Stock Car Gazette for Friday, March 14, 2008
by Mike Irwin ~ March 14th, 2008 @ 6:26 am. Filed under: Stock Car Gazette. 282 readsThis weekend marks the end of an era. Dale Jarrett will be driving in his last points race in Cup.
The reason I became a Dale Jarrett fan was because of his dad, Ned. I admired Ned’s “country gentleman” personality, and started watching for DJ on the track as a result. I remember his first Cup victory at Michigan. I remember his first Daytona 500 victory, with proud papa Ned coaching him from the booth, and Dale doing on the track just what papa was telling him from that booth. Poor Mama Jarrett was a nervous wreck, too. I remember his first Brickyard victory and his first (and only) Cup win at Bristol, the place where he is ending his long career. I remember his 1999 Winston Cup Championship.
But what I remember most is a wide smile and a genuine interest that we were enjoying ourselves at a car show, the only time I got to meet DJ in person. He was every bit as classy and nice as he appears to be on the television. I got to meet his son, Jason, a couple of times, and it was obvious that the apple didn’t fall too far from Dad’s (or Grandpa’s) tree.
Congratulations on a great career, Dale Jarrett. Enjoy your retirement from driving. You’ve earned it.
Here’s your Friday Stock Car Gazette, chock full of NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck news.
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T H E * S T O C K * C A R * G A Z E T T E
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Stock Car Gazette Columnists Speak Out!
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Bonfire! Attention, Please!
by: Lonnie Bernarde
A baby needs a bottle (I mean Kyle Busch needs a bottle), NA$CAR needs more money, the Packers need a quarterback, a racetrack needs a fan (yep, that’s you, Atlanta), Tony needs a good tire, and Craig needs attention.
MORE: motorsportsnews.net/archives/1137
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Goodbye, Old Friends
by: Daniel Schmittou
This week will be a sad one indeed. An old friend will be running his last race of his long career.
MORE: motorsportsnews.net/archives/1139
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N A S C A R * S P R I N T * C U P * S E R I E S
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Jarrett making his last points start at Bristol
When Dale Jarrett starts the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway March 16 it will be the 668th start in a successful 24-year career. It also will be the former Sprint Cup champion’s last points race as the North Carolina native hangs up his helmet this year. The 51-year-old Jarrett opted to return this year, [...]
feeds.feedburner.com/~r/autoracingsport/~3/250599431/
Sprint Cup Bristol preview
As accomplishments and admirers multiply, Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota) zooms from one track to the next these days, often at the front of the field. This week, he heads to Bristol Motor Speedway as the defending winner of Sunday’s Food City 500 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ latest victory — last week at [...]
feeds.feedburner.com/~r/autoracingsport/~3/250607116/
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Courtesy of www.Catchfence.com
Whoa, Nellie! 200 Miles Per Hour, At Darlington?
www.catchfence.com/press/031308k.html
No Appeal For Roush Fenway Racing - Inadvertent Mistake Not Adequate Grounds For Appeal: Roush Fenway Racing announced today that it will not appeal the penalties imposed by NASCAR following its post-race inspection of the No. 99 car at Las Vegas. “We have conducted a thorough internal investigation and have found no evidence whatsoever that anyone intended for the bolt/nut fastener to fail to secure the lid for the entire race,” said Jack Roush, team owner. “We have subsequently added protective measures to insure that the lid will remain fastened even if a failure of this type should again occur.” Geoff Smith, president of Roush Fenway Racing said, “We realize in the NASCAR system of penalty administration that simple negligence, by itself, is never sufficient grounds to overturn or reduce a penalty. Consequently, no appeal will be made of the penalties assessed by NASCAR.” - Roush Fenway Racing, Press Release
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Courtesy of Google Alerts
When Richard Petty talks … the boys in the shop listen - Nascar
ESPN - USA
By Jeff Meendering One thing I really like about this job at Petty Enterprises is that Richard [Petty] still comes in and tries to stay involved and offer …
sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?series=2&page=080313MeenderingsWay
Changes for NASCAR put brakes on profits
Charlotte Observer - Charlotte,NC,USA
Last year’s musical chairs of NASCAR drivers, teams and sponsors was the main reason for Speedway Motorsports’ fourth-quarter loss and steep drop in 2007 …
www.charlotte.com/business/story/534232.html
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Courtesy of Insider Racing News
www.insiderracingnews.com
Stewart Not Letting Up On Goodyear
Tony Stewart continued to take Goodyear officials to task Wednesday for what he said was an unacceptable tire at Atlanta Sunday and what he says are lingering problems with the company’s NASCAR tires. Stewart criticized the company during a press conference at Martinsville Speedway on Wednesday, saying he stood by his harsh comments at Atlanta and will continue to talk about what he perceives as widespread tire problems.
“It wasn’t a situation that we’re just trying to beat a company up,” Stewart said. “We don’t want to have to even say bad things about it to begin with. … We want a tire that is safe every week and that’s competitive every week. That’s all we ask out of them. To us that’s their responsibility as the exclusive manufacturer in the series. That’s their responsibility to do that every week. We felt like, as drivers, we were let down this particular weekend worse than some of the other weeks when it may not be a huge complaint but it is a complaint. When year after year the same problems keep creeping up, and some years it seems like its getting worse and worse, like the technology in NASCAR keeps growing but Goodyear is starting to fall behind in that category, we’re not saying it because we want to hurt them. We’re saying what we said this past weekend because we want to get somebody’s attention in the company to where they’re going to do something. Do something productive. Do something to make a change, make a difference. Give us something better than what we’ve got. If that’s what it took to do it, then it’s the right thing to do.
Kurt Busch Gets 25,000th Viper
Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, is awarded the 25,000th Dodge Viper to roll off the line Chrysler LLC’s Conner Avenue Assembly Plant reached a manufacturing milestone yesterday, building its 25,000th Dodge Viper. The new owner of the milestone 2008 Viper SRT10 is none other than Kurt Busch, who received the vehicle in a ceremony held at the Detroit facility in recognition of his racing accomplishments as the top Dodge driver in the 2007 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
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Courtesy of Jayski
www.jayski.com
More tire stuff. Firestone not interested in NASCAR: During a lengthy, unflattering critique of the tires that Goodyear supplied the drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart said that other tire companies would do a better job in NASCAR. While Stewart really was not calling for a tire war, his words surely hit a nerve in Daytona Beach and Akron, Ohio, cities where NASCAR and Goodyear have their headquarters. That’s because for racing series and tire companies, tire wars are often viewed as a potential Armageddon. “No,” Ramsey Poston, NASCAR managing director of corporate communication, said, “we are not interested (in a tire war). Goodyear has been a remarkably good partner.” Most major forms of auto racing in the world have gone through tire wars — times when more than one brand of tire is available to competitors. The last tire war in NASCAR occurred in 1994, when Hoosier came in and challenged Goodyear for status and customers. Geoffrey Bodine won three races on Hoosiers that year. Cars using Hoosiers won 12 pole positions. But the move was not made without controversy. Concern was expressed by some teams and some drivers. They were worried that a tire war could adversely affect safety as the companies, in a quest to be faster than the other, would go with softer and softer rubber compounds and the result would be blown tires. Some thought the tire war would drive up costs. The 1994 tire war lasted one season. Hoosier did not come back in 1995, as it just proved too costly for a company that, compared with Goodyear, was mom-and-pop. A new tire war in NASCAR would be impossible to mount right now as the series does not have an open-tire policy — NASCAR has an exclusive contract with Goodyear. No other tire company could enter the sport until the Goodyear contract expires. For the time being, Firestone, the American company that is probably best suited to go after Goodyear’s contract when it expires, is not interested in approaching NASCAR. “Obviously,” Al Speyer, motor-sports executive director for Firestone, said, “NASCAR is a very successful form of motor racing. But, we are really, really busy with open-wheel racing.” Might that change when Goodyear’s contract with NASCAR expires [2012]? Speyer said, “We are always looking at all motor sports, and we have ongoing analysis, but we could never comment on pending business ventures.”(Kansas City Star)(3-14-2008)
200 mph at Darlington: What a difference a paving makes: 200 miles per hour. That’s how fast the Sprint Cup Series cars ran during Goodyear tire tests earlier this week at historic Darlington Raceway. That’s not a miss-print. The Chevrolet of Jeff Gordon, the Ford of Greg Biffle and the Dodge of Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman were all clocked unofficially at 200 mph at the end of this old track’s smooth, newly re-paved backstretch. Darlington Raceway President Chris Browning almost couldn’t believe it himself. “We had some of the telemetry numbers from the teams and I couldn’t believe it when they told me they were hitting 200 mph at the end of the backstretch,” said Browning. “That’s incredible!” Jeff Gordon, a seven-time winner on the tricky, treacherous, 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval, said the track was fast and smooth. “The old humps and bumps are gone,” said Gordon. “It’s still Darlington. It’s just a lot smoother and a lot faster.” Order tickts now by calling 1-866-459-RACE.(Darlington Raceway PR)(3-14-2008)
NASCAR represented in Sports Emmy Nominations: The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) announced the nominees for the 29th Annual Sports Emmy Awards at the IMG World Congress of Sports at the St. Regis Hotel in Monarch Bay/Dana Point, California. At the 29th Annual Sports Emmy Awards, winners in 30 categories including outstanding live sports special, sports documentary, studio show, play-by-play personality and studio analyst will be honored. The Awards will be given out at the prestigious Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center located in the Time Warner Center on April 28th, 2008 in New York City. Many of the leading sports broadcasters, personalities and television professionals will be presenters at the event. American Airlines and Thomson Grass Valley are the official sponsors of the 29th Annual Sports Emmy Awards. Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal is the exclusive magazine partner.
The list NASACR related shows nominated
Outstanding Live Sports Special: NASCAR on FOX: Daytona 500, FOX
Outstanding Live Sports Series: NASCAR on FOX, FOX
Outstanding Live Event Turnaround: Quest for the Cup, NASCAR Images
Outstanding Sports Documentary: Dale, NASCAR Images
Outstanding Studio Show Daily: NASCAR Now, ESPN2
Outstanding Open / Tease: Indianapolis 500, ABC
Outstanding Technical Team Remote: ESPN NASCAR, ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 & NASCAR on FOX, FOX
Outstanding Technical Team Studio: NASCAR on FOX, FOX
Outstanding Music Composition / Direction / Lyrics: Dale, NASCAR Images
Outstanding Live Event Audio / Sound: NASCAR on FOX, FOX
Outstanding Graphic Design: ESPN NASCAR, ABC / ESPN / ESPN2
The George Wensel Technical Achievement Award: ESPN NASCAR, Draft Track ABC / ESPN / ESPN2.(emmyonline.org)(3-14-2008)
Bristol Tire Notes: Teams in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will be running the same tire codes at Bristol this weekend . . . this is the first time that teams have run a race on either of these two tire codes . . . based upon the results of last August’s races on the reconfigured Bristol track, the new concrete surface proved to be less severe than originally predicted . . . this spring’s recommendation utilizes new tread compounds on both left-side and right-side tires, aimed at increasing overall grip . . . on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams do not run inner liners in any tire position . . . Bristol is unique in that regard, with teams being required to run inner liners in their right-side tires at the high-banked short track . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire. The estimated pit window is every 130-140 laps, based on fuel mileage.(Goodyear PR), se full notes on the Bristol Race Info page or the codes/pressures for each race this year at the 2008 Tire Codes page.(3-13-2008) www.jayski.com/next/2008/5bms2008.htm#goodyear www.jayski.com/pages/2008tirenotes.htm
Time for a drivers Union? The always boisterous Tony Stewart led a loud parade of outrage aimed at Goodyear’s engineers after Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. If Stewart had thought about it long enough, he might have realized that there is much more that he and his fellow drivers can do. This is the perfect time for the drivers in the Sprint Cup Series to form a union. Then they can have real leverage on matters such as tires, safety and races. NASCAR has always said the drivers are “private contractors,” so there has never been a need for a union. Plus, in the old days, any talk of forming a union could have seriously jeopardized a driver’s career. See full story at the Delaware News Journal.(3-13-2008) snipurl.com/21qxd-gazete
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Courtesy of the Jeff Gordon Newsletter, by Carolyn cakes24@juno.com
TV Alert!!!!!!
QVC “For Race Fan’s Only” at Bristol
JG-TV: Jeff Gordon will appear on “For Race Fans Only” on QVC on Friday,
March 14 from 8 to 10 P.M.eastern.
Dale Jarrett not retiring to slow lane
www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2008-03-12-jarrett-retirement_N.htm
As Dale Jarrett approaches the finish line of a stellar NASCAR career, he has made sure not to let his exit pass without some acknowledgments. To that end he has made a concerted effort to talk with fellow Sprint Cup drivers and crewmembers — nothing elaborate or emotional, just thanking them for a lifetime of memories. What the 1999 Cup champion and 32-race winner can’t promise is keeping a dry eye when he reflects on his achievements after making his final points-paying start in Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. “If ya’ll make me talk, yeah, it’s going to (be emotional),” Jarrett joked, referring to former NFL quarterback Brett Favre’s teary-eyed farewell news conference last week. “If ya’ll just let me walk away, I can go back to the motor home or back home and have my tears there.”
So far, so good for surging Vickers and Team Red Bull
sports.espn.go.com/rpm/columns/story?seriesId=2&columnist=newton_david&id=3289132
HAMPTON, Ga. — The No. 83 Sprint Cup show car of Brian Vickers paraded around Concord, N.C., during a late January NASCAR media tour hoping to spark attention for Team Red Bull, which was not included in the four-day event. The organization went so far as to stage a fake pullover by a local police officer at the entrance to Hendrick Motorsports while about 200 media members rode by in buses and cars No such stunts are necessary four races into the season. Vickers is attracting more than enough attention on the track
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Courtesy of Scene Daily
www.scenedaily.com
Gordon: We just need to have some consistency
Jeff Gordon could use a little consistency. His 2008 Sprint Cup season to date has been anything but consistent.
snipurl.com/21qwu-gazete
Kahne expects to contend for a win at Bristol
Kasey Kahnes fast start to the 2008 season took a bit of a wrong turn last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he spun during the Kobalt Tools 500 and later finished 28th
snipurl.com/21qwv-gazete
Blaney racing to make top 35 in owners points
Dave Blaney and his No. 22 Bill Davis Racing team made a charge late in the 2007 season to make it in the top 35 in owners points, locking up a spot in the first five Sprint Cup races this season.
snipurl.com/21qwx-gazete
Yates using ratings to help land Sprint Cup sponsor
Yates Racing already has a Web site dedicated to finding sponsors for its two-car Sprint Cup team. And for this weekends Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the team will try another way to garner attention of possible sponsors
snipurl.com/21qwz-gazete
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Courtesy of That’s Racin’
www.thatsracin.com
Heading into the fifth race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season, here are five things to keep an eye on Sunday
Like him or not, you have to acknowledge that Kyle Busch has been the story in NASCAR this season.
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12091.html
Putting fans in the seats?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has run in three of the series’ four races. Although he didn’t start the season planning to run as many Nationwide races, I’m sure you won’t hear any complaints from track promoters
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12083.html
NASCAR stars find smoother, faster Darlington Raceway
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12090.html
Goodyear gets a vote of confidence from NASCAR
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12085.html
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P R E S S * R E L E A S E S
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Greg Erwin, crew chief of the No. 16 Jackson Hewitt/DISH Network Ford Fusion
www.roushfenwaycorporate.com/jack_roush/audio/2008audio.htm
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N A S C A R * N A T I O N W I D E * S E R I E S
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Courtesy of Jayski
www.jayski.com
Nationwide Series Airing on ABC Saturday from Bristol: The Nationwide Series makes its first appearance of the 2008 season on ABC with a live, flag-to-flag airing of the 300-lap race from Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday, March 15, beginning at 2 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. The Bristol telecast is presented by GoDaddy.com. ESPN2 is the home of the Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lead announcer for ESPN on ABC’s coverage, joined in the booth for analysis by Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch will report from the pits, while Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN DISH Tech Center. Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty in the ESPN pit studio. The race re-airs on ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language network, on Sunday, March 16, at 11 a.m.(ESPN PR)(3-10-2008)
Heluva Good! to Sponsor May Race at Dover: The May 31 Nationwide Series NASCAR race at Dover International Speedway will be sponsored by Heluva Good!, a producer of sour cream dips, cheese, and condiments, the track announced this afternoon. The Heluva Good! 200 will run between Friday’s AAA Insurance 200 Craftsman Truck Series race and Sunday’s Dover 400 Sprint Cup race.(Delaware News Journal)(3-13-2008)
Supercuts & Afdent Denitistry Sponsoring the #36 at Bristol: Afdent provides patient friendly dentistry to help people eliminate dental pain, and to look and feel better, all in the most comfortable setting possible. Afdent has large state-of-the-art locations in northern Indiana. Shark Energy Drink will resume their twenty-five race primary sponsorship at the O’Reilly 300 in Texas.(Fitz Motorsports PR)(3-13-2008)
Jimmy Johns on the #66 & #64 at Bristol: This weekend marks the debut of Team Jimmy John’s Rusty Wallace Racing. Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches will serve as primary sponsor of Steve Wallace’s #66 in ten 2008 Nationwide Series events, beginning with the Bristol race. Jimmy John’s will also appear on the deck lid of David Stremme’s #64 for those ten events.(RWI PR)(3-13-2008)
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Courtesy of The Hot Lap
www.TheHotLap.com
Heluva Good!®, a leading producer of real sour cream dips, cheese, and condiments, will sponsor the 200-mile NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Dover International Speedway on Saturday, May 31, 2008. The “Heluva Good! 200” race name is sure to create quite a buzz, and will be a hit with race fans, drivers and the media. “We look forward to standing in Victory Lane at Dover International Speedway on May 31, 2008 to award the winner of the ‘Heluva Good! 200’ with a monster trophy,” said Elizabeth Underhill, brand manager for Heluva Good!. The race will be the Saturday highlight of the May 30 – June 1 Dover race weekend. The NASCAR Nationwide Series race will feature some of NASCAR’s biggest names, as well as the up-and-coming drivers on the circuit. Dover is historically known to have a large number of NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers enter the Saturday Nationwide race. In the Spring 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Dover, 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regulars competed in the event. NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Dover are always competitive and never predictable. Of the 48 NASCAR Nationwide races run at Dover since the series’ inception in 1982, there have been 38 different race winners. Only three winners in the 48-race history have won from the pole, and 32 of the 48 races have had a margin of victory of under two seconds, including four of the last five races. “We are pleased to welcome Heluva Good! to Dover International Speedway for our May 31 NASCAR Nationwide Series event,” said Michael Tatoian, executive vice president of Dover Motorsports, Inc. “And we couldn’t ask for a better race name. We promise everyone in attendance a ‘Heluva Good!’ time!”(PR-Dover InternationalSpeedway) (03-13-08)
Bobby Hamilton Jr. acknowledges that Bristol Motor Speedway is a fan favorite. The Nationwide Series driver knows the tight confines of the short track make it a fun place to watch a race.But as a competitor, Bristol can be a place that makes you want to pull your hair out. “As far as the cars and crew members, crew chiefs and drivers, it drives you crazy because it’s so fast, it’s so finicky,” Hamilton Jr. said. “It’s concrete, and it’s so forgiving that you can get away with so much. You can beat and bang with people, and at the same time you can miss the chassis by two- or three-tenths and be five laps down there. Bobby Hamilton Jr. on competing at Bristol- “Compared to going somewhere else and be off a little bit and only be one lap down. I’ve been on the good side of it where the car is driving so good it is so easy to pass people at ease without touching anybody. You can come home with a fifth- or second-place finish without a scratch on your car or you come with the fenders tore off of it and the nose knocked off and finish 23rd.”The Team Rensi Motorsports driver said Bristol is a track that a driver either loves or hates.“One race you love it, and the next race you hate it or that year you loved it,” Hamilton Jr. said. “It’s a hard little short track, but if your car is right, it’s probably one of the most fun places we go.” Bristol has also been a struggle for Hamilton Jr., as he only has one top-10 finish in 11 starts there: A sixth in 2003. He was 18th and 12th in the two series races there last year.“If you can get a good qualifying run, have good pit stops, you’re going to be hard to beat,” Hamilton Jr. said. “If you’ve got to be in the back, in the traffic for any amount of time, that’s where a good spotter comes in keeping you calmed down. The crew chief is making the right adjustments. The driver is making the right adjustments and explaining the car to the crew chief. It takes all of us.“When you find that, that’s why so many people, like Darrell [Waltrip] and Kurt Busch and those guys, when they hit on those four, five in a row or Jeff Gordon and those guys, they find what it takes and then it just hits. Then all of a sudden, you can’t do anything wrong there. Getting to that point is what takes so long.”(SceneDaily) (03-13-08)
Bristol Weather Forecast - Friday Mar 14 - 40% chance of showers beginning at 10:00am changing to 60% chance of showers as of about 1:00pm. Showers continuing thru 8pm and dropping to 20% as of 10pm. Temperatures from 10:00am through 10:00PM ranging from 50 to a high of 62 and dropping back to low 40’s overnight. It appears that NNS Practice may be hit and miss for Friday. Saturday Mar 15 doesn’t look any better with a 60 to 70% chance of showers predicted from 8:00am thru the morning - afternoon and evening. The morning will start off in the upper 40’s with a high of 60 mid afternoon. Race day is not looking good based on these predictions. Qualifying is set for 9:40am Saturday and shows rain somewhere around 40%. The race is to start at 2:30pm and shows 70% chance of showers/T-storms. Could be another LONG weekend. (TheHotLap) (03-13-08)
Hellmann’s mayonnaise has teamed with Gillett Evernham Motorsports to offer the Hellmann’s and Best Foods “Real Fan of the Year” contest. The contest, which runs through Sept. 30, will award one fan and a guest a five-day trip to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the season-ending race weekend. The winner and guest will have VIP suite seats for all three races that are part of the Ford championship weekend. The contest winner will get to wave the green flag on GEM’s Elliott Sadler’s qualifying lap with his No. 19 Dodge. The winner will also meet GEM’s Kasey Kahne and have the opportunity to be on stage during prerace festivities for the season-ending Nationwide Series race. Official rules are at www.hellmanns.com/promotions.aspx (Scenedaily)
As reported Mar. 6-Two-time series champion Martin Truex Jr. will drive the No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet for JR Motorsports on Saturday, the first time he is behind the wheel for his former boss since 2006. Truex won 12 races during his 2004 and 2005 championship seasons for owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Update) “I’m really excited about driving Junior’s Nationwide car at Bristol,” Truex said. “We were talking on the Internet at the beginning of the year, and he said he was looking for someone to drive his car in a couple of Nationwide races. I told him I’d do it, and he said, ‘Are you kidding?’ I told him I was being serious, but we didn’t talk about it again for a while, and I had kind of forgotten about it. He brought it up again a couple of weeks ago and asked me if I was still interested, and I told him I was. It’s going to be a lot of fun.” (PR-NASCAR) (03-13-08)
America’s Incredible Pizza Company will serve as the sponsor on the #11 CJM Racing Chevrolet in this weekend’s Sharpie Mini 300. This will be the 3rd week in a row that AIPC will be on Jason Keller’s vehicle. The team is currently in business to business negotiations to continue the relationship this season. Keller has 28 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway and is set to break the career start record at the track held by former driver Tommy Houston. Keller also has the distinction of holding the stat. of the last time a driver won from the pole in the spring Bristol race - April 10, 1999. (TheHotLap) (03-13-08)
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C R A F T S M A N * T R U C K * S E R I E S
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Courtesy of Jayski
www.jayski.com
Cook fastest in Day 2 PM Session: #60-Terry Cook was the fastest on track for the final test session at Martinsville with a speed of 94.148 followed by #2-Jack Sprague second, #14-Adam Crawford third, #6-Colin Braun fourth, #16-Brian Scott fifth, #59-Ted Musgrave sixth, #71-Donny Lia seventh, #99-Erik Darnell eighth, #21-Jon Wood ninth, #17-Timothy Peters tenth; first Dodge [19th] #18-Dennis Setzer. #03-Chrissy Wallace, driving for Germain Racing, garnered her best time in the two-day session posting the 11th fastest speed. Complete test speeds are now posted on the Martinsville Test Page.(3-13-2008) www.jayski.com/cts/martinsville08-testing.htm#day2
Images: Added some photos from the Martinsville test session; #4-Stacy Compton, #8-Chad McCumbee, #9-Justin Marks, #10-Brendan Gaughan, #14-Rick & Adam Crawford, #21-Jon & Keven Wood, #30-Todd Bodine, #33-Ron Hornaday, #42-Tim Cowen, #48-Bryan Silas, #99-Erik Darnell. To view, visit the 2008 Paint Scheme Gallery.(3-13-2008) www.jayski.com/schemes/2008trucks.htm
Petree to drive at Martinsville? UPDATE: Image added: Hearing that current ESPN analyst Andy Petree was testing a #92 Harris Trucking Toyota at Martinsville and plans to run the CTS race on March 29. Petree has run 7 career CTS races, the last coming in 2004 at Martinsville.(3-12-2008)
UPDATE: Image of the #92-Harris Trucking Toyota tested by Andy Petree at Martinsville is posted on the 2008 Paint Scheme Gallery page. www.jayski.com/schemes/2008trucks.htm
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Jon Wood Has Solid Test For Kroger 250 At Martinsville Speedway
MARTINSVILLE, VA (March 13, 2008) — Jon Wood knows all about running well at Martinsville Speedway. He also knows how tough the historic half-mile track can be on drivers and equipment and that’s …
www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=282111
Kyle Busch Wants Championships For Owner Billy Ballew
Chrissy Wallace Tests, Hopes To Break Into NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 12, 2008) — As another busy season is well underway, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series takes over Martinsville Speedway …
www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=282034
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Courtesy of TruckSeries.Com
www.truckseries.com
TEAM NEWS: Setzer and Compton Top Two-Day Test at Martinsville
www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/NCTS_08/articles/000003/000382.htm
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A R C A (Automobile Racing Club of America)
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Courtesy of ARCA
www.arcaracing.com
Sophomore Sheltra Ready to Get Back in the Gas
TOLEDO OH (3-14-08) - Patrick Sheltra’s seventh place points finish in 2007 was certainly noteworthy. After all, he was a rookie last year and was visiting most of the tracks for the very first time.
But now the Indiantown, Florida driver has a full season of experience to work with in 2008 as well as a well-oiled team solidly in his corner.
Furthermore, Sheltra, a dirt late model racer by trade, has learned to love it here in the ARCA RE/MAX Series world.
[Read More] - www.arcaracing.com/news.cfm?contentid=6227
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N A S C A R * C A N A D I A N * T I R E * S E R I E S
localracing.nascar.com/news/6
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Edmonton IRL / NCATS date scenario?
Inside Track Motorsport News - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
And where does this leave the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race? Most likely as the main event on Sunday, July 27 in Edmonton…. leaving precious little …
insidetracknews.blogspot.com/2008/03/edmonton-irl-ncats-date-scenario.html
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C O L U M N S / C O M M E N T A R I E S
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Insider Racing News
insiderracingnews.com/Writers/RG/031408.html
Could 2008 be the Year of the Biffster?
by Rebecca Gladden
Dale Jarrett, Class Act
By Racing With JR
This weekend will mark the end of Dale Jarrett’s career. Dale will step out of the seat of the #44 UPS Toyota after the checkered flag falls at Bristol this weekend. When that happens, NASCAR will lose one class act. …
racingwithjr.wordpress.com/2008/03/13/dale-jarrett-class-act/
Sports Emmy Nominees Include NASCAR Networks
dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/03/sports-emmy-nominees-include-nascar.html
Jeff Gordon’s Video Game Leads “NASCAR Now”
dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/03/jeff-gordons-video-game-leads-nascar.html
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T V * L I S T I N G S
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Courtesy of Race Fan TV
snipurl.com/llya-stockc
Friday - March 14th
12:00 P.M. - Bristol NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice SPEED
1:30 P.M. - Bristol NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice SPEED
3:00 P.M. - Bristol Go or Go Home SPEED
3:30 P.M. - Bristol NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying SPEED
5:00 P.M. - Bristol NASCAR Nationwide Series Final Practice SPEED
6:30 P.M. - Bristol NASCAR Live SPEED
7:00 P.M. - Bristol Trackside at Bristol SPEED
8:00 P.M. - Bristol NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice SPEED
9:30 P.M. - Bristol NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying SPEED
Saturday - March 15th
1:00 P.M. - Bristol NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice SPEED
2:00 P.M. - Bristol NASCAR Nationwide Series Countdown ABC
2:30 P.M. - Bristol NASCAR Nationwide Series: Sharpie MINI 300 ABC
4:00 P.M. - MTV Cribs Casey Mears MTV
10:30 P.M. - NASCAR Performance SPEED
11:00 P.M. - Tradin’ Paint SPEED
Sunday - March 16th
10:00 A.M. - NASCAR Now ESPN2
10:00 A.M. - Tradin’ Paint SPEED
10:30 A.M. - NASCAR Performance SPEED
11:00 A.M. - NASCAR in a Hurry SPEED
11:30 A.M. - NASCAR RaceDay SPEED
1:30 P.M. - NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pre-Race Show FOX
2:00 P.M. - Bristol NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Food City 500 FOX
7:00 pm SPEED Report SPEED
8:00 P.M. - NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Victory Lane SPEED
9:00 P.M. - Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain SPEED
Monday - March 17th
8:00 A.M. - NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Victory Lane SPEED
9:00 A.M. - Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain SPEED
5:30 P.M. - NASCAR Now ESPN2 8:00 pm This Week in NASCAR SPEED
Race Fan TV does not list all the programming offered by SPEED; for complete listings go to their website, www.speedtv.com/schedule/
DISC-HDT = Discovery HD Theatre
ESPN-CL = ESPN Classic, US
HDNet = High Definition Network available on DirecTV (Channel 79) and DISH, etc.
Outdoor = Outdoor Channel (US)
VS = Versus (formerly known as OLN, Outdoor Life Network)
Always CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS!
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