September 2010 Nationwide Series Archive

• Roush signs Bayne: UPDATE: Roush Fenway Racing announced it has signed up-and-coming NASCAR driver Trevor Bayne. The 19-year old has started all 28 races in the Nationwide Series this season, running to 10 top-10 finishes and five top fives. After getting acclimated in the series, Bayne has totaled three poles, nine top 10s and five top fives in his last 14 Nationwide starts. He is currently ranked seventh in the Nationwide Series standings. “We are pleased to be able to sign a driver of both Trevor’s caliber and character,” said team owner Jack Roush. “Trevor has exhibited a distinctive ability to run fast, up front and compete side-by-side with veteran drivers in a relatively short amount of time. We feel that he possesses all of the tools necessary to grow into a top-level driver and we look forward to working with him to hone his skills as we move forward down the road.” Bayne will pilot the #17 Roush Fenway Nationwide Series entry this weekend in Kansas, and Roush Fenway intends to run him for the remaining six races on the schedule. (RFR)(-2010)
  UPDATE: It is also expected that Bayne will drive for the organization full time in the series in 2011. According to sources, he also is a candidate to drive the #19 Richard Petty Motorsports Sprint Cup car in select races next year. RPM is affiliated with Roush Fenway.(Scene Daily)(9-30-2010)

• Brian Scott to drive for RAB at Kansas: UPDATE 2: Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody has learned that Brian Scott will be back in action this weekend in the NASCAR Nationwide Series “Kansas Lottery 300” at Kansas Speedway, driving the #09 Ford for RAB Racing. Scott was unavailable for comment earlier today, and a spokesperson for RAB Racing said the team will have an official announcement on its driver for the weekend later today. The #09’s driver is currently listed as “TBA” on the official NASCAR entry list.(Sirius Speedway)(9-29-2010)
  | UPDATE: According to a tweet by RAB Racing owner Robby Benton, Brian Scott will drive this weekend and Scott Zipadelli will serve as crew chief.(9-29-2010)
  UPDATE 2:Brian Scott, who leads the rookie standings by one point over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and is 14th overall in the Nationwide Series standings, will drive for RAB Racing this weekend at Kansas Speedway and likely will finish out the year with the team.(Scene Daily)(9-3-2010)
• Van Chevy to sponsor Key at Kansas: Van Chevrolet will be the primary sponsor of the #40-Key Motorsports Chevy driven by Mike Bliss in the Kansas Lottery 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday, October 2 at Kansas Speedway. The one-race arrangement with the Kansas City, Missouri based automobile dealer was announced Thursday morning.(Key Motorsports), see a graphic of the car on the #40 Nationwide team paint scheme page.(9-30-2010)
• Lionel on the #7 at Kansas: UPDATE: looks like Lionel will be the sponsor for Josh Wise and the #7 JR Motorsports team this weekend at Kansas. See a diecast image of the car on my #7 Nationwide Series paint schemes page.(9-27-2010)
  UPDATE: As part of Lionel’s initial foray into NASCAR, the #7 Chevy driven by Josh Wise will feature a special Lionel NASCAR Collectibles paint scheme at Kansas Speedway. Lionel NASCAR Collectables, LLC is the new partnership between Lionel Electric Trains, NASCAR and the NASCAR Team Licensing Trust that will revolutionize the world of die-cast motorsports replicas. The new company, which formed in July of this year, is already the premiere manufacturer and supplier of NASCAR licensed die-cast cars and will proudly carry on the Action Racing Collectables and RCCA Elite Brands. Wise’s #7 features train elements emblazoned across the entire vehicle, most notably along the sides of the car where the actual tires blend in among the train wheels that are part of the paint scheme.(JR Motorsports)(9-29-2010)
• Sport Clips back on the #20: Sport Clips will be the primary sponsor for the fourth and final time this season of the #20 Nationwide Toyota and Joey Logano this weekend. Sport Clips is a national sport-themed hair-care franchise for men and boys that can be found in 38 states.(JGR PR)(9-29-2010)
• Sad News – Mike Potrer: The Honorable Thomas Michael “Mike” Porter, 69, of 238 Maple Acres Road (Glenwood Park) in Princeton, WV died Monday, September 27, 2010 at Charleston Area Medical Center in Charleston, W.Va. Born May 10, 1941 in Lashmeet, W.Va., he was the son of the late Robert Jackson “Jack” Porter and Mary Magdalene “Maggie” Mills Porter. He attended Johnston’s Chapel Baptist Church in Princeton and was a U.S. Army veteran.
  Mike was a former Driver/Owner of Mike Porter Racing in Princeton, WV. Competing in the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division/NASCAR Busch Grand National Division/NASCAR Busch Series(All now the NASCAR Nationwide Series). Mike raced in that series from the mid 70’s through the mid 90’s. Mike is credited with one victory at Martinsville in 1980 in what was then the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division(now Nationwide series). And Mike is also credited with the 1st pole for the NASCAR Busch Grand National Division(BGN) at Daytona in 1982. 1982 was the first year of the BGN Division, after Busch Beer took on the title sponsorship of the Late Model Sportsman Division. in the 90’s, as Mike’s focus changed from the BGN Division to the NASCAR Late Model Stock Divsion. Mike raced all over the east coast, winning over 100 victories racing late Model Stock Cars.
  Survivors include his wife of forty-eight years, Evelyn “Ruth” Hedrick Porter of Princeton; one son, Thomas Michael “Mikey” Porter, Jr. and wife Sharon of Princeton; two grandchildren, Jacob Porter and Jared Porter, both of Princeton; and one sister, Patty Porter Grace of Princeton.
  Funeral services will be conducted at 1:00 pm, Friday, October 1, 2010 at the Princeton Church of God, more information at the Seaver Funeral Home website.(9-29-2010)
• Missouri Valley College on the #70 at Kansas: A little college spirit will be on display this weekend at Kansas. But it won‘t be touting the ?big two, the Kansas Jayhawks or the Kansas State Wildcats. No, the same big-time backing will come in the form of a smaller school — Missouri Valley College. Ed Mullen, team president of ML Motorsports, and Billy Hutchinson, the team‘s marketing director, are graduates of the Marshall, Mo.-based college. They both also played baseball for the Vikings. The team‘s # 70 Chevy driven by Shelby Howard will sport the school‘s orange and purple color scheme, in addition to displaying the Missouri Valley College logo on its hood. Along with the team‘s representation on track, nearly 200 Missouri Valley College student-athletes will take part in their annual NASCAR fundraiser. This is the 10th year MVC student-athletes will make the two-hour trip west to work the three-day event at Kansas Speedway.(NASCAR)(9-28-2010)
• Fiornia to serve as honorary starter of CampingWorld.com 300: U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina will serve as an Honorary Starter for the NNS CampingWorld.com 300 at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 9. As Honorary Starter, Fiorina, former Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, will wave the green flag to officially start the race. The 150-lap, 300-mile event is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. local time and will be televised on ESPN2. Fiorina served as Chairman and CEO of HP from 1999 to 2005, leading the legendary company through the dot-com bust and the worst technology recession in 25 years. During her tenure, HP’s revenues doubled from $42.4 billion to $86.7 billion, with improved profitability in every product category. Today, HP is the largest technology company in the world.(Auto Club Speedway)(9-28-2010)

• Truex Brothers to split #99 for remainder of season: iamond-Waltrip Racing announced that two-time K&N Pro Series East champion Ryan Truex and two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Martin Truex Jr. will share the #99 Toyota for the remainder of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. The brothers will replace Trevor Bayne. DWR will field two cars this weekend at Kansas Speedway, marking the first time the Truex brothers will race against each other. Ryan Truex, who capped his second K&N East Series championship season last weekend in Dover, will drive the #99 OUT! Pet Care Toyota at Kansas while older brother will pilot the #00 OUT! Pet Care entry. Ryan Truex will then race at Charlotte, St. Louis, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami, while Martin Jr. will race at California and Texas. “I am very proud of the Diamond-Waltrip race team and the progress our team has made this year,” said majority owner Gary Bechtel. “On the track, this has been a sensational season and I feel as if we can win a race before the end of the season. The root of the issue regarding Trevor and his future with DWR is simply economics. DWR held an option on Trevor’s contract, but without appropriate funding, we could not match the provisions of that contract extension by guaranteeing him a full-time ride in the #99 car next year. We could not commit to the demands of the agreement. “We all wanted to work towards a positive solution, but time was not on our side. We had to make a business decision and Trevor had to make a business decision. We owe it to our race team, sponsors and everyone personally invested in this organization to move forward with those who will be with us in 2011 and beyond.” Bechtel said his Nationwide Series team is strong and finalizing a program he expects to announce soon.(Diamond Waltrip PR)(9-28-2010)
• Dover TV Ratings: ESPN2’s live telecast of Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Dover earned a final national household coverage rating of 1.2, the same rating earned for last year’s race that also aired on ESPN2. The telecast averaged 1,624,214 viewers, an 11 percent increase from last year. ESPN2’s NASCAR Nationwide Series ratings have remained consistent all season and are slightly up from ratings at this point last year.(ESPN)(9-28-2010)
• Buescher in the #11 at Kansas: Braun Racing, which was recently acquired by Turner Motorsports, announced that NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, James Buescher, will pilot the #11 Toyota Camry in this weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Kansas Speedway. Buescher will join teammate, Jason Leffler, in sporting the colors of Great Clips, the longest-running primary sponsor in the series. Buescher will be paired with veteran crew chief, Stewart Cooper, who has worked with such talent as Kasey Kahne, David Reutimann and Tayler Malsam in 2010. He will also pilot the #11 entry for Braun Racing at Auto Club Speedway(Braun Racing PR)(9-28-2010)

• Brian Scott out after Dover: UPDATE 4: The plans for the organization on the Nationwide Series side include replacing Brian Scott after this weekend’s race at Dover International Speedway with Turner’s current Camping World Truck Series drivers Ricky Carmichael and James Buescher. Braun driver Tayler Malsam also will be phased out. Steve Turner has big plans for Turner Motorsports, which expanded its Camping World Truck Series operations to the Nationwide Series beginning this weekend when it was announced Friday that he had bought the four-car operation of Braun Racing. Carmichael will make his Nationwide debut next week at Kansas Speedway in the #11 car, which was driven by Scott, whom Turner said has told the team he was leaving at the end of the season to go with another team. Sources indicated that Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the teams Scott has talked with about a possible ride next year. Jason Leffler and Reed Sorenson will keep their rides through the end of the year and it is possible they will remain with the team. Their sponsors, Great Clips and Dollar General, are expected to return next season. Turner said he will shut down the part-time Sprint Cup operation fielded by Braun this year.(Scene Daily)(9-25-2010)
  UPDATE: Turner Motorsports announced that one of its drivers, Ricky Carmichael, will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the #10 Monster Energy car at Kansas Speedway. Carmichael, a 15-time AMA Champion and current full-time driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, will have long-time sponsor, Monster Energy Drink, on the hood of his car as part of Turner Motorsports’ acquisition of Braun Racing. Additionally, Carmichael is set to compete in the Nationwide Series races at Phoenix and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Moving forward, Carmichael plans to run full time in the Truck Series in 2011 and a partial Nationwide Series schedule with approximately seven races.(Turner Motorsports PR)(9-25-2010)
  UPDATE: Braun Racing announced the release of driver Brian Scott for the remainder of the 2010 season. The parting of ways was mutual after Scott scored three top-5’s and five top-10’s in the #11 Braun Racing Toyota. Scott currently leads NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year standings.(Braun Racing)(9-27-2010)
  UDPATE: Brian Scott has been released from Braun Racing and has talked with Joe Gibbs Racing about a Nationwide Series ride for next year, the teams have confirmed. JGR President J.D. Gibbs said Sunday the team is in discussions with Scott, who has one career NASCAR national series victory – a Truck Series win at Dover last year. “We’re working through some of that [contract talk] with him and his dad, just kind of in general what do we have available and how does that work,” Gibbs said Sunday at Dover. “We’re working through that. I would’t say definitely yes or definitely no, but that’s definitely a possibility.”(Scene Daily)(9-27-2010)
  UPDATE 4: Scott said he is hurrying to put together a new deal to maintain his spot at the top of the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. “I’m very fortunate to have the people I have around me; from a family, management and manufacturer standpoint. The Raybestos Rookie deal is important to me and a lot of other people, including teams who know it would be a feather in their hat to have me finish the season in their cars. The phone’s been ringing a lot. I am absolutely not looking to miss any races,” he said. “My top priority right now is to finish the year and finish it strong. I’m not 100% (certain to race in Kansas), but I feel like we’re going to be able to get something done within the next day or two.”(Sirius Speedway)(9-27-2010)
• Overstreet to be Gaughan’s crew chief: Jason Overstreet will be the interim crew chief for Brendan Gaughan at Rusty Wallace Racing. Overstreet served as crew chief for current Sprint Cup Series star David Reutimann during his Truck Series days, but most recently worked at Robby Gordon Motorsports. His assignment will free up Larry Carter, who was recently hired as general manager at RWR.(Fox Sports)(9-27-2010)
• Lionel on the #7 at Kansas: looks like Lionel will be the sponsor for Josh Wise and the #7 JR Motorsports team this weekend at Kansas. See a diecast image of the car on my #7 Nationwide Series paint schemes page.(9-27-2010)
• Dover News & Facts:
  • Kyle Busch won the Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway. Busch won for the 11th time in 2010, setting the series record for most wins in a season. The previous record of 10 was shared by Sam Ard (1983) and Busch (2008). It was Busch’s 41st Nationwide Series victory in his 196th start, ranking second to Mark Martin with 48.
  • Busch posted his 20th top-10 finish in 22 series races in 2010.
  • Busch has won three of the past five races at Dover. It was his eighth top-10 in 13 Dover races.
  • Busch led two times for a race-high 192 laps, including the final 59. Busch passed Harry Gant (796) for the most laps led all time by a driver at Dover (now 853).
  • Joe Gibbs Racing posted its 55th Nationwide victory, second all time to Roush Fenway with 110. JGR won for the fifth win at Dover, most by all owners.
  • Toyota posted its 14th win in 2010 and fourth victory at Dover.
  • The top 10 included five Toyotas, two Fords, two Chevrolets and one Dodge.
  • Joey Logano (second) finished 14th or better in four Dover races, including second-place finishes in his last two Dover starts.
  • Carl Edwards (third) was running at the finish in the last 11 Dover races. Edwards scored his 22nd top-10 finish in 28 series races in 2010.
  • Steve Wallace finished 12th in his 150th race.
  • Points leader Brad Keselowski finished 17th.
  • Mike Wallace finished 19th in his 375th race.(ESPN.com)(9-27-2010)

• Roush interested in Bayne: UPDATES: Jack Roush says he “would have an interest” in #99-Trevor Bayne if the driver becomes available. Given the current economic conditions in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Diamond Waltrip Racing cannot guarantee a full-time ride for Bayne in 2011. The team is a partnerhip between Michael Waltrip Racing and Gary Bechtel. Bayne, 19, is currently seventh in the NASCAR Nationwide points standings and considered one of the hottest prospects on the tour. MWR Executive Vice President of Business Development and General Manager Ty Norris said the company would not comment on Bayne’s status until next week. Roush said that while he does not currently “have an idle” Nationwide team or a sponsor for a third team at the moment, that could change. With Paul Menard’s departure at the end of the year, it opens up the #98 Ford for 2011. Rumblings of Bayne parting ways with DWR started earlier this week when Martin Truex Jr.’s name appeared atop of the No. 99 Nationwide Toyota. Early rumors had Bayne possibly driving for TRG, however with just 42 Nationwide races under his belt, that move could be considered premature. With Roush Fenway Racing equipped with both Nationwide and Cup efforts, it would provide Bayne with a solid program to gain seat time.(Fox Sports)(9-24-2010)
  UPDATE: One of the up-and-comers in the Nationwide Series appears headed to another organization. Trevor Bayne, who as had a successful first season with Diamond-Waltrip Racing, is unlikely to remain with the organization in 2011, a Michael Waltrip Racing official said Friday. Two sources close to the situation told the Observer and ThatsRacin.com Bayne could be out of the #99 Toyota as early as next week’s race at Kansas Speedway. Bayne had signed a five-year contract with MWR, but there were requirements written into annual extensions that had to be met for the contract to remain in effect. One of those – the guarantee of full sponsorship for the next season – MWR is not able to meet at this time, team officials said.(Charlotte Observer)(9-24-2010)
  UPDATE: Trevor Bayne is out of the Diamond-Waltrip Racing #99 NASCAR Nationwide Series Toyota, creating an opportunity for Martin Truex, Jr. and younger brother Ryan to race against each other for the first time in Saturday’s “Kansas Lottery 300 ” at Kansas Speedway. Martin Truex, Jr., confirmed the change today, telling Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody, “Trevor Bayne and Diamond-Waltrip Racing have parted company, and that opened up a seat in that car. Ryan and I will get to run against each other for the first time, and I’m looking forward to it.”(Sirius Speedway)(9-27-2010)

• Brian Scott out after Dover: UPDATE 3: The plans for the organization on the Nationwide Series side include replacing Brian Scott after this weekend’s race at Dover International Speedway with Turner’s current Camping World Truck Series drivers Ricky Carmichael and James Buescher. Braun driver Tayler Malsam also will be phased out. Steve Turner has big plans for Turner Motorsports, which expanded its Camping World Truck Series operations to the Nationwide Series beginning this weekend when it was announced Friday that he had bought the four-car operation of Braun Racing. Carmichael will make his Nationwide debut next week at Kansas Speedway in the #11 car, which was driven by Scott, whom Turner said has told the team he was leaving at the end of the season to go with another team. Sources indicated that Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the teams Scott has talked with about a possible ride next year. Jason Leffler and Reed Sorenson will keep their rides through the end of the year and it is possible they will remain with the team. Their sponsors, Great Clips and Dollar General, are expected to return next season. Turner said he will shut down the part-time Sprint Cup operation fielded by Braun this year.(Scene Daily)(9-25-2010)
  UPDATE: Turner Motorsports announced that one of its drivers, Ricky Carmichael, will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the #10 Monster Energy car at Kansas Speedway. Carmichael, a 15-time AMA Champion and current full-time driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, will have long-time sponsor, Monster Energy Drink, on the hood of his car as part of Turner Motorsports’ acquisition of Braun Racing. Additionally, Carmichael is set to compete in the Nationwide Series races at Phoenix and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Moving forward, Carmichael plans to run full time in the Truck Series in 2011 and a partial Nationwide Series schedule with approximately seven races.(Turner Motorsports PR)(9-25-2010)
  UPDATE: Braun Racing announced the release of driver Brian Scott for the remainder of the 2010 season. The parting of ways was mutual after Scott scored three top-5’s and five top-10’s in the #11 Braun Racing Toyota. Scott currently leads NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year standings.(Braun Racing)(9-27-2010)
  UDPATE: Brian Scott has been released from Braun Racing and has talked with Joe Gibbs Racing about a Nationwide Series ride for next year, the teams have confirmed. JGR President J.D. Gibbs said Sunday the team is in discussions with Scott, who has one career NASCAR national series victory – a Truck Series win at Dover last year. “We’re working through some of that [contract talk] with him and his dad, just kind of in general what do we have available and how does that work,” Gibbs said Sunday at Dover. “We’re working through that. I would’t say definitely yes or definitely no, but that’s definitely a possibility.”(Scene Daily)(9-27-2010)
• Cobb enters Nationwide event at Kansas: Kansas City, Kan., natives have read about local female racecar driver Jennifer Jo Cobb and her quest to make it into the big leagues of NASCAR for several years as she has participated at the Kansas Speedway’s races almost every year since 2002. Cobb has entered this week’s Nationwide Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway with her own team. Mark One Electric a locally owned Kansas City, Kansas/Kansas City, Missouri business is proud to be a returning as a primary sponsor for the JJCR Racing #13 car. Metro Ford, an Independence, Mo. Ford dealership also returns on Cobb’s car. The race car will be on Metro Ford’s showroom floor for fans to see Friday and Saturday, September 24-25. [Address is; 2860 S Noland Road, Independence, Missouri.] The JJCR team will put final preparations on its car “Dorothy” at the dealership Monday and Tuesday, where fans can also stop by to see the car and meet the crew. Guier Fence is a newly acquired sponsor for Cobb’s race team and will be on board for two additional races beyond this week’s event at the Kansas Speedway.(Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing PR)(9-27-2010)

• Allgaier looking at 2011 options: According to Justin Allgaier, driver of the Penske Racing #12 Nationwide entry, speculation that he has signed a contract with another team for 2011 is pure fantasy. “Unfortunately,” he says, “it just isn’t true.” Allgaier, 24, has been tied, most recently, to a deal with Turner Motorsports, which recently announced a buyout of Braun Racing. “Right now, I’m racing for Penske,” he says, “and whatever conversations I have about my future are just a fact-finding exercise at this point.” Looking for the best deal available, Allgaier is still focused on his ultimate goal. “The length of the agreement will depend on the opportunity for me to progress. My goal is to make it to Cup,” he says. “If there is a Nationwide team without a strong affiliation in the Cup series, the terms will probably be shorter. If there’s a Cup team that wants me right now, I’m ready to go for the long haul.”(Scene Daily)(9-25-2010)

• Townley’s future uncertain: John Wes Townley is no longer with RAB Racing, but don’t ask his former team owner Robby Benton why. Benton has no idea, saying he was “baffled” by a sudden turn of events that led to Townley’s departure from the team. The future of the Zaxby’s-sponsored driver in NASCAR is unknown. “I don’t have any explanation or reason why John Wes is not still in our car,” Benton said Saturday at Dover. “We had an agreement to run the rest of the year, and they decided for whatever reason to not honor that agreement.” Townley was with the team for a test day at Richmond two weeks ago and planned to run the Richmond Nationwide Series race the following night. Because the son of Zaxby’s co-founder Tony Townley is also taking college courses near the family’s Georgia home, John Wes returned to Georgia that evening to participate in a night class. The expectation was that Townley would return the following day and drive in the Richmond race. Instead, Benton received a call from Tony Townley at 5:30 a.m. the next morning saying John Wes was ill and would not be able to participate in the race. Benton tapped Landon Cassill as a replacement, but it was expected Townley would return to the team and finish out the season. That didn’t happen. Benton was instead notified by an e-mail from Tony Townley that Zaxby’s was discontinuing its relationship with the team, citing poor performance. Benton said he’s completely in the dark as to whether Townley plans to return to NASCAR (attempts to reach Townley for this story have not been successful). All of Townley’s seats, helmets and firesuits are still at the RAB Racing shop. “All communications have been severed,” Benton said. “They won’t return e-mails, texts, phone calls. I have no idea. I haven’t heard any rumors.”(SB Nation)(9-25-2010)
• Blue Ox returns to Jay Robinson Racing: Jay Robinson Racing announced that Blue Ox will serve as the primary sponsor on the #70 Chevy driven by Mark Green and associate sponsor of the #28 JRR entry driven by Kenny Wallace for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Event today at the Monster Mile in Dover.(JRR)(9-25-2010)
• Aspen Dental partners with Rusty Walace: Aspen Dental will make its entrance into NASCAR racing as an associate sponsor on both Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) entries in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Dover International Speedway. The sponsorship is intended to introduce Aspen Dental’s brand of high quality, affordable dental and denture care to NASCAR fans. RWR’s #66 Toyota Camry is piloted by Steve Wallace, while the team’s #62 Camry features Brendan Gaughan behind the wheel. Both cars will carry Aspen Dental branding in associate positions at Dover. Additionally, Aspen Dental will proudly feature racing legend, broadcaster, and team owner Rusty Wallace in upcoming television and print advertising.(FWC Sports PR)(9-25-2010)

• Catch can gone in 2011? UPDATE: hearing that the Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series will be going to the same six man pit crew format that the Camping World Truck Series has been running this season, starting in Daytona 2011. They will be using a similar single-point, self-venting probe and dry brake system (9-23-2010)
  UPDATE: NASCAR officials on Friday confirmed that the Nationwide Series will move to six-man pit crews for all teams next season, eliminating the catch-can position. The change puts Nationwide in line with the Trucks series, which already has made the change. The series’ new gas tanks will have a single-point, self-venting system that doesn’t require a crew member to operate.(Charlotte Observer)(9-24-2010)

• Roush interested in Bayne: Jack Roush says he “would have an interest” in #99-Trevor Bayne if the driver becomes available. Given the current economic conditions in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Diamond Waltrip Racing cannot guarantee a full-time ride for Bayne in 2011. The team is a partnerhip between Michael Waltrip Racing and Gary Bechtel. Bayne, 19, is currently seventh in the NASCAR Nationwide points standings and considered one of the hottest prospects on the tour. MWR Executive Vice President of Business Development and General Manager Ty Norris said the company would not comment on Bayne’s status until next week. Roush said that while he does not currently “have an idle” Nationwide team or a sponsor for a third team at the moment, that could change. With Paul Menard’s departure at the end of the year, it opens up the #98 Ford for 2011. Rumblings of Bayne parting ways with DWR started earlier this week when Martin Truex Jr.’s name appeared atop of the No. 99 Nationwide Toyota. Early rumors had Bayne possibly driving for TRG, however with just 42 Nationwide races under his belt, that move could be considered premature. With Roush Fenway Racing equipped with both Nationwide and Cup efforts, it would provide Bayne with a solid program to gain seat time.(Fox Sports)(9-24-2010)
  UPDATE: One of the up-and-comers in the Nationwide Series appears headed to another organization. Trevor Bayne, who as had a successful first season with Diamond-Waltrip Racing, is unlikely to remain with the organization in 2011, a Michael Waltrip Racing official said Friday. Two sources close to the situation told the Observer and ThatsRacin.com Bayne could be out of the No. 99 Toyota as early as next week’s race at Kansas Speedway. Bayne had signed a five-year contract with MWR, but there were requirements written into annual extensions that had to be met for the contract to remain in effect. One of those – the guarantee of full sponsorship for the next season – MWR is not able to meet at this time, team officials said.(Charlotte Observer)(9-24-2010)
• JD Motorsports picks up Dover sponsor: Hatfield Quality Meats, the leading brand of pork products in the Northeast region will sponsor the #01 Mike Wallace Nationwide Driver of the Week at the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Dover this Saturday. Hatfield brand pork has been a long time favorite of many race fans in the Northeast and is proud to partner with NASCAR and step into the national spotlight.(JD Motorsports PR)(9-24-2010)

• More on Turner buying Braun Racing: UPDATES: More details are emerging about the deal and what this new Turner Motorsports will most likely be. First, we’ve heard that the team will still probably run 3-4 Nationwide cars next season, and that they may expand their Truck Series program to three teams. We’ve also heard that the team will utilize Chevy equipment, and that the current fleet of Braun Toyotas will be switched over. Look for James Buescher, Ricky Carmichael, Reed Sorenson, and Brian Scott to all continue driving for the team, with the rest of the seats still up in the air.(NASCAR Insiders)(9-14-2010)
  UPDATE: Turner Motorsports owner Steve Turner is set to purchase the Braun Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series team from Todd Braun, with an announcement expected early next week. Sources tell Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that negotiations have been ongoing for some time. Turner is expected to continue fielding his current two-truck team on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with the possible addition of a third truck, if sponsorship can be found. Braun’s current fleet of NASCAR Nationwide Series Toyotas will be converted to Chevys during the offseason, with Turner fielding multiple cars on that circuit, as well. Current Turner Motorsports Truck Series drivers James Buescher and Ricky Carmichael are expected to remain with the newly expanded operation, with Braun Racing drivers Reed Sorenson and Brian Scott also expected to continue with the team. Sources say an official announcement could come as soon as Monday.(Sirius Speedway)(9-14-2010)
  UPDATE 2: Been told that the ownership transfer took place on Wednesday.(9-15-2010)
  UPDATE 3: Braun Racing Nationwide Series driver Brian Scott confirmed to Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that Turner Motorsports owner Steve Turner is now the owner of the team formerly known as Braun Racing. “I’ll be going to Dover this weekend to race for a new owner,” said Scott. “Steve Turner is the new owner of the team. I spoke to him late last week and he talked about how much he wanted me to win the Nationwide Rookie of the Year title. He seems like a really honest, down-to-earth, no-nonsense kind of guy, and I’m looking forward to racing for him.” Scott said he has had no conversations about plans for next season, but that he hopes to sit down with Turner again this weekend. Sources say an official announcement of Braun Racing’s sale to Turner Motorsports is expected later this week.(Sirius Speedway)(9-20-2010)
  UPDATE 4: Turner Motorsports, currently a two-team operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), announced that they are acquiring select assets of Braun Racing’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) team and will immediately take over operation of the organization. Braun Racing fields four entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series – the #32, #38, #10 and #11 cars with a driver line-up that includes Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne, Reed Sorenson, Jason Leffler, David Reutimann, Brian Scott, Tayler Malsam and Jacques Villeneuve. These four teams will join forces with the existing Turner Motorsports’ NCWTS entries – the #4 Monster Energy Chevy Silverado, driven by Ricky Carmichael, and the #31 Wolf Pack Rentals Chevy Silverado, driven by James Buescher. With the acquisition of Braun Racing, Turner Motorsports will field six teams in two of NASCAR’s top-three premier series. Plans for the 2011 racing season include three NNS teams and three NCWTS teams. The NNS driver line up for Turner Motorsports will be announced in October. As for the NCWTS teams, James Buescher will once again pilot the #31 Chevy Silverado with Ricky Carmichael also returning to drive the #4 Chevy Silverado. The team will operate out of Braun Racing’s current 88,000 square-foot facility in Mooresville, NC. Todd Braun, Doug Stringer and Harry Scott, Jr. will continue to be an integral part of Turner Motorsports. (Turner PR)(9-24-2010)

• McCurley attempts first Nationwide race: Stephan McCurley has been working for Saturday for as long as he can remember. The 20-year old from Humble will have a lifelong dream come true this weekend when he makes his first start in a NASCAR-sanctioned event. McCurley will pilot the #51 Chevy in the Nationwide Series’ Dover 200 on the high-banked, one-mile oval of Dover International Speedway, and it will be with dad Mike as his crew chief. “I love high-banked race tracks,” Stephan McCurley said. “I am really looking forward to Dover. I know there will be some learning curves, but I usually can pick it up pretty quick.” The father-and-son combination has been going racing together since Stephan was 7. Mike handles most of the building process, and Stephan takes care of the set-ups. In 2008, the McCurleys competed in the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour. The duo finished second in the points standings in Stephan’s first year competing in a late-model touring series. The two then moved to the ARCA Re/Max Series where they continued their success. Stephan drove in eight of the first nine races of the season, consistently finishing in the top 20. This season they set out to get Stephan into a Nationwide Series car and race. To do that, they wasted little time in getting cars to work on, while Stephan worked on getting qualified by NASCAR. To stay sharp on the track, Stephan has made five starts in the NASCAR Fiesta Late Model series at Houston Motorsports Park, winning four. On Saturday, that hard work the McCurleys have put in over the last few years at their small shop in Humble comes together in Delaware. Stephan hits the track in the Nationwide Series car for the first time today, and he will finally get a chance to see what his ride can do. “I have had no practice, but come the end of (today), I’ll know where I stand,” Stephan said. And by the end of Saturday’s race, he will know where his future lies. “If all goes well, I’m heading to Kansas in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on Oct. 2,” Stephan said.(Houston Chronicle)(9-24-2010)

• Johnny Davis’ appeal denied: On September 22, 2010, the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel heard and considered the appeal of NASCAR Nationwide Series car owner, Johnny Davis. The penalty concerned Section 12-1 of the NASCAR Rule Book: “Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Involved in an altercation on pit road after the completion of the race.” This stemmed from the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on August 29, 2010. The penalty assessed was a $5,000 fine and probation until December 31, 2010. The Appellant argued that the repeated instigator in this matter was the crew member from another team, and that the Appellant’s actions in response to that crew member’s provocations simply brought the situation under control. Panel deliberations included varying opinions on the magnitude (or lack thereof) of the encounter, and whether both a fine and probation were appropriate under the circumstances. The Panel considered that the Appellant’s actions well may have diffused a potentially worse situation. However, the Panel also feels that there are more appropriate ways for a car owner at the NASCAR Nationwide Series level to address misbehavior by a crew member from another team. By a majority vote, the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel decided to uphold the original penalty assessed by NASCAR. The Appellant has the right under Section 15 of the Rule Book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer.(NASCAR)(9-23-2010)
• Westerman returns to the #40: Westerman Companies returns to the quarterpanels of the Key Motorsports Chevy this weekend for the Dover 200, the #40 with driver Mike Bliss once again featuring the green paint scheme that has brought luck to the independent team on a number of occasions this year.(Key Motorsports PR)(9-23-2010)
• Dover Rookie Notes:
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond. Stenhouse Jr. scored a fourth-place finish, his second top-five and fifth top-10 of the season and claimed top rookie honors for the eighth time in 2010.
  • Brian Scott leads Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by three points (198-195) in the overall Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Dover 200 at Dover.
  • Johnny Benson (1994) is the only Raybestos Rookie to win in 21 previous the fall races at Dover. Benson scored his first career Nationwide Series win .16 seconds ahead of second-place Harry Gant. He led just once covering the final 15 laps.
  • Three Raybestos Rookies finished in the top-10 in the 2005 Dover 200, the most to finish in the top-10 in the fall race at Dover since the program was created in 1989: Reed Sorenson (fourth), Denny Hamlin (sixth) and Carl Edwards (ninth).(Raybestos/Camp & Assoc.)(9-22-2010)
• Wingo replaced as Ragan’s crew chief? UPDATES: Hearing that Donnie Wingo is no longer the crew chief for #6-David Ragan and that Drew Blickensderfer moves up from Roush’s Nationwide program as Carl Edwards crew chief, with Mike Beam taking over there. No word on Wingo’s plans.(9-21-2010)
  UPDATE: Jack Roush has promoted Drew Blickensderfer once again. Blickensderfer will return to the Sprint Cup Series this time on top of the #6 UPS Ford pitbox for driver David Ragan, sources told FOXSports.com. Most recently Blickensderfer was crew chief for Carl Edwards and the #60 in the Nationwide Series. Blickensderfer replaces Donnie Wingo, who joined the organization in 2008 as Jamie McMurray’s crew chief. He was reassigned to Ragan’s team at the end of last season. Veteran Mike Beam is expected to replace Blickensderfer atop the box for the #60 Nationwide Series team.(Fox Sports)(9-22-2010)
  UPDATE 2: Roush Fenway Racing has announced that Drew Blickensderfer will take over as crew chief on the #6 Sprint Cup team with driver David Ragan effective immediately. Mike Beam will replace Blickensderfer as crew chief of the #60 Nationwide Team, with driver Carl Edwards. Beam had previously served as competition director of Roush Fenway’s Nationwide program. With the move Blickensderfer returns to the Sprint Cup series where he served as Matt Kenseth’s crew chief in 2009, leading the #17 Sprint Cup team to two victories, including the famed Daytona 500. In addition to wins in the Sprint Cup Series at Daytona and California, Blickensderfer boasts 12 wins in the Nationwide Series. In 2008 he guided Edwards’ team to a Nationwide Series runner-up finish and in 2006 he helped Danny O’Quinn Jr. capture the Nationwide Raybestos Rookie Award. Beam, a 30-year NASCAR veteran, has served at Roush Fenway as a crew chief in the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series. He most recently served as director of competition for Roush Fenway’s Nationwide program.(Roush Fenway)(9-22-2010
• United Way on the #6 CitiFinancial car at Dover: This weekend in Dover, the CitiFinancial #6 Ford Fusion driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will carry the United Way logo on the deck lid in support of helping communities where we live and work. CitiFinancial and United Way are working together for stronger and healthier communities. United Way is a non-profit organization that works with nearly 1,300 offices throughout the country in a coalition of charitable organizations to pool efforts in fundraising and support.(Drivers Choice/CitiFinancial PR)(9-22-2010)
• Herring returns to the #27: 23-year old Drew Herrring will make his second career Nationwide Series start behind the wheel of Baker Curb’s #27 Saturday in the Dover 200. New business partner Getloaded, who debuted as a sponsor on the #27 in Richmond, will once again be on the quarter panels of Herring’s Ford.(Baker-Curb), see an image of the car on the #27 team paint scheme page.(9-21-2010)
• Andrews making 2010 debut at Dover: 2nd Chance Motorsports #79 Nationwide team owned by Rick Russell, will make their debut this weekend at the Monster Mile in Dover. Championship crew chief Paul Andrews, will spearhead the team. The driver of the teams Ford is Tim Andrews, Paul’s son, who at last years event qualified 14th. The car will carry decals honoring “Prayers For Shannon”, wife of long time friend Mark Shaffer of Phoenix, as she bravely battles cancer.(2nd Chance PR)(9-21-2010)

• Willie Allen To Raise Awareness For ALS at Dover: Willie Allen will carry the logo of The ALS Association on the hood of his #05 Chevy during the Nationwide Series race at Dover on September 25th. ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a cause that is very close to Allen and his family. Allen recently lost his father to ALS and hopes to help raise awareness for the disease. Allen and the Day Enterprise team will host several guests from The ALS Association by making them honorary pit crew members at this weekend’s event.(Allen PR)(9-20-2010)

• Pink #32 for Sorenson at Charlotte: Braun Racing announced that the Dollar General Toyota will trade its traditional yellow and black for a special pink paint scheme when the NASCAR Nationwide Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Dollar General 300 on October 15. Driven by Reed Sorenson, the #32 Camry will sport hot pink for a second consecutive year in support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.(Braun Racing)(9-20-2010)
• Fan Club on Harvick’s car at Dover: This weekend #33-Kevin Harvick will carry a unique paint scheme as the Kevin Harvick Fan Club celebrates 10 years of having some of the most loyal fans in NASCAR. The paint scheme centers around a unique Fan Club Anniversary logo, along with details for this year’s Fan Club Gathering to be held on October 17, 2010 at Kevin Harvick Inc.(KHI) in Kernersville, North Carolina. This year’s event will feature live entertainment from The Chris Lane band, a dunking booth sponsored by Rheem, KHI Idol, KHI shop tours, a Corn Hole Tournament, a Big Wheel Race with sponsor Jimmy John’s and much more.(KHI)(9-20-2010)
• Harvick says 2010 sponsorship promising: Nationwide and Camping World Truck series team owner Kevin Harvick sported a new primary sponsor on the #2 truck this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and said he hopes to wrap up sponsorship plans for his Kevin Harvick Inc. organization “in the next three or four weeks.” KHI fields two trucks with defending series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. in the team’s #33 and a variety of drivers in the team’s No. 2 entry. It also fields one car in the Nationwide Series, with Harvick doing the bulk of the driving, despite having no current full-time sponsor for any of the teams. Harvick has been able to put together a number of limited sponsorships, however, to keep the teams on the track. That could change for the better in the coming weeks, he said. “We’ve been very fortunate on the sponsorship side. Hopefully in the next three or four weeks we should have a lot of things wrapped up. And that’s a good thing,” he said. “Our intentions are to still compete in both as they currently stand in the Truck Series and the Nationwide Series with the vehicles that we have and hopefully maybe a few more races than what we currently run. … Our current sponsors are all going to still be involved from the Nationwide side and many of them on the truck side. For us, we’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of success on the sponsorship side and things are going great.”(Scene Daily)(9-19-2010)
• Richmond Images: Added 35 photos from Richmond to the 2010 Nationwide Series paint schemes pages.(9-17-2010)
• Latest on Hornish-Penske UPDATE: As president of Penske Racing, Tim Cindric presides over an empire that operates out of a complex that is over 400,000 square feet in Mooresville, N.C., and requires an annual influx of roughly $100 million to remain competitive in a total of four racing series. This season, they’ve done so to a high level across the board. Cindric talked about that and a variety of topics with NASCAR.COM. A couple Q & A’s about #77-Sam Hornish Jr.
  Q: What do you foresee happening with the 77?
  Cindric: Right now we’re still in search of a primary sponsor for that car. That search will continue for the rest of the year. The good news is that it’s September and not December.
  Q: What does that mean for Hornish? Will he be back for sure?
  Cindric: I wouldn’t say anything is for sure. You can’t race without the funding. So as we sit right now, we’re collectively trying to do that — but we also understand that if there are opportunities for him, it’s an open book as far as communication. We’re certainly not going to stand in his way as far as furthering his career, but we’d certainly like for him to be able to continue with us.(NASCAR.com)(9-15-2010)
  UPDATE: While Penske Racing is keeping mum on Verizon leaving the NASCAR side of the program and Justin Allgaier’s status for next season, sources say don’t be surprised if Sam Hornish Jr. ends up in a Nationwide Series ride as Brad Keselowski’s teammate in 2011 (FoxSports)(9-17-2010)
• Danica to run K&N Pro Series East race at Dover: Danica Patrick will attempt to tackle the monster twice with the announcement of her intent to enter the “Sunoco 150” NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Dover on Sept. 24. Patrick will behind the wheel of the #83 JR Motorsports entry in the Friday afternoon race. The Sunoco 150 at Dover serves as the season finale for NASCAR’s top developmental series, and a champion will be crowned when the checkered flag falls. Patrick will also race the #7 GoDaddy.com Chevy for JR Motorsports in the 200-mile NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Saturday, Sept. 25. Prior to the event, Patrick will participate in a free question-and-answer session on the base of the Monster Monument at Victory Plaza. NASCAR returns to the Monster Mile on Sept. 24-26, 2010. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 1-800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover International Speedway)(9-17-2010)
• Richmond TV Ratings: ESPN2’s telecast of Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond earned a final national household coverage rating of 1.2, averaging 1,655,0023 viewers. The rating was slightly down from the 1.3 rating earned for last year’s race that also aired on ESPN2.(ESPN)(9-14-2010)

• Management changes at Rusty Rallace Racing: UPDATE: Larry Carter will be the new general manager of the Rusty Wallace Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series teams, according to a source familiar with the situation. The team fields the #66 of Steven Wallace and the #62 of Brendan Gaughan. Carter will replace Rick Carpenter, who has held the position for three years. Carter has most recently served as a spotter for Sprint Cup driver Robby Gordon, but the 47-year-old has a long history in the sport. A Raleigh, N.C., native, Carter worked with team owner Rusty Wallace as a crew chief in 2004. He spent two years as crew chief for Jamie McMurray at Roush Fenway Racing and worked with Paul Menard at Yates Racing in 2009. He got his start in NASCAR in 1999, working with the Cup program of his uncle, Travis Carter. (Fox Sports)(9-13-2010)
  AND: Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody has learned that Brad Parrott has been relieved of his duties a crewchief for Brendan Gaughan’s South Point Resort and Casino Toyota at Rusty Wallace Racing. Parrott joined RWR in February of this year and guided the #62 team to 10th place in NASCAR Nationwide Series points, with three Top-5 and seven Top-10 finishes in 26 starts. Parrott confirmed his firing earlier today, but declined to comment further. Repeated calls to Rusty Wallace Racing seeking confirmation and comment were not returned. Parrott’s ouster comes just a day after veteran Larry Carter was tabbed to replace Rick Carpenter as General Manager at Rusty Wallace Racing. (Sirius Speedway)(9-14-2010)
  UPDATE: Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing named veteran Sprint Cup Series crew chief Larry Carter as the team’s General Manager. In his new role, Carter will oversee all competition efforts of the two-car Nationwide Series operation. A native of Raleigh, NC and graduate of North Carolina State University, Carter served as crew chief for Rusty Wallace’s No. 2 team at Penske Racing in 2004 and 2005. In that role, Carter led Wallace to his 55th—and final—career victory, as well as to a Chase appearance in Wallace’s final season as a driver. Following Wallace’s retirement from driving, Carter was crew chief for Jamie McMurray at Roush Fenway Racing in 2007 and 2008 before serving in the same role for Paul Menard at Yates Racing last season. Carter was also recently rumored as a top candidate for the position of Sprint Cup Series director. In addition to the naming of Carter, team officials also announced that Brad Parrott, crew chief for #62—Brendan Gaughan, will be replaced beginning with next weekend’s round of the Nationwide Series championship in Dover, DE. An interim crew chief for the #62 team will be named within the next week and a new full-time replacement will be named for the start of the 2011 season.(RWR)(9-14-2010)
• Fan designed scheme on the #66 at Homestead: Three designs have crossed the finish line and are in the winner’s circle of the Avery Graphics Design 66 Challenge. Salute the Soldiers by Daniel Wayne Logue was selected as the winning design, chosen by NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Steve Wallace, the Rusty Wallace Racing team and sponsor 5-Hour Energy. More than 120 entries from across the United States and Canada were submitted to the contest, sponsored by Avery Dennison Graphics & Reflective Products. Salute the Soldiers will be printed on Avery MPI 1005 Supercast film and installed on the #66 5-Hour Energy Toyota for the Nationwide Series season finale in Homestead, Florida on November 20, 2010. The design is an homage to our soldiers depicting the popular markings used on US military aircraft in the World War II era. Logue and his guest will be on hand in the pit to see Salute the Soldiers in action on the track and meet the Rusty Wallace Racing drivers – Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan.(Avery Dennison PR), see an image of the car on the #66 Nationwide team paint scheme page.(9-14-2010)

• More on Turner buying Braun Racing: UPDATE: More details are emerging about the deal and what this new Turner Motorsports will most likely be. First, we’ve heard that the team will still probably run 3-4 Nationwide cars next season, and that they may expand their Truck Series program to three teams. We’ve also heard that the team will utilize Chevy equipment, and that the current fleet of Braun Toyotas will be switched over. Look for James Buescher, Ricky Carmichael, Reed Sorenson, and Brian Scott to all continue driving for the team, with the rest of the seats still up in the air.(NASCAR Insiders)(9-14-2010)
  UPDATE: Turner Motorsports owner Steve Turner is set to purchase the Braun Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series team from Todd Braun, with an announcement expected early next week. Sources tell Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that negotiations have been ongoing for some time. Turner is expected to continue fielding his current two-truck team on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with the possible addition of a third truck, if sponsorship can be found. Braun’s current fleet of NASCAR Nationwide Series Toyotas will be converted to Chevys during the offseason, with Turner fielding multiple cars on that circuit, as well. Current Turner Motorsports Truck Series drivers James Buescher and Ricky Carmichael are expected to remain with the newly expanded operation, with Braun Racing drivers Reed Sorenson and Brian Scott also expected to continue with the team. Sources say an official announcement could come as soon as Monday.(Sirius Speedway)(9-14-2010)

• Davis driving for R3 at Dover: Marc Davis is preparing to get back in the Nationwide seat – his first NASCAR race since the emotional loss of his father and team owner, Harry, who was a father figure to many and a major activist for diversity in the sport. Davis will make his return to racing with R3 Motorsports in the #23 WHUR 96.3FM Chevy at Dover on Saturday, September 25th, 2010. Earlier this year, Davis finished third in the inaugural Freestate 500 in South Africa with the American Speed Association in January, which was dedicated to his father who had passed away just weeks earlier. He also took part in the Denny Hamlin Foundation race at Southside (Va.) Speedway racing alongside his former Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide teammates. After the death of his father, Marc took over the family-owned operation becoming the youngest team owner in NASCAR changing the name to Marc Davis Motorsports.(Marc Davis PR), see an image of the car on the #23 Nationwide team paint scheme page.(9-14-2010)

• Verizon leaving Penske? Sources tell Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that Verizon will not return to Penske Racing as sponsors of #12-Justin Allgaier’s Nationwide Series Dodges in 2011 and that Allgaier has been told he is free to seek employment with other teams next season. Allgaier is currently the top Nationwide-only driver in the standings, ranking fourth in championship points behind Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch. Verizon will reportedly remain with Penske Racing next season, increasing its level of involvement with the team’s IndyCar program. “It’s true that they’re evaluating their NASCAR investment right now,” said Penske Racing Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jonathan Gibson, “and it’s true that they may increase their involvement with our IndyCar program.” Gibson said the team is talking with other companies about potentially replacing Verizon next season, adding, “Our intent to continue with two Nationwide Series entries next season.” He declined to comment on reports that Algaier has been given permission to look elsewhere, but called him, “A great young driver who we would like to keep in our organization.” Gibson said Verizon has had “issues surrounding their ability to activate the sponsorship in light of Sprint’s involvement in the sport. Verizon has been hindered in what they can do,” he said. “They can’t do much (at the tracks) and they can’t do anything with Sprint Cup Series drivers, which is difficult. “They’ve been very creative in what they have done, and they would like to do more. It’s not the perfect world they’d like to play in, but Sprint obviously does a lot for the sport, so it is what it is.”(Sirius Speedway)(9-13-2010)
• Richmond News & Facts:
  • Kevin Harvick won the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway. It was his 37th Nationwide Series victory in his 257th start and his third series win in 2010.
  • Pole sitter Harvick scored his 19th top-10 finish in 21 Nationwide races in 2010.
  • Harvick led four times for a race-high 170 laps, including the final 40. He moved to second all time in laps led at Richmond with 790; Mark Martin has led 1,205 laps.
  • Kevin Harvick Inc. recorded its ninth Nationwide Series victory and fourth win in 2010. It was KHI’s first win at Richmond.
  • Chevrolet scored its sixth series win in 2010 and 20th victory overall at Richmond.
  • The top 10 finishers were four Toyotas, three Fords, two Chevrolets and one Dodge.
  • Six of the past seven Nationwide Richmond races were won from a top-five starting position.
  • Brad Keselowski (second) posted his milestone 75th top-10 finish in the Nationwide Series.
  • Trevor Bayne (third) scored his career-best finish. Bayne has finished in the top 10 in six of the past nine races.
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (fourth) scored his third career top-5 finish, his second in 2010.
  • Reed Sorenson (fifth) posted his 15th top-10 finish in 20 races this season; he tied his best finish at Richmond.
  • Paul Menard (eighth) has finished in the top 10 in four of the past five races.
  • Kyle Busch (ninth) recovered from a 21st-place restart on Lap 211 to post his milestone 125th top-10 finish. Busch has finished on the lead lap in all 14 of his Nationwide Richmond races.
  • Carl Edwards (10th) has finished in the top 10 in the past seven Richmond races.
  • Elliott Sadler (13th) finished in the top 13 in all four of his Nationwide starts this season.
  • Jason Leffler finished 14th in his 250th Nationwide race.(ESPN.com)(9-13-2010)

• Decision on Cup drivers in Nationwide coming soon: For months, NASCAR has been kicking around ideas that may affect the eligibility of full-time Cup drivers to win the championship in stock car racing’s Triple-A division. Nationwide Insurance, the series sponsor, has been actively involved in the discussions. Jim Lyski, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Nationwide, met with NASCAR president Mike Helton on Friday at Richmond and offered that a resolution to the complicated issues facing the series should be expected soon. “That’s a question I think that NASCAR’s really wrestling with, and they’ve been wrestling with it for a little while now,” Lyski said. “We met with Mike Helton (Friday) and they’re going to resolve that question once and for all here in a couple months. We’re going to go with what the sport says. “I believe it’s coming to a head here. They’re going to make the call one way or the other, and they’re going to stick to it.” Nationwide Series director Joe Balash says no decision has been made. “There are several scenarios that we’re looking at right now,” Balash said. “We’ve had a couple of new suggestions that kind of came up last week, and we’re doing the research on those, but I don’t think we have a definite answer on where we stand. At the end of the day, we don’t want to exclude them (Cup drivers) from the mix. That’s not something that we’re looking to do. But we’re looking at how you balance the experience level of a double-duty driver versus a full-time Nationwide driver.” NASCAR will hold rules meetings on the Nationwide Series next week, but Balash characterized those as dealing primarily with nuts and bolts issues related to the series’ new racecar, which will be introduced into the series full-time next season, after a four-race rollout (including this weekend at Richmond) this year.(Sporting News)(9-10-2010)
• Cassill in for Townley at Richmond: According to a tweet by RAB Racing, “[John Wes Townley] has fallen ill & will not be at the track today. Landon Cassill will substitute.”(9-10-2010)
• Red Line Oil to sponsor McDowell: Red Line Synthetic Oil Corp. announces its primary sponsorship agreement with driver #81-Michael McDowell and the MacDonald Motorsports Dodge Charger for Friday night’s Virginia 529 College Savings 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Richmond International Raceway. Red Line Oil has worked with McDowell throughout his career, going back to his Formula Star Mazda Championship in 2004, as well as with his sports car activities with Finlay Motorsports.(McDowell PR), see an image of the car on the #81 team paint schemes page.(9-9-2010)

• Brian Keselowski’s crew chief fined: NASCAR announced that Wesley Gonder, crew chief of the #26 team that competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been fined $5,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31, 2010 as a result of rule violations during this past weekend’s event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The #26 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 venturies exceeded the specified size) of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rule Book.The infractions were discovered during opening day inspection on Sept. 3.(NASCAR PR)(9-8-2010)
• Carl Long gets Richmond sponsor: Millennium Fuel Energy Drink will join forces with Carl Long for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway this week. The Virginia College Savings 250 will be the first short track event for the “new” Nationwide Series car. Long will pilot the#68 Millennium Fuel Chevy in his second new car race this season. Long qualified and finished 31st at Michigan International Speedway in early August.(Fleur-De-Lis Motorsports)(9-8-2010)

• Bires to drive #25 at Richmond: IMAGE Kelly Bires will drive the #25 Raybestos Brakes Ford for Team Rensi Motorsports in the Sept. 10 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway. Bires has made seven starts this season and claimed one top-10 finish. He has racked up 12 top-10 finishes in 75 career starts. Team Rensi Motorsports has earned five wins, 42 top-five and 98 top-10 finishes since its inception in 1999. The image of a 1932 Ford hot rod roadster pickup will be displayed on the car’s rear quarter panels. The Raybestos Roadster Pickup will be given away to a professional mechanic or do-it yourself Raybestos customer as part of a national promotion.(Raybestos PR)(9-3-2010)
  IMAGE: An images of the car is posted on the #25 team paint scheme page.(9-8-2010)
• Atlanta TV Ratings: The NASCAR Nationwide Series continued its run of ratings success this season with Saturday night’s Atlanta race earning a final national household coverage rating of 1.4 on ESPN2, averaging 1,893,361 viewers. Last year’s race also earned a 1.4 rating. Six of the last 10 Nationwide Series races have seen ratings growth over the corresponding event last year, while the other four were even.(ESPN)(9-8-2010)
• Pressley returning to the #23: UPDATE: Coleman Pressley will return to the #23 Chevy of R3 Motorsports for this weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway. This move comes on the heels of an announcement two weeks ago regarding R3’s hopes to expand to a second team for the 2011 season if proper backing can be found for Pressley. The 21-year old is a third-generation NASCAR driver who drove for the team in three previous races this year; one of which was the April race at RIR where he finished 18th. R3 Motorsports is seeking Marketing Partners for more races with Pressley this year; and for a full-time entry in 2011.(R3 Motorsports PR)(9-6-2010)
  UPDATE: Coleman Pressley and a very familiar name to the Pressley family have once again reunited to come on board the #23 Chevy of R3 Motorsports. For the third time this season, Jasper Engines and Transmissions will be a primary partner with Pressley and the team. This time, for Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Speedway.(R3 Motorsports PR)(9-8-2010)
• Richmond resident to sing National Anthem Friday: When thousands of fans stand for the National Anthem on Friday, September 10, prior to the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway, all eyes will be on a Richmond resident fulfilling a lifetime dream of singing at a NASCAR race. Twenty-two year-old Ryan Corbin of Glen Allen, Virginia (a suburb of Richmond) entered Richmond International Raceway’s National Anthem contest last month and ultimately won the opportunity to perform prior to the race.(RIR)(9-8-2010)
• Richmond Rookie Notes:
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Stenhouse Jr. grabbed a 10th-place finish, his fourth top-10 of the season, and claimed top rookie honors for the seventh time in 2010.
  • Brian Scott leads Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by 12 points (197-185) in the overall Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway.
  • Justin Allgaier was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2009 Virginia529 College Savings 250, posting an eighth-place finish.
  • Two Raybestos Rookies have won the September race at Richmond: Bobby Hamilton (1989) and Steve Park (1997). Hamilton edged Tommy Ellis by two car lengths while Park crossed the finish line 1.432 seconds ahead of Randy LaJoie.
  • Only once in the past 20 fall races have two Raybestos Rookies finished in the top-five in Richmond: 1989. Bobby Hamilton won while Kenny Wallace finished third.(Raybestos/Camp & Assoc PR)(9-8-2010)
• Getloaded joins Baker Curb as associate sponsor: Getloaded announces associate sponsorship with Baker Curb Racing and launches 20-stop Get Spotted sweepstakes tour. As an associate sponsor Getloaded will support Baker Curb Racing’s Fords through the end of the 2010 season, beginning with Sadler’s #27 Ford for the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway on Friday, September 10.(Baker Curb)(9-7-2010)
• Sons of Anarchy returns to #49: “Sons of Anarchy,” the FX television original series will rev up it season three debut by sponsoring for driver Mark Green and the Jay Robinson Racing #49 Nationwide Series Chevy at Friday’s nights Virginia College Savings 250 Richmond International Speedway.(Jay Robinson Racing)(9-7-2010)
• Internationl Trucks back on the #70 at Richmond: InternationalTrucks.com will be featured on the #70 Chevy at Richmond International Raceway for Shelby Howard and the ML Motorsports team. InternationalTrucks.com has launched a consumer website with interactive games, owner information, and purchasing information. This is the third NASCAR Nationwide Series event of the 2010 season for Howard and Team 70 in the new car. They competed in the July race at Daytona International Speedway, starting 16th and finishing 26th and at Michigan International Speedway with a finish of 24th.(ML Motorsports)(9-7-2010)
• 250 starts for Leffler: This weekend, #38-Jason Leffler will make his 250th career NASCAR Nationwide Series start. Leffler made his series debut at O’Reilly Raceway Park in 1999. The Long Beach, Calif.-native has recorded two wins (Nashville and ORP), has accumulated 39 top-five and 89 top-10 finishes and has led for a total of 604 laps.(Braun Racing)(9-7-2010)

  Sponsifier car for Kyle Busch at Richmond: Because of the popularity of the Toyota Sponsifier commercials, Kyle Busch will drive this special pink “Kimmy” car. And yes, Kyle will don the same firesuit and helmet seen on TV. This complete package includes kitten, puppies, horsies, and yes, baby seals.(Joe Gibbs Racing), see an image of the car on the #18 Nationwide Series paint schemes page.(9-7-2010)

• Montreal TV Ratings: ESPN2’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Montreal on Sunday, Aug. 29, earned a final national household coverage rating of 1.7, a six percent increase over the 1.6 rating for last year’s race that also aired on ESPN2, according to the Nielsen Company. The telecast averaged 2,327,755 viewers. The Montreal race has seen ratings and viewership growth in all four years of its existence. Six of the last nine Nationwide Series races have seen ratings growth over the corresponding event last year, while the other three were even.(ESPN)(9-7-2010)
• Atlanta Notes & Facts:
  Jamie McMurray won the Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
  • This was his eighth series victory in 179th start. His last series win was at Darlington in 2004.
  • His second win at Atlanta; his first career win came at Atlanta in 2002
  • Third 1.5-mile win
  • He was the 12th different race winner in 2010
  • McMurray has won with six different teams (JR Motorsports)
  • It was his eighth start in 2010, all with JR Motorsports. His previous best finish was third, three times.
  • Led three times for 48 laps, including the final 23
  JR Motorsports
  • Ninth series win and first win of 2010
  • First win at Atlanta
  • Fourth different driver to win for JR Motorsports
  Others
  • Kyle Busch finished second for the third time in seven starts at Atlanta. He has yet to win there in the series. He led 74 of the 195 laps, the most of all drivers; this is the first time in 2010 that he led the most laps and failed to win. (He’s led the most laps in nine races.)
  • Carl Edwards (finished third) posted his 14th top-5 finish of 2010.
  • Kevin Harvick (fourth) has finished in the top-10 in all but two of his 20 series starts this season.
  • Matt Kenseth (fifth) got his best finish of 2010 in his third start; he leads all drivers with eight top-5 finishes and nine top-10 finishes at Atlanta.
  • Jason Leffler (seventh) finished in the top 10 for the ninth time in 2010; six of the nine were in the #10 car.
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (10th) got his fourth top-10 finish of 2010, and he has finished in the top 15 in five of his last seven starts.
  • Points leader Brad Keselowski finished 12th, only his fifth finish outside the top 10 in 2010.
  • The #22 (Penske Racing) car lost 48 points to the #18 (Joe Gibbs Racing) car, which leads the owners points championship; the #18 car now has an 83-point lead over the #22.ESPN.com)(9-6-2010)

• Todd Braun considering sale of team? The hot rumor at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday wasn’t swirling around the Sprint Cup garage. Instead, it involved NASCAR’s top independent Nationwide Series team — Braun Racing, and the possible sale of the organization to Steve Turner. Todd Braun said any announcement was “premature,” but called Turner a “great guy who has a great passion for racing.” Braun, who currently fields the #10, #11, #32 and #38 Toyotas, is currently the largest independent Nationwide Series owner in NASCAR. However, in eight years of competition, his drivers have scored just four wins against fields that have been dominated by Cup-affiliated teams. With the exception of Jason Leffler’s 2007 win at what is now O’Reilly Raceway Park, Braun’s wins came with Cup Series regulars Jamie McMurray, Dave Blaney and Kyle Busch. “This is a changing sport, and you have to stay on top of the changes,” Braun said. “We’re always looking for opportunities that can make Braun Racing better. Sure, we’re exploring all opportunities.” Braun said his lineup for 2011 “is about half-done.” Braun has an option on Reed Sorenson that he has not exercised yet, and “no decision” has been made on Jason Leffler. A sale or even a partnership with a new owner could change the complexion of the organization, but Braun is also waiting to see how NASCAR alters its game plan moving forward. Turner owns Turner Motorsports, which fields teams for Ricky Carmichael and James Buescher in the Camping World Truck Series. Carmichael and Buescher are currently 12th and 13th, respectively, in the standings. Although there was talk earlier this season that Turner was interested in buying Phoenix Racing, a move to the Nationwide Series would be the next logical move considering this is the organization’s first full season of trucks.(Fox Sports)(9-4-2010)

• Hermie Sadler driving for Baker Curb at Richmond: Baker Curb Racing announced that Virginia native Hermie Sadler will drive Baker Curb Racing’s #27 Ford in the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond on Saturday, September 10th. The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Athletic Department and the VCU Center for Sport Leadership will serve as the primary sponsors on Sadler’s #27, with associate sponsorship from CruiseOne and Getloaded. Sadler will be making his 258th career NASCAR Nationwide Series start and 21st at the ¾-mile D-shaped track located an hour from where he grew up in Emporia, Virginia. His Nationwide Series resume includes two wins, three pole awards, and 44 top-10 finishes. He won the 1993 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year Award and has finished in the top 10 of the series point standings four times (1993, 1994, 1997, 1998).(Baker Curb PR), see a graphic of the car on the #27 Nationwide team paint scheme page.(9-3-2010)

• Specialty Racing becomes 2nd Chance Motorsports: UPDATE: Specialty Racing #61 Nationwide team has a new majority owner and is sporting a new name — 2nd Chance Motorsports. Rick Russell has acquired majority ownership in the #61 team effective Sept.1, 2010. The team will operate under the name of 2nd Chance Motorsports LLC. “Our goal is to operate wisely, try to advance the points we hold at present, in hopes of attracting a driver or sponsor looking to make a run in NASCAR. Ultimately we’d like to develop a talented driver in the K&N East Series or ARCA, utilizing our current inventory of cars. We will definately remain a Ford team, the Roush Yates power is hard to walk away from, so we are working hard in order to obtain a couple COT Mustangs for 2011”, said Russell.(2nd Chance PR)(9-2-2010)
  UPDATE: The #61 Nationwide Team is still racing under the Specialty racing banner. Doug Taylor is still owner of the team and will continue to operate as such. 2nd Chance Motorsports LLC, who was helping out the team, will continue its search for drivers to introduce to its development programs in K&N East Series and ARCA.(PR)(9-3-2010)
• Smokey Mountain Cheese returns to the #01: “We Want More!” was the chant at Bristol and Smoky Mountain Cheese, LLC. Has responded by once again sponsoring the Mike Wallace #01 Chevy at Atlanta. Their signature product, No Bull Beer Cheese Spread with Attitude has captured the attention of food and snack retailers.(JD Motorsports PR)(9-3-2010)
• Metroid on the #20 at Atlanta: Joey Logano and the #20 GameStop Toyota will feature the new Nintendo Wii game Metroid: Other M this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Metroid series of games has been out since the days of the original Nintendo system of the 80s. However, the newest version of the famed series takes the best elements of first-person and third-person gaming to create a seamless blend between game play, storytelling and dynamic cinematography.(JGR PR)(9-2-2010)

• Specialty Racing becomes 2nd Chance Motorsports: Specialty Racing #61 Nationwide team has a new majority owner and is sporting a new name — 2nd Chance Motorsports. Rick Russell has acquired majority ownership in the #61 team effective Sept.1, 2010. The team will operate under the name of 2nd Chance Motorsports LLC. “Our goal is to operate wisely, try to advance the points we hold at present, in hopes of attracting a driver or sponsor looking to make a run in NASCAR. Ultimately we’d like to develop a talented driver in the K&N East Series or ARCA, utilizing our current inventory of cars. We will definately remain a Ford team, the Roush Yates power is hard to walk away from, so we are working hard in order to obtain a couple COT Mustangs for 2011”, said Russell.(2nd Chance PR)(9-2-2010)
• Valvoline sponsoring Annett: Adding another esteemed partner to their 2010 sponsorship lineup, Germain Racing’s #15 Toyota driven by Michael Annett will feature primary sponsorship from Valvoline this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. As a leading provider of automotive lubricants, Valvoline came on board as a sponsor of the team after a partnership with Germain Racing and Germain Motor Company was formed in June.(Germain PR), see a graphic of the car on the #15 Nationwide team paint scheme page.(9-2-2010)
• Johnny Davis fined: NASCAR has penalized Johnny Davis, owner of the #01 car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, for a violation following Sunday’s race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Davis has been fined $5,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31 for violating Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing/involved in an altercation on pit road after the completion of the race) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.(NASCAR)(9-1-2010)
• Blackwell Angus Beef adds 3 races to #6 team: Roush Fenway Racing announced that Blackwell Angus Beef will extend its sponsorship of the #6 entry in the Nationwide Series for three additional races in 2010 with rookie of the year contender Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Beginning this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Blackwell Angus Beef will adorn Stenhouse’s #6 Ford. Blackwell Angus Beef will also be on the car in Nationwide Series races at Auto Club Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway this fall.(Roush Fenway PR)(9-1-2010)
• Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council on the #42 with Gilliland at Atlanta: The Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council (TDC) represents the cities of Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island, Florida and is partnering with GetMoreVacations.com to sponsor the Team 42 Nationwide car this weekend in an effort to promote vacation specials in Northwest Florida. The TDC is promoting their Million Dollar Gift Card Giveaway. Guests who stay a minimum of two nights in Destin, Fort Walton Beach or Okaloosa Island will be given a $200 gift card. A total of five thousand gift cards will be distributed. The launch date is anticipated to be September 17, 2010. Go to www.destin-fwb.com for more information. (GetMoreVacations.com PR), see an image of the car on the #42 Nationwide team paint scheme page. Atlanta was not originally on the schedule for Parker Kligerman and Team 42 so David Gilliland will drive.(9-1-2010)
• Sons of Anarchy sponsoring Kenny Wallace: UPDATE: “Anarchy” will follow Kenny Wallace to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. Wallace will drive the #28 “Sons of Anarchy” Chevy in the Great Clips 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Atlanta Motor Speedway this Saturday night. “Sons of Anarchy is a great show—one of the most popular on television,” said Kenny Wallace. “I create anarchy all around me and it follows me wherever I go, so we’re a good match.”(Jay Robinson PR)(8-31-2010)
  UPDATE: Numblets.com will be an associate sponsor on Jay Robinson’s #28 FX “Sons of Anarchy” Chevy driven by Kenny Wallace this Saturday night under the lights at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This is Numblets.com second time with Jay Robinson Racing this year.(Jay Robinson PR)(9-1-2010)
• Atlanta Rookie Notes: • Colin Braun was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Braun captured top rookie honors for the seventh time this season and was credited with a 22nd-place finish.
  • Brian Scott leads Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by 15 points (196-181) in the overall Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
  • Michael Annett was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2009 Great Clips 300, scoring a 14th-place finish.
  • Carl Edwards (2005) is the only Raybestos Rookie to win in 18 previous NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Atlanta, edging Tony Stewart by just 1.192 seconds. Edwards is one of just four Raybestos Rookies to score a top-five finish at the 1.54-mile Georgia speedway and is the only rookie pole winner at Atlanta.(Raybestos/ Camp & Assoc. PR)(9-1-2010)

• Darnell in the #16? UPDATE 2: As we approach the final stretch run of the 2010 Nationwide Series schedule, expect there to be more driver shuffling within Roush Fenway Racing’s NNS program. We’re hearing that both Matt Kenseth and Erik Darnell will get starts in the team’s #16 Fords in the upcoming races. Kenseth ran two NNS races for this team early in the season, and Darnell hasn’t made any starts in 2010. If you’ll remember, Erik Darnell has been with the Roush organization since the 2004 season. He was the winner of Roush’s famous “Gong Show” in 2005, which was televised that year and put on the Discovery Channel as “Driver X.” Darnell then ran full seasons in the Truck Series for Roush from 2006 to 2008. For the 2009 season he moved up to the Nationwide Series and split the #6 ride with driver David Ragan. In 16 starts he earned two top five and five top ten finishes and had one pole. He was also given the opportunity to run seven Cup Series races for Yates/Hall of Fame Racing in the #96 in place of Bobby Labonte, getting a best finish of 29th at Kansas. A lack of sponsorship dollars has forced him to sit out much of the 2010 season. Going forward, many questions still plague the RFR Nationwide program for the 2011 season. We’ve heard that as of right now, the team may only run two cars next season, with Carl Edwards comitting to another full schedule. The team will suffer with the loss of Paul Menard and his money to RCR/KHI for next season, and the struggles for both Braun and Stenhouse will probably mean the second car may be driven by a round robin of Cup and development drivers. (NASCAR Insiders)(8-24-2010)
  UPDATE: Matt Kenseth is set to make his third Nationwide Series start this season for Roush Fenway Racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway driving the #16 World Financial Group (WFG) Ford. The Atlanta-based WFG began their partnership with Roush Fenway Racing in 2004 and they are making their first on-track appearance since winning with Carl Edwards at Phoenix International Raceway in 2008.(Roush Fenway PR)(8-25-2010)
  UPDATE: Roush Fenway Racing announced that Erik Darnell will pilot the #16 3M Ford in three NASCAR Nationwide Series races during the 2010 season starting at Richmond International Raceway next weekend. Darnell is also scheduled to participate in the Nationwide events at Dover and Texas. A primary sponsor in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing, 3M is bringing three of its brands on board the #16 for Darnell’s three races: “Scotch-Brite” cleaning products will be featured at Richmond, “Post-It” products at Dover and “Ace” brand bandages at Texas.(Roush Fenway PR)(8-31-2010)
• Blackwell Angus Beef back on the #6: Ricky Stenhouse and the #6 Roush Fenway Racing team will sport different colors on Saturday at AMS. Blackwell Angus Beef will adorn the Ford Fusion for the second of four races in 2010.(Roush Fenway)(8-31-2010)
• Leffler in the #10 with ABF: Long-time Braun Racing marketing partner, ABF Freight, will serve as primary sponsor on Leffler’s #10 Toyota Saturday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This marks the sixth time this season the ABF will adorn the hood of the #10 with Leffler behind the wheel.(Braun Racing PR)(8-31-2010)

• RCR, Shepherd Form Shepherd Racing Ventures: Richard Childress Racing and Morgan Shepherd’s Racing for Jesus have formed Shepherd Racing Ventures, a partnership to run the #21 for the remainder of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. Clint Bowyer will drive RCR’s #21 Zaxby’s Chevy at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Sept. 4), Richmond International Raceway (Sept. 10), Charlotte Motor Speedway (Oct. 15) and Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 6). Shepherd will drive the #21 Shepherd Racing Ventures Chevy in the seven other races remaining. “Morgan and I have been friends for a long time and he is a direct link back to the days when we raced together in the ’60s, ’70s and 80s,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “He’s been a great representative of NASCAR for all that time so I’m honored to be working with Morgan in continuing his racing career.” Shepherd earned four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories in a career that began in 1970 and spanned 514 races. He finished four seasons in the top 10 of the point standings, with a career-best fifth in 1990. He has also earned 15 victories in 280 starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He has competed in 19 of 24 Nationwide Series races in 2010.(RCR PR)(8-31-2010)
• New crew chief for Raines? Dave Fuge is listed as crew chief for #34-Tony Raines this weekend at Atlanta. Scott Eggleston had been the crew chief all season.(8-30-2010)