organizations in their Nationwide cars for practice Friday and qualifying Saturday morning at Gateway while they practice their Cup cars at Martinsville. Penske Racing’s Parker Kligerman will drive Keselowski’s car, Roush Fenway’s Erik Darnell will drive for Edwards and Roush Fenway’s Colin Braun will drive for Menard. In addition to practicing for Edwards at Martinsville, Darnell will practice for Edwards in many of the final Nationwide practices the rest of the year to allow Edwards to concentrate on his Cup car. Edwards, who is 384 points behind Keselowski with five races remaining, will practice in the first session each weekend but Darnell will take over for the second practice. Brad Coleman will replace Kyle Busch in the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing car and Matt DiBenedetto will replace Joey Logano in the #20 JGR car. Busch will drive his Kyle Busch Motorsports truck in the race Saturday at Martinsville. Driving for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the #33 car will be Mike Bliss as Harvick will drive in the truck race at Martinsville. Driving for JR Motorsports in the #88 car will be Josh Wise as Aric Almirola will run in the truck race as well. James Buescher, who has driven for Braun Racing the last few weeks, will be in Martinsville for the truck race. Brad Sweet will drive the #11 Braun Racing car while it has not been determined who will drive the #10 car. For Roush Fenway Racing, Trevor Bayne will drive the#16 car, and the organization will not send to Gateway its #17 car that Bayne has driven the last three weeks.(Scene Daily)(10-17-2010) UPDATE: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Bobby Santos III from Franklin, MA will be piloting the MacDonald Motorsports #81 Dodge this Friday in practice at Gateway International Raceway. Michael McDowell would normally be behind the wheel but has other commitments in Martinsville driving for Whitney Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series.(MacDonald Motorsports)(10-20-2010)
Shore Lodge on the #18 at Gateway: Brad Coleman will pilot the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Shore Lodge Toyota in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Gateway International Speedway this Saturday. Coleman will be making his sixth start of the season in the Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide Series #18 Toyota. In his five previous starts this season, Coleman has two top-10 and four top-15 finishes. Unfortunately his lone finish outside of the top 15 was this season’s first race at Gateway when he and teammate Matt DiBenedetto got together in a hard crash. Gateway will also mark the first time that Shore Lodge will be on the #18 Toyota. Shore Lodge is a full-service all season boutique hotel located on the southern end of the beautiful Payette Lake in the heart of McCall, Idaho. Since 1948, Shore Lodge has been a premier family vacation destination for people who want to enjoy all the activities of the mountain west.(JGR PR)(10-20-2010)
Sweet making Nationwide debut: Kasey Kahne Racing driver and USAC open-wheel star, Brad Sweet, will make his NNS debut this weekend at Gateway International Raceway in the #11 Great Clips Camry. The 24-year-old has made eight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) starts in the #90 Great Clips Toyota Tundra, with one top-10 finish to his credit. Sweet has claimed such prestigious USAC wins as the Belleville Midget Nationals, the Knoxville Midget Nationals and both the Sprint Car and Midget “Four Crown Nationals” at Eldora Speedway. He currently sits eighth in the USAC National Midget Championship point standings. (Braun/Turner)(10-20-2010)
Rusty Wallace Racing helping Kenny this weekend: For the first time in team history, RWR will provide three teams with technical support for this weekend’s event at Gateway, as it supports Kenny Wallace and his #28 team. Wallace’s car features a new primary sponsor for this weekend’s event, the Illinois Corn Growers Association and its Illinois Corn Marketing Board. This group represents the hard-working corn farmers of Illinois, one of America’s top corn-producing states. RWR competition director Wes Ward will serve in a consulting role for Wallace this weekend. Ward served as Wallace’s crew chief at PPC Racing in 2004 and 2005, seasons which produced a total of 21 top-ten finishes for Wallace, en route to overall driver rankings of ninth and seventh, respectively. On race day, Wallace’s #28 car is scheduled to be serviced by a developmental pit crew compiled by RWR, with assistance from Joe Gibbs Racing.(RWR)(10-20-2010)
Stremme on standby for Gaughan: With #62-Brendan Gaughan’s wife, Tatum, set to deliver their first child any day now, former RWR pilot David Stremme, will be on site this weekend to substitute for Gaughan if necessary.(RWR)(10-20-2010)
Jeff Green in the #40 at Gateway: Jeff Green will strap into the Key Motorsports Chevy for Saturday’s 250-mile NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Gateway International Raceway, the 2000 series champion ready to get back behind the wheel of #40 for the fourth time this season. Green drove the Key Motorsports Chevy at Talladega, Nashville and Kentucky earlier in the 2010 season, taking car #40 on a front-running excursion from the 42nd starting position at Talladega. The veteran driver from Owensboro, Kentucky was caught in an unavoidable late-race mishap and finished 16th on the high-banked Alabama superspeedway before posting finishes of 24th at Nashville and 20th at Kentucky.(Key Motorsports)(10-20-2010)
Gateway Rookie Notes:
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Stenhouse Jr. scored a 14th-place finish and took top rookie honors for the 11th time this season.
• Stenhouse Jr. leads Brian Scott by six points (208-202) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the 5-hour Energy 250 at Gateway International Raceway.
• Two Raybestos Rookies have won at Gateway since the NASCAR Nationwide Series began competing at the 1.25-mile speedway in 1997 (14 races): Kevin Harvick (2000) and Reed Sorenson (2005). Harvick edged Jeff Purvis by 1.33 seconds while Sorenson crossed the finish line .710 seconds ahead of Mike Wallace.
• Brian Scott was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2010 Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250, scoring a sixth-place finish.
• The 2010 Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at Gateway featured a strong performance by the 2010 Raybestos Rookie class. Three rookies finished inside the top-10: Scott, Colin Braun (seventh) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (ninth), the most ever in 14 previous races at Gateway.
• Only once in 14 races at have two Raybestos Rookies finished inside the top-five at Gateway. In 2005, Reed Sorenson won the race while Carl Edwards posted third-place finish.(Raybestos / Camp & Assoc PR)(10-20-2010)
Sadler may join KHI in 2011: UPDATE: #19-Elliott Sadler is looking to resuscitate his NASCAR career, and it may begin with Kevin Harvick Inc. next season. Sadler has struggled at Richard Petty Motorsports since the team tried to break the driver’s contract last season. It was finally announced this July that Sadler would not return in 2011, and there were no viable options in the Cup Series on the table. Meanwhile, Sadler had run races in the Camping World Truck Series for team owner Kevin Harvick along with a Nationwide Series race at Bristol where Sadler sat on the pole. He also won the inaugural truck race at Pocono in July. With his schedule open, both drivers said they are working towards offering a Sadler something more permanent for next season in the Nationwide Series along with more Truck races. The desire to go racing full-time with Sadler next year is there. Now all KHI has to do is find the financial backing. Sadler said Harvick does nothing halfway and won’t run a limited schedule without the proper funding. “Right now, he’s obviously a part of our Truck Series program and has run the Nationwide races,” Harvick said. “We’d love to have him play more of a role with the organization.” Harvick said the organization is still working through plans for next season. “Hopefully we can kind of lay out our truck and Nationwide plans as we get through the next three or four weeks,” he added. What is definite right now is that Sadler will be in at least four Truck races for KHI in 2011. Meanwhile, leaving the Cup Series after more than a decade doesn’t seem to bother Sadler.(in part from NASCAR.com)(10-9-2010) UPDATE: Elliott Sadler told Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that there has been no appreciable progress on finding him a ride for the 2011 season. Commenting on rumors that there could be a second Kevin Harvick, Inc., Nationwide Series Chevy in his future, Sadler said, “I haven’t signed anything with KHI or anyone else. I’ve had some great conversations with a few different owners in the last few weeks, but there’s nothing done. We are definitely working on some things, but until there’s a sponsor signed on the dotted line, it’s all `What if?’ Kevin and Delana Harvick have given me some great opportunities this year, and they will give me a great opportunity in the future if it presents itself. We’re definitely working on it, but nothing’s done yet.”(Sirius Speedway)(10-19-2010)
Team Wendy on the #16 at Gateway: Roush Fenway Racing announced that Team Wendy has been added to its stable of sponsor partners and will join the #16 NASCAR Nationwide Series team this weekend at Gateway International Raceway with Trevor Bayne behind the wheel. The Cleveland-based Team Wendy was founded in 1997 by Dan T. Moore as a memorial to his daughter Wendy, who died from a traumatic brain injury while skiing. The protective equipment manufacturer has made it its sole mission to promote helmet safety as well as provide the best protective head gear available on the market today. Team Wendy’s Zorbium Action Pad (ZAPÔ) helmet liner suspension system is the only system authorized for use by the U.S. Army, Marine Corps and National Guard. This system is procured through the mandatory source, National Industries for the Blind (NIB), as part of the AbilityOne™ program.(Roush Fenway)(10-19-2010)
Perez to replace Keller for 2 races? UPDATE: Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody is reporting that talks are underway to put 2008 NASCAR Mexico Series champion Antonio Perez behind the wheel of the Tri-Star Motorsports #35 NASCAR Nationwide Series entry at both Phoenix and Gateway. Currently second in NASCAR Mexico Series points to German Quiroga, Perez is expected to bring sponsorship from TELMEX to the team. He has six career Nationwide starts dating back to 2007 — no more than two in any season – and has also competed on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in recent seasons. He would replace veteran Jason Keller Keller, who is currently 22nd in Nationwide points with one Top-5 finish in 25 starts.(Sirius Speedway)(10-18-2010) UPDATE: The Gateway entry list has been updated to replace Jason Keller with Antonio Perez.(10-19-2010)
Two Great Clips cars at Gateway: #38-Jason Leffler will be joined by Brad Sweet in sporting a Great Clips paint scheme this weekend at GIR. Sweet, who is making his NNS debut, will pilot the #11 Great Clips Toyota Camry for Braun Racing. (Braun/Turner)(10-19-2010)
Charlotte TV Ratings: ESPN2’s live telecast of Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Charlotte earned a final national household coverage rating of 1.3, averaging 1,793,454 viewers. Last year’s race also aired on ESPN2 and earned a 1.4 rating. (ESPN)(10-19-2010)
Bosch on the #20: Bosch will be the sponsor for Matt DiBenedetto and the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing team at Gateway. See an image of the car on the #20 Nationwide team paint scheme page.(10-19-2010)
Charlotte News & Facts:
• Brad Keselowski won the Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was his 11th Nationwide Series win in his 135th start and his fifth victory in 2010, second behind Kyle Busch with 12 wins. It was Keselowski’s first victory in nine Charlotte starts.
• Keselowski finished first or second in four of the past five races.
• Keselowski holds the points lead by 450 over second-place Carl Edwards. If he averages 26th place or better in the remaining four races he will win the championship. If he scores top-5 finishes in the final four races he would set a NASCAR record of 26 top-5s in a season.
• Keselowski led three times for 46 laps, including the final 35.
• Penske Racing scored its 15th Nationwide win and sixth victory in 2010. It was Penske’s second Nationwide win at Charlotte.
• Dodge posted its sixth series win in 2010 and third victory overall at Charlotte.
• The top 10 included four Chevrolets, four Toyotas and two Dodges.
• Martin Truex Jr. scored his best series finish in six races at Charlotte. He finished second in his 100th Nationwide race.
• Justin Allgaier (third) scored his fourth straight top-10 finish. It was his best finish in five races at Charlotte.
• Kyle Busch (sixth) led the most laps (84 of 200). Busch led the most laps in five of the past six Charlotte races.
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (14th) was the best-finishing rookie of the year contender.
• Danica Patrick (21st) scored her career-best finish.
• Joe Nemechek finished 41st in his 325th series race.
(ESPN.com)(-2010)
Sellers driving for R3 at Gateway: Peyton Sellers announced Brandt will be the primary sponsor on the #23 Chevry of R3 Motorsports for this weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Gateway International Raceway. What began as a local fertilizer company in 1953 is today a technology-driven agriculture company. Under the leadership of Rick Brandt, President and CEO, the agriculture company has experienced aggressive growth throughout the United States and in many international markets, as well. Sellers, one of NASCAR’s up and coming drivers, will be making his first start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this year, and for the team.(R3 PR)(10-18-2010)
Second team for KHI? Expect Kevin Harvick Inc. to add a second Nationwide car to their team next season. While we haven’t heard definitively who will drive it, don’t be surprised if Elliott Sadler gets some races. We know for sure that KHI is working on putting the personnel together, including filling the available pit crew positions. Also, the recent hiring of former Wood Bros. crew chief David Hyder most likely means they’ve found the team’s second NNS boss for 2011.(NASCAR Insiders)(-2010)
Brandon McReynolds to make debut at Gateway: Brandon McReynolds, will pilot the TEAM 42 RACING entry in this Saturday’s 5 Hour Energy 250 at Gateway International Raceway. With four starts this year in the ARCA Re/Max Series and 2 Wins in the UARA Series, Brandon will make his first NASCAR Nationwide start this weekend. “We are very excited to have Brandon at the wheel for this race and we are looking forward to working with him. The crew has been busy preparing the car, installing the seat, and getting ready for the pull down” owner Eddie Smith stated. We are happy to have “Adaptive One by NAPA Brakes” on board as a sponsor and plan on this being the beginning of a long relationship with Brandon. McReynolds competed full-time in the UARA Series in 2009 posting 8 Top Ten Finishes and 2 wins. Brandon is the son of two time Daytona 500 winning Crew Chief Larry McReynolds.(Team 42 PR)(10-17-2010)
Teams line up drivers for Gateway: The Nationwide Series goes to Gateway for the final time next week, and with the Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway, three drivers who have been doing double duty this season will continue that effort. #22-Brad Keselowski, #60-Carl Edwards and #98-Paul Menard will have development drivers from their organizations in their Nationwide cars for practice Friday and qualifying Saturday morning at Gateway while they practice their Cup cars at Martinsville. Penske Racing’s Parker Kligerman will drive Keselowski’s car, Roush Fenway’s Erik Darnell will drive for Edwards and Roush Fenway’s Colin Braun will drive for Menard. In addition to practicing for Edwards at Martinsville, Darnell will practice for Edwards in many of the final Nationwide practices the rest of the year to allow Edwards to concentrate on his Cup car. Edwards, who is 384 points behind Keselowski with five races remaining, will practice in the first session each weekend but Darnell will take over for the second practice. Brad Coleman will replace Kyle Busch in the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing car and Matt DiBenedetto will replace Joey Logano in the #20 JGR car. Busch will drive his Kyle Busch Motorsports truck in the race Saturday at Martinsville. Driving for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the #33 car will be Mike Bliss as Harvick will drive in the truck race at Martinsville. Driving for JR Motorsports in the #88 car will be Josh Wise as Aric Almirola will run in the truck race as well. James Buescher, who has driven for Braun Racing the last few weeks, will be in Martinsville for the truck race. Brad Sweet will drive the #11 Braun Racing car while it has not been determined who will drive the #10 car. For Roush Fenway Racing, Trevor Bayne will drive the#16 car, and the organization will not send to Gateway its #17 car that Bayne has driven the last three weeks.(Scene Daily)(10-17-2010)
Red Bull driver Whitt to make debut at Phoenix: Red Bull Racing development driver Cole Whitt will attempt to make his Nationwide Series debut Nov. 13 at Phoenix International Raceway. The 19-year-old Whitt finished fourth in the 2010 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings and was runnerup for the series’ rookie honors. His East crew, headed by former Cup crew chief Randy Cox, will be his Nationwide crew. “We had built some Nationwide cars earlier in the year in case we wanted to do something down the road,” Red Bull Racing Vice President and General Manager Jay Frye said Friday. “He’s done a really good job.” The plan for Whitt next year has not been determined.(Scene Daily)(10-16-2010)
Howard will return to ML Motorsports: Speaking to Frontstretch on Friday at Charlotte, Shelby Howard confirmed that ML Motorsports would be returning to the Nationwide Series for 2011. Howard will drive 22 races for the team, with the team’s current sponsorship returning. Howard did not mention whether the organization would continue their association with Jay Robinson Racing to have the #70 fielded at every race, but conceded the team is fully aware of how valuable having their car in the top 30 for the later half of this season has been.(Frontstretch)(10-16-2010)
Patrick Sheltra talking with Richard Childress Racing about 2011 ride: 2010 ARCA Racing Series champion Patrick Sheltra was spotted in Clint Bowyer’s pit during the Dollar General 300 at Charlotte on Friday night. Sheltra confirmed to Frontstretch that he is talking with RCR about driving for the organization during the 2011 season. Sheltra Motorsports told Frontstretch last week at Rockingham that they were negotiating to move Patrick into a NASCAR ride but did not confirm who it was they had spoken to. How such an arrangement would be reached remains to be seen, for RCR has stated they are not running a Nationwide program next year. Sheltra did not mention whether he would be in the team’s No. 21 car later this season.(Frontstretch)(10-16-2010)
NASCAR to use E15 in 2011: NASCAR announced it will race with E15 fuel in its three national touring series in 2011. Sunoco Green E15 is a 15 percent ethanol blend using American-made ethanol from corn grown by American farmers.“NASCAR is committed to being an environmental leader, and the sport has taken significant steps over the years toward conservation by introducing measurable, best-in-class initiatives in recycling, alternative energy, and carbon mitigation,” said Brian France, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASCAR. The transition to Sunoco Green E15 takes our long-term sustainability strategy to the next level. Sunoco Green E15 is good for racing, good for the environment and good for America. While fueling the same close, door-to-door racing that thrills our fans, American ethanol creates jobs in the United States, helps foster energy independence, and continues the greening of our sport.” Sunoco Green E15 will be blended at Sunoco’s fuel facility in Marcus Hook, Pa., which provides high-performance race fuel to NASCAR teams at no cost to them. The American-grown and American-made corn ethanol will come in part from Sunoco’s new ethanol plant in Fulton, N.Y. The new fuel will be pumped directly from tankers at the track, rather than from on-site underground storage tanks. NASCAR team engine builders have been testing the Sunoco Green E15 for several months, and reports have been very positive. In fact, many have reported achieving more horsepower with Sunoco Green E15.(NASCAR)(10-16-2010)
Allgaier talking to RPM & JGR but: Roger Penske, who in June said there was no way Justin Allgaier would get away from his organization, has since told his 24-year-old driver he is free to look around. Penske has told Allgaier the only way he can keep him even in the Nationwide Series is if a sponsor steps up. None have so far. Allgaier isn’t holding his breath. So Allgaier is talking to Cup and Nationwide teams around the garage, but the same problem exists. No sponsor. Richard Petty Motorsports would be an ideal place for this budding star. Joe Gibbs Racing has been rumored to show interest. Allgaier admits he’s had casual talks with both of them, but not to the point he would say there is strong interest unless he has a sponsor promising to come with him. “I’ve made a decision that I want to stay in this sport next year,” Allgaier said with a smile. “Other than that it’s not really up to me. It’s frustrating in some aspects because there’s not a whole lot available. Whatever happens at this point is going to happen.”(ESPN.com)(10-16-2010)
Hyder joins KHI: Former NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chief David Hyder has taken a position with Kevin Harvick Inc. Hyder won over 100 races driving Late Models in the Southeast but most recently worked as a crew chief with the Wood Brothers on the E21 Cup car. Hyder is “shadowing us” this weekend, said KHI general manager Rick Carelli. “He’ll be working on special projects,” Carelli added. “He’ll also be Kevin’s crew chief at Martinsville (Speedway) on the #2 Tide truck.” After running part time with the Wood Brothers NASCAR Sprint Cup team this season, the 43-year-old High Pointe, N.C.-native says he’s looking forward to racing on a full-time basis again. KHI fields teams in the NASCAR Nationwide and Truck series. While KHI’s final plans for 2011 have yet to be announced, Carelli said that Hyder will be the crew chief for Tony Stewart and the #4 Chevy when he attempts to win his fourth consecutive Daytona 300 Nationwide Series race next February.(Fox Sports)(10-15-2010)
Starr running 4 more races this season: David Starr will again team up with Day Enterprises to drive the #05 Chevy in Friday night’s Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Starr will have support from two Texas-based companies, Cash America and WRL General Contractors. Starr, who lives in the shadows of Texas Motor Speedway, will drive the #05 Chevy at Charlotte, Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead to close out the 2010 season.(Linkous Enterprises)(10-15-2010)
Danica to run first 4 races of 2011: Danica Patrick will drive the #7 GoDaddy.com Chevy in the first four Nationwide Series events of 2011, JR Motorsports officials announced at a press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The races beyond that have not been determined, although Patrick will take on a schedule similar to that of her 13-race rookie campaign. The first four races include the season-opening DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 13) followed by the 200-mile race at Phoenix International Raceway (Feb. 26), the 300-mile race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, (March 5) and the 150-mile dash at Bristol Motor Speedway (March 19). Patrick will then return to the IndyCar Series to dedicate full-time attention to open-wheel racing, making sporadic returns to NASCAR throughout the year. Friday’s announcement also included the unveiling of the 2011 paint scheme for Patrick’s No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevy.(JR Motorsports) Kelley Earnhardt also said that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will run 4 races in the #7, and car will run the full season.(10-15-2010)
Kenny Wallace has Gateway sponsor: UPDATE: From Kenny Wallace’s Frontstretch diary: “I drove a farm combine in Illinois. I’m also getting ready to announce my sponsor for St. Louis. I’ve got to keep it under wraps, but just a little hint: it all ties together. So the combine that I drove will match up with my sponsor that I’ll have in St. Louis. I won’t say how, but we’ll be getting ready to announce that in another week or so.”(Frontstretch)(10-1-2010) UPDATE: NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace and officials of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board (ICMB) announced a promotional partnership in which Illinois corn farmers will share the story of their families and their crop at the October 23, 2010 “5-Hour Energy 250” NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, IL. The event will likely be the final NASCAR race at the St. Louis-area track, which was recently forced to decline 2011 NASCAR sanctions. For Wallace, one of St. Louis’ favorite sons, the partnership with Illinois corn farmers provides a bright spot in the weekend’s events.(Kenny Wallace PR)(10-15-2010)
DeWafelbakkers to sponsor McDowell: DeWafelbakkers, makers of frozen pancakes and waffles, is partnering with Michael McDowell and the MacDonald Motorsports #81 car this Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Dollar General 300. Red Line Oil will also be on the car for the third time having partnered with the team this past weekend in California and previously in Richmond.(MacDonald Motorsports)(10-14-2010)
NASCAR makes gear change for Nationwide teams: NASCAR Nationwide Series teams saw an immediate fix to a problem for this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. What they haven’t seen is any attempted fix to an issue that has many of them wondering who will be the favorites for the 2011 title. As Nationwide Series teams switched Thursday to a new gear for the Dollar General 300 this weekend, they still don’t know if Sprint Cup Series regulars will be allowed to earn points next season and compete for the title. NASCAR officials met with the team owners Tuesday, but that was more of a marketing meeting. Officials did mention that they are looking at limiting teams to only 10 certified chassis per team (for each car number). “We still don’t have an answer to [the Cup driver situation],” NASCAR Nationwide Series Director Joe Balash said Thursday. “There are still a number of things we have to do.” While NASCAR still has some time before making that particular decision, it had to make a call quickly Wednesday after drivers complained about not having enough RPMs during an on-track test for the series’ new car. It is being used this weekend for the fourth and final time this year before its implementation on a full-time basis in 2011. The target RPM for the Nationwide Series is about 8400, and with drivers hitting only about 8000 on Wednesday, NASCAR announced a gear change to allow the drivers more throttle response.(Scene Daily)(10-14-2010)
BeAStockCarDriver.com sponsoring Keller: BeAStockCarDriver.com announces that it will sponsor the #35 Chevy of TriStar Motorsports for the remainder of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule. Starting this week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the one-of-a-kind program will adorn the #35 car driven by Nationwide Series “Iron Man” Jason Keller. BeAStockCarDriver.com Driving Experience days offer you the chance to drive a real stock car just like those in NASCAR and learn expert techniques from their team of professional race car drivers, all at a fraction of the price of other Racing Schools. The Experience is designed for everyone, from the first timer to more experienced drivers.(BeAStockCarDriver.com PR)(10-14-2010)
GoDaddy and Hot Wheels team up on the #7 at Homestead: Danica Patrick’s #7 GoDaddy.com Chevy will have a “hot” new look under the lights in the NASCAR Nationwide Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 20. As part of a collaborative effort between Go Daddy, Hot Wheels and JR Motorsports, the latest version of Patrick’s #7 GoDaddy.com Chevy features an all-new paint scheme that was designed by Hot Wheels and unveiled today at the JR Motorsports facility. The unveiled design is one of three sketches that Hot Wheels designers created by hand and in digital form. Of those three blueprints, Patrick and Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons mutually selected their favorite. The winning selection features a black #7 Chevy accentuated with vibrant Go Daddy-green flames that emblazon the hood, roof and sides of the vehicle.(JR Motorsports), see an image of the car on the #7 Nationwide Series team paint scheme page.(10-14-2010)
Tax Slayer joins JR Motorsports for 2011: TaxSlayer, a tax preparation service that completes millions of tax returns each year for its customers, has agreed to a sponsorship deal with JR Motorsports’ NASCAR Nationwide Series program for 2011. TaxSlayer, based in Evans, Ga., will have its familiar red-and-black branding on JR Motorsports Chevys for nine races. Two of those primary placements will be on Aric Almirola’s #88 Chevy at Phoenix International Raceway (Feb. 26) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 5), while team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. will race a TaxSlayer-sponsored Chevy at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 19. JR Motorsports’ #7 entry will carry TaxSlayer for six additional dates.(JR Motorsports)(10-14-2010)
TireBuyer.com returns to the #01: TireBuyer.com is back as primary sponsor of Mike Wallace and the #01 J-D Motorsports Chevy at Charlotte. TireBuyer.com is your place to buy wheels and tires online. With millions of top brand tires and wheels in stock, TireBuyer.com will typically have your choice of wheels and/or tires shipped locally to one of thousands of qualified installers in 1-3 days. The TireBuyer.com Incredible Visualizer permits the shopper to match a 3-D photo of the car with tires and wheels selected from the inventory. The make model and year of the car can be matched.(JD Motorsports)(10-14-2010)
NASCAR will meet with Nationwide teams: UPDATE; NASCAR is holding a meeting with Nationwide Series owners next Tuesday to discuss a variety of issues for 2011. While NASCAR has taken an informal poll of owners and principals in the Nationwide garage to gauge the sentiment of competing against Cup drivers in the feeder tour, series director Joe Balash says, “We’ll discuss everything we have on the table” at an off-site location. Some current Nationwide owners are delaying next season’s rosters until NASCAR solidifies its rules. With a new car for 2011, rising costs and a shrinking pool of sponsors, full-time owners have a difficult time competing against Sprint Cup regulars and are looking for relief. Several scenarios have been proposed, including not allowing drivers in the top 35 in the Cup point standings to compete under the same point structure as the Nationwide-only teams. That would carry over to the next season for the first five races of the year, which are based on this season’s final top 35. Under that system a driver such as Elliott Sadler, who is expected to drive for Kevin Harvick Inc., full time in 2011, would not be eligible for Nationwide-specific points until the tour rolls into Texas Motor Speedway on April 8. Another concept being kicked around is limiting Cup drivers participating in NNS to just one practice session for that race. With the new NNS car going into full effect in 2011 — and no additional testing expected other than extra practice at Daytona during Speedweeks in February — Nationwide regulars would have a better opportunity to get up to speed.(Fox Sports)(10-8-2010) UPDATE: Nationwide Series team principals met with NASCAR at the U.S. National Whitewater Rafting Center in Charlotte for two hours on Tuesday. But the itinerary wasn’t what the teams expected. A memo was sent to team owners with the agenda stating “we will provide follow-up from our meetings in August.” Yet instead of the town-hall type of events that have been held this season — even with the Nationwide teams two months ago — there was approximately 15 minutes of NASCAR’s vice president of competition reiterating information that has been on the table for the last two months. The only newsworthy information offered to teams was the possibility of NASCAR limiting teams to 10 chassis for the full-time roll-out of the new car for 2011, changing restrictor plates for manufacturers and the potential for retaining leftover tires from races. The elephant in the room — whether Sprint Cup drivers would compete under the same points system as Nationwide Series-only drivers — was never broached. There was no question-and-answer session that followed. What followed was 90-plus minute marketing seminar from Nationwide which had been put on the back burner for the second series sponsor since March.(Fox Sports)(10-13-2010)
Key Motorsports picks up associate sponsor for Charlotte: The Key Motorsports Chevy driven by Mike Bliss will carry the colors of Westerman Companies in Friday night’s 300-mile NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Cricket SW3, a product of Rick’s Specialty Vehicles, is making their first venture into motorsports as an associate sponsor of the #40 for the Charlotte race.(Key Motorsports PR)(10-13-2010)
5-Hour Energy to sponsor Gateway Race: Gateway International Raceway and 5-hour Energy have entered into a partnership agreement that names the popular energy shot as the sponsor of the “5-hour Energy 250” NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Oct. 23, 2010. The 250-mile race will mark the final NASCAR event at Gateway under Dover Motorsports, Inc. ownership, and to honor the longtime support of race fans in the region, 5-hour Energy is offering a limited amount of $ 5 NASCAR Nationwide Series race tickets to celebrate the last lap at Gateway.(Gateway PR)(10-13-2010)
California TV Ratings: ESPN2’s live telecast of Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Fontana earned a final national household coverage rating of 1.1, averaging 1,471,752 viewers. The race earned the same rating last year when it also aired on ESPN2.(ESPN)(10-12-2010)
Valvoline returns to the #15: As the NASCAR Nationwide Series circuit competes at Charlotte Motor Speedway this week, Michael Annett and his Germain Racing teammates will race just miles from their Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Competing in his #15 Toyota Camry wrapped with Valvoline’s classic red, white and blue paint scheme, Annett and his team are again excited to partner with Valvoline and represent their brand for Friday’s Nationwide Series Dollar General 300. After partnering with the Germain Racing organization earlier in the season, Valvoline will make its second appearance on the No. 15 Toyota Camry after the car carried the familiar Valvoline colors in the Labor Day weekend event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.(Germain PR)(10-12-2010)
Guitar Hero on the #20: The #20 GameStop Toyota will have a “rocking” paint scheme this weekend in Charlotte. The sixth installment of the ever-popular Guitar Hero series, named Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, will adorn the side of the #20 Toyota this weekend. Delivering the quintessential rock music collection that focuses on guitar shredding hits from bands such as Black Sabbath, Slipknot and Megadeth and larger-than-life band anthems from Queen, Muse and KISS, players can unleash more rewards and unlockable content than ever before in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock’s Quest Mode, the franchise’s first ever story-based mode, and Quickplay+, which invites challenge-starved fanatics to test their rock skills.(JGR)(10-12-2010)
Charlotte Rookie Notes:
• Colin Braun was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the CampingWorld.com 300 at Auto Club Speedway. Braun scored a 13th-place finish and took top rookie honors for the eighth time this season.
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. leads Brian Scott by five points (206-201) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• Greg Biffle (2001) is the only Raybestos Rookie to win fall race at Charlotte. Biffle led the event twice for 11 laps and finished ahead of second-place Jason Keller (race finished under caution).
• Justin Allgaier was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2009 Dollar General 300 at Charlotte, posting a 12th-place finish.(Raybestos/Camp & Assoc PR)(10-12-2010)
Ella Foard Foundation on the #10 at Charlotte: Braun Racing announced that the Ella Foard Foundation for Rett Syndrome will adorn the decklid of its #10 AccuDoc Solutions Toyota for the upcoming Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 15th. James Buescher will drive the AccuDoc Solutions Camry with Ella Foard Foundation proudly displayed on the deck lid. The Ella Foard Foundation for Rett Syndrome was created in 2009 to help fund research for the treatment and cure for Rett Syndrome. Ella, the daughter of John and Nalisha Foard, was diagnosed with the disorder on January 10, 2008. John and Nalisha went to work on making a difference in the life of not only their own daughter, but the thousands of children worldwide by increasing the public’s awareness of Rett Syndrome. John shared his cause with Braun Racing and car owner Harry Scott, Jr. generously donated a spot on the decklid and his new young driver, James Buescher, to promote the cause.(Braun PR)(10-11-2010)
Kengor Metals sponsoring Kenny Wallace: Kengor Metals will have Kenny Wallace “covered” for this Friday night’s Dollar General 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Washington, Pennsylvania, company will serve as the primary sponsor of the #28 Jay Robinson Racing Chevy for the event.(Jay Robinson PR)(10-11-2010)
California News & Facts:
• Kyle Busch won the CampingWorld.com 300 at Auto Club Speedway. It was his 42nd Nationwide Series win in his 198th start, six wins shy of Mark Martin’s all-time wins mark. It was his 12th win of 2010 — he was won nine of his past 15 starts.
• Busch restarted 15th on Lap 90 after being penalized for speeding. It was his third win of 2010 after being penalized for speeding.
• Busch led four times for 38 laps.
• It was Busch’s 20th NASCAR win of the season in his 65th race.
• Joe Gibbs Racing posted its 57th Nationwide win and 15th of 2010. JGR posted its sixth series win at Auto Club Speedway, tying Roush Fenway Racing for the most of all teams. JGR has won the past six Nationwide races at Auto Club Speedway, a series record.
• Toyota scored its 16th Nationwide win of 2010 and sixth at Auto Club Speedway, the most by all makes.
• Brad Keselowski (second) got his 21st top-5 finish of the season and third straight top-5 at Auto Club Speedway. He has a 384-point lead over second-place Carl Edwards.
• Kevin Harvick (third) leads all drivers with 13 top-10 finishes at Auto Club Speedway. Harvick led a race-high 86 of the 150 laps.
• Edwards (fourth) finished in the top 5 in his past six Auto Club Speedway races, the longest current streak.
• Mike Bliss (ninth) got his third top-10 finish of the season.
• Colin Braun (13th) was the best-finishing rookie of the year contender.
• Danica Patrick (30th) was running 14th when she was involved in four-car accident on Lap 140. (ESPN.com)(10-11-2010)
#70 goes pink at Charlotte: The #70 Chevy driven by Shelby Howard will be sporting a different paint scheme at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the No. 70 car that 24-year-old Shelby Howard will drive in the Dollar General 300 next Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway will have pink stripes on it – stripes that in the team’s normal scheme are red and gold. On the deck lid is a logo for the K21 Foundation’s Cancer Care Fund. The K21 Cancer Care Fund provides assistance to financially-eligible residents of Kosciusko (Indiana) County who are suffering from cancer. The purpose of the fund is to relieve some of the financial strain that often accompanies that dreaded disease. On the hood are 52 names of local women who have survived or lost their battle with breast cancer.(ML M0torsports) see an image of the car on the #70 Nationwide team paint scheme page.(10-11-2010)
Wise in the #43 at Charlotte? UPDATE -IMAGE: Josh Wise will be driving the #43 Dodge Challenger under the Baker Curb Racing banner in the Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway next week. The deal is supposedly being backed by veteran tire changer D.J. Copp, his company OTWCrew.com, and Ingersoll Rand. Besides backing the deal, Copp will also serve as crew chief for the all volunteer crew during the weekend. Copp is a familiar name around the sport. In addition to working as a tire changer for some of NASCAR’s biggest teams over the last decade, he also does segments for ESPN’s NASCAR Now. Word is that Copp is attempting to put together enough support to run future races. Expect an official announcement toward the end of the week. (NASCAR Insiders)(10-7-2010) UPDATE: Ilmor will be providing the engine for the #43 Dodge to be driven by Josh Wise at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Dollar General 300 on October 15th. Ilmor has supplied Cunningham Motorsport, the Penske Driver Development ARCA team, with Dodge engines since 2007 and work closely with Penske Engines, Ilmor being co–owned by Roger Penske also partner with Honda to supply the engines to the Indy Car field.(PR)(10-7-2010) IMAGE: see an image of the car on the #43 Nationwide team paint scheme page.(10-9-2010) UPDATE: Veteran NASCAR tire changer & ESPN/MRN analyst DJ Copp is trading his Ingersoll Rand Thunder Gun for the weekend at the NASCAR Nationwide Series Dollar General 300 in Charlotte – and topping the pit box to crew chief the team his company, OTWCrew.com, is sponsoring in its headquartered hometown. Teaming up with longtime partner Ingersoll Rand, Copp hopes to lead an all-volunteer student crew & talented upcoming driver, Josh Wise, to a top-15 finish. When asked about if the team will only race in Charlotte, Copp is hopeful for the future. “We’re not preparing this car to run half the race. This OTWCrew.com Dodge is going to be ready to roll come green flag drop, and I know Josh will be ready to wheel it for 300 miles after qualifying. He has a steady track record for teams of getting the job done on the qualifying laps – so it’s up to us to show how we can put in the track performance. With the right partnerships, we’re looking to keep racing after Charlotte.”(Girl Friday PR & Marketing)(10-11-2010)
Pink and Blue for Two on the #23: R3 Motorsports has joined forces with Emerson Newton-John and his aunt, world renowned entertainer Olivia Newton-John, to promote breast and prostate cancer awareness and testing through the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. The #23 Chevy will drop its familiar black, red and gray scheme and switch over to a black, pink and blue motif for “Pink and Blue for Two” (PB42) under the lights of the 1.5-mile oval. (R3 Motorsports)(10-12-2010)
Rexall on the #11 fro 3 races; Reutimann driving: The Rexall brand is gracing the #11 Braun Racing entry in three races this fall. David Reutimann will return to the NASCAR Nationwide Series to drive the orange and blue Rexall Toyota in the Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 15, Texas Motor Speedway on November 6 and Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20.(Turner Motorsports)(10-11-2010)
Fastenal returning to #60 in 2011: The next time the #60 will carry the Fastenal paint scheme is the first race of the 2011 season at Daytona International Speedway when Carl Edwards will pilot the #60 Fastenal Ford Mustang.(Fastenal)(10-11-2010)
Braun hopes to return to Roush Fenway: Roush Fenway Racing driver Colin Braun has had a tough Nationwide Series season but he isn’t giving up on finishing strong and even returning to Roush Fenway next year. Braun had planned on running the full season in 2010 and challenging for top rookie honors but he has competed in only 21 of the 30 Nationwide races this year after some early struggles resulted in him being pulled from the seat for select events. The 22-year-old driver, speaking before a 13th-place finish Saturday in the Nationwide race at Auto Club Speedway, said he hopes to perform well in his three remaining races this year. Roush Fenway has several development drivers – Braun, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Erik Darnell, Brian Ickler and Trevor Bayne – who have seen time in the Nationwide Series. Braun said he “absolutely” hopes he will race for the team next year. “As it sits right now, Roush Fenway is looking for sponsors for the Nationwide programs and working on stuff for next year,” said Braun, who won a truck race last year at Michigan. “I know if we can have some good runs at the end of this year, it would definitely help.”(Scene Daily)(10-10-2010)
Sadler may join KHI in 2011: #19-Elliott Sadler is looking to resuscitate his NASCAR career, and it may begin with Kevin Harvick Inc. next season. Sadler has struggled at Richard Petty Motorsports since the team tried to break the driver’s contract last season. It was finally announced this July that Sadler would not return in 2011, and there were no viable options in the Cup Series on the table. Meanwhile, Sadler had run races in the Camping World Truck Series for team owner Kevin Harvick along with a Nationwide Series race at Bristol where Sadler sat on the pole. He also won the inaugural truck race at Pocono in July. With his schedule open, both drivers said they are working towards offering a Sadler something more permanent for next season in the Nationwide Series along with more Truck races. The desire to go racing full-time with Sadler next year is there. Now all KHI has to do is find the financial backing. Sadler said Harvick does nothing halfway and won’t run a limited schedule without the proper funding. “Right now, he’s obviously a part of our Truck Series program and has run the Nationwide races,” Harvick said. “We’d love to have him play more of a role with the organization.” Harvick said the organization is still working through plans for next season. “Hopefully we can kind of lay out our truck and Nationwide plans as we get through the next three or four weeks,” he added. What is definite right now is that Sadler will be in at least four Truck races for KHI in 2011. Meanwhile, leaving the Cup Series after more than a decade doesn’t seem to bother Sadler.(in part from NASCAR.com)(10-9-2010)
Acredale Vending on the #70: Acredale Vending & Coffee Service will be a small associate sponsor for Mark Green on the # 70 Chevy this week. Acredale has had a great relationship with Jay Robinson Racing for the past 3 years and they look forward to many more.(Acredale PR)(10-9-2010)
NASCAR will meet with Nationwide teams: NASCAR is holding a meeting with Nationwide Series owners next Tuesday to discuss a variety of issues for 2011. While NASCAR has taken an informal poll of owners and principals in the Nationwide garage to gauge the sentiment of competing against Cup drivers in the feeder tour, series director Joe Balash says, “We’ll discuss everything we have on the table” at an off-site location. Some current Nationwide owners are delaying next season’s rosters until NASCAR solidifies its rules. With a new car for 2011, rising costs and a shrinking pool of sponsors, full-time owners have a difficult time competing against Sprint Cup regulars and are looking for relief. Several scenarios have been proposed, including not allowing drivers in the top 35 in the Cup point standings to compete under the same point structure as the Nationwide-only teams. That would carry over to the next season for the first five races of the year, which are based on this season’s final top 35. Under that system a driver such as Elliott Sadler, who is expected to drive for Kevin Harvick Inc., full time in 2011, would not be eligible for Nationwide-specific points until the tour rolls into Texas Motor Speedway on April 8. Another concept being kicked around is limiting Cup drivers participating in NNS to just one practice session for that race. With the new NNS car going into full effect in 2011 — and no additional testing expected other than extra practice at Daytona during Speedweeks in February — Nationwide regulars would have a better opportunity to get up to speed.(Fox Sports)(10-8-2010)
Sad News: Jason Terry: UPDATE:Jason C. Terry, 39, of Owensboro, passed away suddenly on October 5, 2010 at Owensboro Medical Health System. Born in Owensboro, he was a 1990 graduate of Owensboro Catholic High School where he excelled in basketball and baseball. Known affectionately as both Dog and Smiley, he holds the record for the most steals by an Owensboro Catholic basketball player, taking the ball away 107 times in the 1989/1990 season. Jason was an active member of Roseville Baptist Church in Hancock County, where he taught kindergarten through 5th grade Sunday school. For 11 years he worked with NASCAR as a jack man and right rear tire carrier for Brewco Motor Sports for drivers Mark Green, David Green, Casey Atwood, Jeff Purvis, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffel, and Kevin Grubb. Following his NASCAR career he was co-owner of MJ’s Flooring. The funeral service for Mr. Terry will be 2:00 p.m. Friday at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory. Visitation with the family will be from 2:00 until 8:00 p.m. Thursday and from 12 noon until 2:00 p.m. Friday at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory. Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the Blake and Kendall Terry Scholarship Fund, care of Chase Bank.(10-6-2010) UPDATE: Baker Curb Racing, formerly Brewco Motorsports, will pay remembrance to former crew member Jason “Smiley” Terry with a decal on The C post of Baker Curb Racing’s #27 Ford Fusion this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. Terry, who worked for the team for 11 years when they were based in Central City, Kent., passed away on October 5th.
Crew member suspended: Kenneth Luna, a crew member in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy. On Sept. 21, Luna was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.(NASCAR), note: Luna was also suspended by NASCAR in February for violating NASCAR’s substance abuse policy.(10-6-2010)
Cobb’s crew chief fined: NASCAR announced that Steve Kuykendall, crew chief of the #13 team that competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been fined $5,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31 as a result of rule violations during this past weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway. The #13 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-5.10.1B(3) (carburetor venturis exceeded the specified size) of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rule Book. The infractions were discovered during opening-day inspection on Oct. 1.(NASCAR)(10-6-2010)
Torrent on the #99 at California: OUT! Pet Care sister company NCH Europe is featuring TORRENT, a revolutionary next generation product for industrial cleaning applications, as the primary sponsor of the #99 Toyota this week in California.(Diamond-Waltrip)(10-6-2010)
Scott confirms talks with Gibbs: From an interview Brian Scott gave to Frontstretch: On Gibbs: “I have had talks with J.D. [Gibbs] and the nice people over at [Joe] Gibbs Racing. God, that would be an opportunity. I’d really, really love to go over there and race for that team. I’ve always looked up to that team, and I think that a lot of drivers in the garage area would love to drive their stuff. If that ends up being where I go next year, I’d be thrilled to death and very excited. But, nothing’s a done deal yet and like I said, talks are across the board.”(Fronstretch)(10-6-2010)
Hasselhoff to sing National Anthem at Auto Club Speedway: David Hasselhoff is ready to take the stage at Auto Club Speedway to perform the National Anthem for the CampingWorld.com 300 NNS race on Saturday, Oct. 9. Fans can catch Hasselhoff’s performance and the CampingWorld.com 300 live on ESPN 2, starting at 1:30 p.m. PDT. Hasselhoff, listed in the Guinness Book of Records as “The Most Watched TV Star in the World”, began his acting career in “The Young and the Restless” as Dr. Snapper Foster and then starred as Michael Knight in the show “Knight Rider.” This role earned him the People’s Choice Award for Most Popular Actor. His most popular role was next when he starred in “Baywatch.” The show ran for 11 years and is still viewed in 140 countries by over one billion viewers every week. He has starred in several feature films, on stage and has had a remarkable musical career garnering 40 gold and platinum records worldwide. Hasselhoff just completed recording an album with award winning Broadway composer Frank Wildhorn. Hasselhoff and his daughters, Taylor Ann and Hayley will also launch a new reality show on A&E titled “Meet the Hasselhoff’s.” The program is set to premier at the end of the year.(Auto Club Speedway)(10-6-2010)
Scott returns to RAB: Rookie Brian Scott returns to pilot the #09 Shore Lodge Ford Fusion for RAB Racing this weekend as the NASCAR Nationwide Series heads west to Fontana, Calif., for the CampingWorld.com 300. Scott, who made his RAB Racing debut last weekend at Kansas Speedway, earned his first top-10 of the 2010 season at Auto Club Speedway earlier this year. Idaho-based family vacation destination Shore Lodge joins Scott and RAB Racing for the second week as primary sponsor on the #09 Ford.(RAB Racing)(10-6-2010)
California Rookie Notes:
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the October 2 Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Stenhouse Jr. scored a sixth-place finish, his sixth top-10 of the season. He earned top rookie honors for the fourth consecutive race and for the 10th time in 2010.
• Stenhouse Jr. used his good finish at Kansas to take the lead in the overall Raybestos Rookie standings over Brian Scott. The two are separated by just five points (205-200) entering the CampingWorld.com 300 at Auto Club Speedway.
• Michael Annett was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2009 CampingWorld.com 300, scoring a sixth-place finish.
• Carl Edwards (2005) is the only Raybestos Rookie to win the fall race at Auto Club Speedway. Edwards crossed the finish line 1.710 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Greg Biffle. He is also the only Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish in six fall races at the 2.0-mile speedway.
• The 2009 fall race at Auto Club Speedway marked the first time in six fall races that TWO or more Raybestos Rookies finished in the top-10: Annett and Brendan Gaughan (seventh).
• The only Raybestos Rookie to win a pole position in 20 previous races at Auto Club Speedway is Steve Park (1997). Park captured the top starting position for the first NASCAR Nationwide Series race ever at Auto Club Speedway.
• At least one Raybestos Rookie has finished inside the top-10 in four of six fall races at Auto Club Speedway.(Raybestos/Camp & Assoc)(10-5-2010)
Roderick planning Nationwide debut at Phoenix: UPDATE: Bill Elliott development driver Casey Roderick is hoping to make his Nationwide Series debut at Phoenix International Raceway on November 13, Frontstretch. Roderick, who scored his first career ARCA victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park Sunday, said that while nothing is set in stone, he is hoping to contest the 200-miler later this fall. While team details were not available, Roderick, who turned 18 less than two weeks ago, also noted that he will be contesting the upcoming ARCA race at Chicagoland in a Phoenix Racing entry. Phoenix Racing has already been providing setup support for the Elliott-owned #51 car in the ARCA Racing Series.(Frontstretch)(8-17-2010) UPDATE: Blame the economy. Blame a lack of rabbit’s feet. Blame circumstance. But, Casey Roderick’s immediate racing future took a sharp turn in the wrong direction after a series of events both leading up to and during last week’s ARCA Series race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Just two weeks prior to the Kansas Lottery 150, Phoenix Racing, the longtime NASCAR team that Bill Elliott Racing (the team Roderick has worked for and competed with for the past couple of years) and had formed a partnership with BER to help run Roderick part-time in the ARCA, informed Roderick and BER that his car would not be prepared in time for the Kansas race and future plans with the youngster and the team were on hold. Roderick, who also had plans to run the ARCA season finale at Rockingham Speedway and possibly his Nationwide Series debut for Phoenix Racing at Phoenix International Raceway later this year, suddenly saw his racing season come to a halt. The chain of events that has stymied Roderick’s future plans began in the ARCA race at Chicagoland Speedway, when Roderick got a bit hasty in trying to gain spots in the race. The 18-year-old Lawrenceville native lost control of the Phoenix Racing #51 machine early in the race, collected another race car, and absolutely destroyed his. The Bill Elliott Racing driver got a stern lecture from team owner and mentor Bill Elliott, but had full plans of going to Phoenix Racing’s shop in Spartanburg, South Carolina to repair the wounded car in time for the Kansas race. But the damaged race car and a lack of funds led Phoneix Racing to make the decision about Kansas and Roderick that it made.(WSB Radio)(10-5-2010)
Kansas TV Ratings: The telecast of Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Kansas Speedway on ESPN2 earned a final national household coverage rating of 1.2, averaging 1,537,801 viewers. The race also aired on ESPN2 last year and earned the same rating.(ESPN)(10-5-2010)
Mad Catz on the #20: When the #20 GameStop Toyota rolls out of the hauler this weekend at Auto Club Speedway it will feature the look of Mad Catz, a worldwide leader in manufacturing, distributing and marketing innovative controllers and other peripherals for the console and PC game systems. Mad Catz develops and markets accessories for videogame systems and PCs under its Mad Catz, Saitek, Cyborg, Eclipse and TRITTON brands. Mad Catz distributes its products through most of the leading retailers offering interactive entertainment products and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia. Mad Catz has been a primary partner on the #20 GameStop Toyota before, coming last season at Watkins Glen International.(JGR)(10-5-2010)
El Monterey sponsoring Newman: On Saturday, Ryan Newman will pilot the #1 El Monterey Chevy for Phoenix Racing for his third-ever Nationwide Series start at Auto Club Speedway as El Monterey makes its debut in NASCAR. El Monterey, the #1 frozen Mexican food brand in the country, is kicking off its 25th anniversary celebration with its sponsorship of Newman’s 1 Chevy.(True Speed Communications)(10-5-2010)
Kansas News & Facts:
• Joey Logano won the Nationwide Series Kansas Lottery 300 on Saturday at Kansas Speedway. It was his eighth series win in his 61st start and his second victory of 2010. It was also his second Kansas win in three starts. He led five times for 18 laps, including the final six.
• Logano is the first repeat winner in 10 series races at Kansas. He won from the pole, which he has accomplished five times. He is the first Kansas winner to start from the pole, however.
• The victory was the 14th in the series for Joe Gibbs Racing this season and the 56th series win for the organization all time. JGR won at Kansas for the third time, the most of any team, and those three victories have come in the past three races there. The team has won nine of the past 11 1.5-mile races.
• The victory was the 15th for Toyota in 2010, the most of all teams.
• Brad Keselowski (finished second) got his 20th top-5 finish of the season. Keselowski has a 374-point lead over Carl Edwards.
• Kyle Busch (third) rebounded from a spin while leading on Lap 89; he led the most laps without winning for the second straight Kansas race.
• Kevin Harvick (fourth) has finished in the top 10 in 21 of his 23 starts this season.
• Martin Truex Jr. (fifth) made his first series start of the season.
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (sixth) was the best finishing rookie of the year contender, and he has finished in the top 11 in the past four races.
• Brendan Gaughan (ninth) finished in the top 10 for the first time since finishing sixth at ORP in July.
• Ricky Carmichael (18th) made his series debut.
• Twenty-four drivers finished on the lead lap, a series record at Kansas. Twenty-one lead changes set a series record for Kansas. (ESPN.com)(10-4-2010)
Tissot sponsoring Danica Patrick: Tissot, a manufacturer of Swiss watches since 1853, announced that it has reached an agreement with JR Motorsports as a sponsor of Danica Patrick’s #7 NASCAR Nationwide Series entry through the 2011 season. Tissot will be the primary sponsor on Patrick’s Chevy in Saturday’s Nationwide race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., and will be an associate sponsor for the remainder of her 2010 Nationwide events — at Charlotte,Gateway, Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead. The arrangement for the 2011 Nationwide season includes a Tissot primary sponsorship at the Chicagoland Speedway race and an associate sponsor at all of Patrick’s other races.(Tissot/DMF Communications)(10-4-2010)
Toyota wins manufacturer’s championship: When Joey Logano’s Camry crossed the finish line first in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Kansas Speedway, it enabled Toyota to clinch its third consecutive NNS manufacturer’s championship in just its fourth year of series competition. This marks the seventh time that Toyota has earned a NASCAR manufacturer’s title since its NASCAR debut in 2004. Last year, Toyota captured its second straight NNS title, and in each of the past four years (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009) Toyota has won the manufacturer’s championship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). The performance of five full-time teams fielding 10 Camrys — Braun Racing, Diamond-Waltrip Racing, Germain Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and Rusty Wallace Racing — all contributed to the 2010 title earning Toyota the Bill France Performance Cup. Camry Nationwide Series drivers have combined to produce 15 victories, 62 top-five finishes, 123 top- 10 results and 15 pole positions in the first 29 events of the 2010 season.(Toyota)(10-2-2010)
Mad Croc sponsoring KHI at Gateway: Mad Croc Brands announced a sponsorship agreement with Kevin Harvick Inc. The agreement includes the distribution of Mad Croc products in select Kroger stores in the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as Mad Croc’s sponsorship of Kevin Harvick Inc.’s NASCAR Nationwide Series #33 Chevy to be driven by Mike Bliss in the upcoming Nationwide Series event on October 23rd, 2010 at Gateway International Raceway.(KHI), see a graphic of the car on the #33 Nationwide team paint scheme page.(10-1-2010)
Kenny Wallace has Gateway sponsor: From Kenny Wallace’s Frontstretch diary: “I drove a farm combine in Illinois. I’m also getting ready to announce my sponsor for St. Louis. I’ve got to keep it under wraps, but just a little hint: it all ties together. So the combine that I drove will match up with my sponsor that I’ll have in St. Louis. I won’t say how, but we’ll be getting ready to announce that in another week or so.”(Frontstretch)(10-1-2010)
