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Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all you lads and lasses. A full NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend report from Bristol is included, along with all your other NASCAR news in this edition of the Stock Car Gazette…

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T H E * S T O C K * C A R * G A Z E T T E
by MotorSportsNews.Net

Do you know for sure?
motorsportsnews.net/you-can-know-for-sure
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The Stock Car Gazette is sponsored by:

Hasco Collectibles
Div. Hasco Services, LLC
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Lufkin, TX 75904
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866-66-HASCO (866-664-2726)

We Now Have Dale Jr.’s Mountain Dew Retro Scheme For Pre-Order,
Including The 1/64th Scale In A Mountain Dew Soda Can. We Also
Have The Kyle Busch 1st Toyota Win, J. Force Castrol 40th, And
Mark Martin Principal 700th Start Impala SS For Pre-Order.
Plus We Have Pre-Orders For Most Of The Cup Drivers On Our Pre-
Order Web Site At: www.diecastcars.net.

We Have 2008 AMP/NG/Dupont/Lowes/Cheerios/Home Depot, Bud,
Jack Daniels, Wells Fargo, Bass Pro, Fed-Ex, Nicorette, And
More At Our In-Stock Web Store www.hascodiecastcars.com.

HASCO Collectibles Is Still Clearing Out Dale Jr. Bud Merchandise.
All Jr. Bud Items Are Discounted From 25 To 50 Per Cent Off.
All Drivers Clothing Items Also Are Discounted 40 Per Cent Off.
www.hascodiecastcars.com.

Hasco Collectibles
Div. Hasco Services, LLC
701 Mantooth Ave.
Lufkin, TX 75904
www.hascodiecastcars.com
www.diecastcars.net
hasco@diecastcars.net
866-66-HASCO (866-664-2726)
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E d i t o r ‘ s * N o t e s
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all you lads and lasses. A full weekend report from Bristol is included below.
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Stock Car Gazette Columnists Speak Out!
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Bowyer Wins Rain-Shortened Sharpie Mini 300
by: Thomas Chemris

Clint Bowyer reached for an umbrella rather than the checkered flag as the Kansas native won the Nationwide Series Sharpie Mini 300 at the Bristol Motor Speedway.

MORE: motorsportsnews.net/archives/1144
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I Will Miss You, Dale
by: Becky Davidson

At Bristol Motor Speedway another legendary driver hung up his keys and retired this past weekend.

MORE: motorsportsnews.net/archives/1145
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Track Trash – Bristolized
by: Racing Maniac

How ’bout dem RCR boys…… They sure kicked some b….ehinds today, thanks in part to the abrupt decline of the JGR Oyotas. And another great race from the most popular driver’s team. When will his teammates awake from their slumber??

MORE: motorsportsnews.net/archives/1146
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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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Stewart meets with and apologizes to Goodyear
A few hours after saying that he wasn’t too interested in hearing what Goodyear had to say about making the tires better, Tony Stewart, well, talked to Goodyear. Stewart met with Goodyear General Manager of Worldwide Racing Stu Grant while qualifying was in the process of being washed out by rain. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver delivered [...]
feeds.feedburner.com/~r/autoracingsport/~3/251672318/

Jeff Burton avoids mayhem to win at Bristol
Jeff Burton capitalized when race leader Denny Hamlin sputtered with car trouble and led Richard Childress Racing to a sweep of the top three spots in Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Details to follow… RESULTS: FIN, ST, CAR, DRIVER, MAKE, SPONSOR, PTS/BNS, LAPS, STATUS 1 8 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet AT&T Mobility [...]
feeds.feedburner.com/~r/autoracingsport/~3/252624879/
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Courtesy of www.Catchfence.com

Jeff Burton Wins Bristol Food City 500
www.catchfence.com/Speeds/08FOODCITY500Results.html
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Courtesy of Stock Car Gazette subscriber Ed B. - thanks!

“DALE” nominated for two Emmys

DALE, the definitive documentary of the legendary Dale Earnhardt
produced in 2007 by CMT Films and NASCAR Media Group, has been
nominated for two Sports Emmy Awards by the National Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences.

DALE was nominated in the categories of Outstanding Sports Documentary
and Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics.

“It’s an honor for DALE to be nominated for Sports Emmys in two
different categories and everyone at NASCAR Media Group and CMT Films
should be very proud,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of
Richard Childress Racing …

CONTINUED AT:
www.thestockcarxpress.com/
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Courtesy of Insider Racing News
www.insiderracingnews.com

Burton Wins Bristol

Burton Celebrates Late Gift To Win Food City 500
On a last lap pass, a door opened Jeff Burton drove his Richard Childress Chevrolet through it to win the Food City 500. Leader Denny Hamlin ran out of fuel and Burton, who was running fifth with three laps to go. There were guys with old tires, like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart and the there were guys Like Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth who had four brand new tires, so you could almost see what was going to happen. Harvick drove in too hard as a guy with new tires would want to but then pushed up the track, wrecking Stewart.

“I thought I left him plenty of room, but I don’t know,” said Stewart. “I was far enough ahead of him that I didn’t see where he hit me or when he hit me. I’m sure some how it was my fault. I’m just sorry I got in his way.”

This was with two laps to go and it set up a green-white-checkers finish. Hamlin was leading on the restart and got a good jump on the field but his engine sputtered from gas starvation on the second turn. It was a scramble for the lead from there and Burton emerged as the take charge guy. Burton’s teammate, Harvick was second, and running third was the third Childress car with Clint Bowyer as the driver. It was the first 1-2-3 finish for Childress Racing.

Greg Biffle drove his Roush Racing Ford to the fourth spot and Dale Earnhardt Jr. turned in another top-five finish. Hamlin managed to keep his engine running, and although it was sputtering, finished on the lead lap in sixth place. Kasey Kahne was seventh followed by a fantastic run by rookie Aric Almirola, David Gilliland and Matt Kenseth to round out the top ten.

Jeff Burton described the late win to the media after the race. “Oh, I thought, not again,”said Burton. “It was the same exact scenario as last year, just a different car in front of me. And I thought, ‘Oh, God, not this again.’ But obviously (Kevin) Harvick and (Tony) Stewart got together there and that opened the door for me to squeeze in. Then Hamlin, don’t know if he ran out of gas or what happened there, he quit and we kept going there. I almost ran him over. He stopped so quick, I almost ran him over. I was on new tires; leader is sitting there on old tires. I thought all winter and off-season we did the right thing. Some people questioned it, but I did the right thing and those things come back to you. And then I don’t know if he ran out of gas or what happened but he quit and we kept going. It worked out.” The Sprint Cup Series is off next week and will return to the track on Sunday March 20th, 2008 at Martinsville Speedway for the Goody’s Cool Orange 500.

2008 Food City 500 Final Results
Race Date March 16, 2008
Bristol Motor Speedway

Pos Start Car Driver Make Sponsor Points/Bonus/Laps Status

1 8 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet AT&T Mobility 190/5 506 Running
2 10 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell/Pennzoil 175/5 506 Running
3 3 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s 170/5 506 Running
4 14 16 Greg Biffle Ford Jackson Hewitt 160/0 506 Running
5 15 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet National Guard/AMP Energy 155/0 506 Running
6 12 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express 155/5 506 Running
7 20 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser 146/0 506 Running
8 16 8 Aric Almirola Chevrolet U.S. Army 142/0 506 Running
9 32 38 David Gilliland Ford FreeCreditReport.com 138/0 506 Running
10 4 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DISH Network 134/0 506 Running
11 2 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 130/0 506 Running
12 36 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 127/0 506 Running
13 11 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker 124/0 506 Running
14 6 20 Tony Stewart ** Toyota The Home Depot 131/10 506 Running
15 21 42 Juan Montoya Dodge Texaco/Havoline 118/0 505 Running
16 9 99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot 115/0 504 Running
17 22 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s 117/5 504 Running
18 1 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 114/5 504 Running
19 27 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Stanley Tools 106/0 504 Running
20 39 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine 103/0 504 Running
21 24 6 David Ragan Ford AAA Insurance 100/0 504 Running
22 31 66 Scott Riggs Chevrolet Haas Automation 97/0 503 Running
23 40 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA AUTO PARTS 99/5 503 Running
24 28 7 Robby Gordon Dodge RVs.com/Camping World 91/0 503 Running
25 25 96 J.J. Yeley Toyota DLP HDTV 88/0 503 Running
26 17 01 Regan Smith * Chevrolet DEI/Principal Financial Group 85/0 503 Running
27 30 28 Travis Kvapil Ford Yates Racing 82/0 503 Running
28 35 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil 79/0 501 Running
29 7 77 Sam Hornish Jr. * Dodge Mobil 1 76/0 501 Running
30 33 70 Jeremy Mayfield Chevrolet Haas Automation 73/0 500 Running
31 23 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target 70/0 500 Running
32 29 15 Paul Menard Chevrolet PEAK/Menards 67/0 499 Running
33 13 12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL 64/0 499 Running
34 34 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Caterpillar 61/0 498 Running
35 42 78 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet Furniture Row/DenverMattress.com 58/0 498 Running
36 26 40 Dario Franchitti * Dodge The HartFord 55/0 497 Running
37 37 44 Dale Jarrett Toyota UPS 52/0 496 Running
38 19 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 49/0 489 Running
39 38 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 46/0 486 Running
40 43 84 Mike Skinner Toyota Red Bull 43/0 441 Running
41 41 49 Ken Schrader Dodge Qtrax.com 40/0 420 Running
42 5 5 Casey Mears Chevrolet CARQUEST/Kellogg’s 37/0 417 Running
43 18 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal 34/0 373 Running

** Led Most Laps
* Rookies

All Results Unofficial

2008 Top-40 Sprint Cup Points After Food City 500
Race Date March 16, 2008
Bristol Motor Speedway

POS +/- DRIVER POINTS/BEHIND/STARTS/POLES/WINS/TOP 5/TOP 10

1 — Kyle Busch 776 5 1 1 3 3
2 — Greg Biffle 752 -24 5 0 0 3 4
3 — Kevin Harvick 749 -27 5 0 0 2 4
4 +1 Jeff Burton 745 -31 5 0 1 2 3
5 +1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 686 -90 5 0 0 3 4
6 +1 Kasey Kahne 674 -102 5 0 0 0 4
7 +1 Tony Stewart 656 -120 5 0 0 2 3
8 -4 Ryan Newman 635 -141 5 0 1 1 2
9 +7 Clint Bowyer 606 -170 5 0 0 1 2
10 — Kurt Busch 605 -171 5 0 0 1 1
11 +1 Matt Kenseth 604 -172 5 0 0 1 3
12 -1 Martin Truex Jr. 595 -181 5 0 0 0 1

Top 12 Drivers In The Running For The Chase For The Championship

13 — Jimmie Johnson 575 -201 5 1 0 1 1
14 +1 Jeff Gordon 574 -202 5 1 0 2 2
15 +4 Denny Hamlin 568 -208 5 0 0 0 2
16 +1 Carl Edwards 542 -234 5 0 2 2 2
17 -8 Brian Vickers 537 -239 5 0 0 0 1
18 -4 Bobby Labonte 511 -265 5 0 0 0 0
19 +2 David Ragan 510 -266 5 0 0 0 1
20 +3 Juan Montoya 509 -267 5 0 0 0 0
21 -1 Elliott Sadler 502 -274 5 0 0 0 1
22 +6 David Gilliland 490 -286 5 0 0 0 1
23 +4 David Reutimann 473 -303 5 0 0 0 0
24 — Robby Gordon 466 -310 5 0 0 0 1
25 +1 Scott Riggs 463 -313 5 0 0 0 0
26 -4 Reed Sorenson 461 -315 5 0 0 1 1
27 -2 Paul Menard 449 -327 5 0 0 0 0
28 +1 Travis Kvapil 434 -342 5 0 0 0 1
29 -11 Mark Martin 421 -355 4 0 0 0 1
30 +3 Michael Waltrip 399 -377 5 0 0 0 0
31 +4 J.J. Yeley 383 -393 5 0 0 0 0
32 +2 Jeremy Mayfield 374 -402 5 0 0 0 0
33 -3 Casey Mears 368 -408 5 0 0 0 0
34 -2 Dale Jarrett 367 -409 5 0 0 0 0
35 +1 Sam Hornish Jr.* 356 -420 5 0 0 0 0
36 -5 Jamie McMurray 352 -424 5 0 0 0 0
37 — Dave Blaney 331 -445 5 0 0 0 0
38 +1 Regan Smith* 329 -447 5 0 0 0 0
39 -1 Dario Franchitti* 319 -457 5 0 0 0 0
40 — Kyle Petty 296 -480 5 0 0 0 0

* Rookies
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Courtesy of Jayski
www.jayski.com

added an image of #17 DISH Network Ford to the paint scheme gallery www.jayski.com/schemes/paintschemes.htm

Chat with Jayski on Monday, March 17th at 1:00pm/et, send your question to ESPN.com Chat, I’ll pick out the best ones that I feel folks will find the most interest in. I do stay away from choosing race winners…etc. proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=19769

Jarrett Honored Sunday: #44-Dale Jarrett received a standing ovation in the drivers’ meeting in honor of his final points race. He then told the drivers to enjoy their careers “because we all have one time in this, and mine has been fantastic.” The 1999 Cup champion also was honored during prerace introductions, receiving a “Tennessee Volunteer” rifle similar to the ones used by settlers in this area during the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Kings Mountain. An avid golfer, he also received 668 Titleist Pro V1 golf balls to commemorate his career Cup starts. Jarrett’s father, Ned, waved the green flag to start the race. The race was anti-climactic, though, as Jarrett finished 37th, 10 laps off the pace. “Well, it wasn’t the finish I would have liked,” he said. “I’m able to go out with the best sponsor in the business in UPS and I would have liked to have had a better day for them, but I really can’t be too upset when you take into consideration the kind of career I have been fortunate to have.”(ESPN.com)(3-17-2008)

Changes at Red Bull, Labbe?: Guenther Steiner is no longer the director of competition for Team Red Bull. Officially, Steiner is on “vacation.” However, sources close to the team say he’s gone and there’s been no replacement named. It’s all part of the shakeup underway at the team now that Jay Frye has been put in charge. I [Yahoo's Bob Margolis] also hear that Slugger Labbe could be on his way over to Red Bull to be reunited with Frye.(Yahoo Sports)(3-17-2008)

1-2-3 finishes: Richard Childress Racing [#31-Burton, #29-Harvick, #07-Bowyer] pulled off a feat Sunday that’s not quite as easy as 1-2-3. With its first sweep in team history, RCR also became the first team to finish in the top three spots since Roush Fenway Racing did so four times in 2005.
Last 1-2-3 Finishes
2008 Bristol RCR
2005 Homestead Roush*
2005 Texas Roush
2005 Kansas Roush
2005 Richmond Roush
1997 Daytona HMS
*Finished 1-2-3-4
(AP/ESPN.com)(3-17-2008)

Stewart getting waxed on Monday - “Operation Wax Smoke”: After almost a year, Tony Stewart will finally be getting his back waxed on Monday night [March 17th] at an undisclosed top secret location. Kevin Harvick will fill-in for Stewart through out much of the show [8:00pm/et Sirius Satelitte NASCAR Radio Channel 128]. At some point during the show Kyle Petty will receive a check for $100k for the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Some of the folks scheduled to appear or call-in: Kevin and Delana Harvick, Ford Martin, Kyle Petty and Darrell Waltrip, plus you never know who may call in to check on Stewart’s condition. Also Jimmie Johnson told Ford Martin, TSL’s National Motorsports Correspondent, that if Ford pulled a piece of wax off Stewart’s back, Jimmie would donate an extra 10k to Stewart’s foundation.(3-14/17-2008)

Changes at the #96? hearing there could be a crew chief change coming at the #96 Hall of Fame Racing team…Slugger Labbe could be coming over from the now idle #27 Bill Davis Racing team. Brandon Thomas is the current crew chief for J.J. Yeley at Hall of Fame Racing. There tend to be some changed during the first of weekend every season.(3-16-2008)
UPDATE: been told Labbe was seen at Bristol in a Bill Davis Racing sweatshirt and been told he is still with BDR and will help out the #22 CAT team in testing the next couple weeks.(3-17-2008)

Testing at Kentucky this week: #48-Jimmie Johnson and #78-Joe Nemechek are scheduled to test at Kentucky Speedwy on Tues/We March 18-19 along with R&D teams of Joe Gibbs Racing with Joey Logano, Stanton Barrett’s team, the CTS Bill Davis Racing team with Mike Skinner and on Wed Petty Racing will test with driver TBA. Fans can watch from the Turn 3 Fan Center at no charge. Schedule subject to change daily. Test times vary.(Kentucky Speedway)(3-17-2008)

Almirola Soldiers to Impressive 8th-Place Finish in Bristol: #8-Aric Almirola sure didn’t look like a driver who had not competed in more than four months. In only his seventh career Sprint Cup start the 24-year-old U.S. Army driver took on one of NASCAR’s toughest tracks Sunday and psoted an eighth-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. “Awesome, just awesome,” said crew chief Tony Gibson. “Aric drove the wheels off that Army Chevrolet. We had a decent car, not a great one. But Aric drove both patiently and hard. He has talent. The team believes in him and he believes in us. He is in the future and we’re just happy that he is driving our stuff.” Almirola’s last Cup race was in November in Phoenix. “These guys on this Army team deserve the credit,” said Almirola, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Friday. “I had a good car with a lot of speed and didn’t have to hustle it. It was a lot of fun out there and I want to thank the U.S. Army, DEI, Tony (Gibson) and all the guys on this team for believing in me. The pit stops were excellent all day.” Almirola will also drive the #8 Chevy in the next Cup race at Martinsville Speedway (March 30) as part of his 12-race schedule with Dale Earnhardt Inc. He is sharing the ride with veteran Mark Martin. Almirola started the race from the 16th position and drove in the top 15 for nearly the entire race. Almirola’s previous best finish in a Cup race was 26th in Phoenix last fall.(DEI PR)(3-17-2008)

Petty Enterprises could petition NASCAR for a swap of points between Petty and the 19th-ranked Dodge of teammate Bobby Labonte, who would be in the field as a past champion. But Robbie Loomis, the team’s vice president of operations, said he might be comfortable with Petty qualifying on speed at Martinsville.(USA Today)(3-17-2008)

Jarrett fan’s odyssey on its final leg in Bristol: Last fall when Dale Jarrett announced his plan to retire from Sprint Cup Series competition after the first five races of the 2008 season, Cathy Tanner decided she had to see her man wheel it one last time. Or five. Tanner, a fan of Jarrett’s for more than a decade, took a seven-week leave of absence in February from her position as an elementary school teacher’s aid and hit the road. From her Florence, Ala., home to Daytona Beach, Fla., to Fontana, Calif., to Las Vegas, Nev., to Hampton, Ga., to Bristol, Tenn. Just her and her gray tabby cat, Baby, in a 27-foot RV. She’ll head back to Florence following Sunday’s Food City 500. “The next time somebody tells us they’re a DJ fan we’ll have to call BS on them,” laughed Jarrett’s son, Jason. “We know who the biggest one is now.”
“It’s just something I wanted to do — to see (Jarrett) race these final races,” said Tanner, via phone from a perch in the Bristol Motor Speedway grandstand, Cup cars blaring by in the background. “And I didn’t want to go by myself so I had to bring my cat with me.” She returns to school Friday. Tanner was introduced to NASCAR years ago when her daughter chose the sport as the topic for a high school term paper. They’d go to the library together and read about the sport, and watch races with Cathy’s father on Sunday afternoons. She cheered for Jarrett and Terry Labonte, but Jarrett ultimately won her devotion. “I went with Dale because we have the same birthday,” Tanner said. “I always thought that was sort of strange.” Tanner is uncertain how much she’s spent on the trek, or how many miles she’s driven (MapQuest says 6,065). She fills the RV up twice a day on the road. She used a portion of her inheritance from her father’s death to pay for the trip. NASCAR Sundays afforded father and daughter a special bond, so she felt he’d approve.(see full story by Marty Smith at ESPN.com, Thanks to Nancy Osterhoudt for the info for this article, Nancy runs my Truck Series site)(3-16-2008)
sports.espn.go.com/rpm/columns/story?seriesId=2&columnist=smith_marty&id=3295298

What happened to NASCAR’s ethanol program? from a Tom Jensen column…. Great question. I [Jensen] spoke with NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp late Friday afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway and he said NASCAR is deep into alternative-fuel research at its R&D center in Concord, N.C. But making the change requires an awful lot of input from teams, fuel suppliers, engine builders, etc., and NASCAR tries not to rush into these things. I think within the next couple of years, there will be some alternative fuel in NASCAR, but it’s not ready yet.(SPEEDtv.com)(3-16-2008)
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Courtesy of the Jeff Gordon Newsletter by Carolyn cakes24@juno.com

Jeff Gordon: Father first
www.scenedaily.com/lifestyle/Jeff_Gordon_Father_first.html
It doesn’t matter how many baby books you read or reruns of “The Cosby Show” you have stored on TiVo, nothing prepares you for fatherhood. Sure, the months of mood swings and baby showers should help prime the pump, but they don’t. The reality of fatherhood hits in the fraction of a second it takes your child to settle into your arms for the very first time. For Jeff Gordon, that moment came on June 20, 2007, when he and his wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, welcomed their daughter, Ella Sofia, into the world.

Non-compete clause
(This is a great article by Ricky Craven that everyone should read. It does cover Tony Stewart and his attitude about the tires last week. Not only does Craven say that it was wrong for Tony to go so far over board…but while waiting for the track to be dried at Bristol waiting for qualifying Jeff Hamond and team all said that Tony went over board and that it was time to drop it. They didn’t come right out and say that Stewart needed to just shut up but in words with the same meaning. It really is time for this guy to just shut up and driver….Carolyn)
snipurl.com/21xh7-gazete
Tony Stewart said following Sunday’s race in Atlanta that the tires were the “most pathetic racing tire (he has) ever been on in (his) professional career,” that “Goodyear can’t build a tire that’s worth a crap,” and guarantees all of us that “Hoosier or Firestone can do a lot better job.” Well, to those who long for the days of competing tire manufacturers, I’ll offer this: Be careful what you wish for, because I’m old enough to remember when two tire manufacturers were in the sport, and let me tell you, it was a dark time for NASCAR. It was in the mid- to late- 1980s and into the early 1990s – Goodyear vs. Hoosier – and it was the closest thing to a debacle that I’ve ever seen. Instead of focusing on building a safe, competitive tire, Goodyear and Hoosier were vying for superiority. Week after week, they tried to one up each other by bringing a softer, faster tire to the track.
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Courtesy of www.motorsport.com

Bristol: Winning team press conference
An interview with:
JEFF BURTON
RICHARD CHILDRESS
SCOTT MILLER

THE MODERATOR: We’re pleased to be joined in here today by our race winner, crew chief and team owner of the Food City 500, that’s Jeff Burton. He drives the No. 31 …
www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=282547
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Courtesy of Scene Daily
www.scenedaily.com

Mike Hembree: Petty sees the other side during trip to Colombia
BRISTOL, Tenn. In years of building and running the Victory Junction Gang Camp, Kyle Petty has become an expert at raising money. He knows places to find cash that probably would elude the casual fundraiser
snipurl.com/21xhl-gazete

Jarrett honored in drivers meeting
BRISTOL, Tenn. NASCAR President Mike Helton honored retiring driver Dale Jarrett during the pre-race drivers meeting Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway.
snipurl.com/21xi5-gazete
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Your ad here could be seen by hundreds of dedicated racing fans!

Contact Mike@MotorSportsNews.Net for rates and information.
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Courtesy of That’s Racin’
www.thatsracin.com

Door opens and Burton leaps through for Bristol win
Late-race wackiness sets up wild finish
BRISTOL, Tenn. - Jeff Burton might be the only person for whom what ultimately happened in Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway was more significant than how it all went down
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12219.html

Rewind | Fox has little time for Jarrett, plenty to plug T-shirts
www.thatsracin.com/news/story/12267.html

RCR gets boost from 1-2-3, but no one’s ready to rest quite yet
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Richard Childress Racing made some team history Sunday as Chevrolet got its first Sprint Cup victory of the 2008 season in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12264.html

Key moments | Was anything bigger than Hamlin’s sputter?
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12260.html

Pit strategy bites Dale Earnhardt Jr.
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12262.html

Are freedom of speech’s lessons lost in NASCAR?
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12147.html
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P R E S S * R E L E A S E S
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Belle Island Village Plans Fall 2008 Grand Opening
$114 Million Pigeon Forge Development to Include Debbie Reynolds and Darrell Waltrip Attractions, Plus Hotel, Hospitality, Retail, Rides

Themed Destination to be One of Largest in Southeast,
Anticipates 2.1 Million Visitors / Year

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – Belle Island Village – a $114 million, 26-acre, themed development with retail, hospitality and entertainment venues – announced today its plans for a fall 2008 grand opening.
The pedestrian-friendly complex, located in the heart of tourism haven Pigeon Forge, Tenn., will include as anchor attractions the much-anticipated permanent location of the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Motion Picture Museum – a multi-million dollar Hollywood memorabilia collection estimated to be the largest private collection in the world – and NASCAR legend and FOX commentator Darrell Waltrip’s Racing Experience.
Both attractions and their principals – including film and television star Debbie Reynolds and her son Todd Fisher as CEO of the Museum, as well as racing legend Darrell Waltrip and well-known NASCAR pit crew chief Jeff Hammond – represent key partners in the development.
A recent addition to Belle Island’s growing list of family-friendly attractions includes Otter Cove, produced in partnership with the Knoxville Zoo.
“We’re excited to be moving at full steam to prepare for Belle Island Village’s opening this fall,” said Glen Bilbo, president of Southern Venue Development, LLC, which is overseeing the project.
“We anticipate that public interest in Belle Island Village locally, regionally and nationally – and even internationally – will be overwhelming, given its unique offerings and its location in one of America’s true tourism capitals in Pigeon Forge, a gateway destination to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” Bilbo said.
According to Bilbo, Belle Island Village anticipates nearly two million visitors per year, with multiple special appearances each month by Debbie Reynolds, Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Hammond and a variety of other celebrity guests from the entertainment and racing worlds. The development will be one of the largest themed destinations in the Southeast.
Belle Island Village will include more than 90 specialty shops and demonstration crafts, more than a dozen restaurants, several entertainment venues and other attractions, all laid out in a flat, pedestrian-friendly design. A children’s area of the Village will include rides. Ample parking with 3,000 spaces, including tram / trolley service to the front entrance, will also be provided.
Located throughout the Village will be 130 upscale hotel staterooms with balconies overlooking the pedestrian streets below or views of the Little Pigeon River or the Great Smoky Mountains.
More information can be found on the Belle Island Village web site at www.belleisland.com
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~ RaceTalkRadio.com Shows ~

Monday: COMEDY: Speedway City USA - - - RACING: Doin’ Donuts

Tuesday: ASA Late Model Series Radio - - - ARCA: ARCA Thunder - - - LOCAL: Down on the Farm

Wednesday: DIRT: Clamped Up - - - NASCAR: Quick Change - - - NASCAR: Fantasy Insight - - -
NASCAR: U WANT SOME? - - -

Thursday: NASCAR: On Pit Row - - - NASCAR: (Trucks) Cargo Light Review - - -
TALK: Racing Rock Star with Gannon Hollywood - - - DIRT: Gettin’ Dirty with CJ Swank

Friday: Athlon Sports Inside Racing - - - NASCAR: RTR Driver Podcasts: ALLTEL: Ryan Newman, Office Depot: Carl Edwards Podcast, BIG Announcement soon on more!

Saturday: RTR Rebroadcast of the Best of the Week

Sunday: NASCAR: Couch Potato Corner (Cup Series post race press conference)
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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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Concerts set the pace at Speedway
Cincinnati Enquirer - Cincinnati,OH,USA
Palmer will appear before the season-opening Arca Re/Max Series Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 on May 10. Smashmouth will perform June 14 on the Turn 1 Concourse …
snipurl.com/21xi3-gazete
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Courtesy of Jayski
www.jayski.com

Bowyer Wins Rain Shortened Bristol Race: #2-Clint Bowyer grabbed the win in the Sharpie Mini 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway when rain moved back into the track just past the halfway mark and the race was called after 171 laps. The race started 2 hours late because of showers at the track earlier in the day. #9-Kasey Kahne, who battled Bowyer hard for the lead prior to the rain, finished second. The rest of the top ten were: #99-David Reutimann, #88-Brad Keselowski (his career best finish), #22-Mike Bliss, #38-Jason Leffler, #33-Kevin Harvick, #6-David Ragan, #64-David Stremme, and #7-Mike Wallace. The race was slowed by 7 cautions for 37 laps and there were 3 leaders with 6 lead changes. Complete results are posted on the Bristol Race Page.(3-15-2008)
www.jayski.com/nationwide/2008/next/05bristol.htm#results

Harvick Continues to Lead Driver Points Kevin Harvick (who will not run the full season) now has a 49 point lead over Clint Bowyer in the driver standings. Carl Edwards slips to third, David Ragan remains fourth, and David Reutimann moves up to fifth. Complete standings are posted on the Bristol Race Page.(3-15-2008)
www.jayski.com/nationwide/2008/next/05bristol.htm#standings

Owners Points: Complete owner points are posted on the Bristol Race Page.(3-15-2008)
www.jayski.com/nationwide/2008/next/05bristol.htm#owners

James Otto, Muzik Mafia Ride with Harmon in Pepsi 300: NASCAR and country music fans have always enjoyed a special bond. Mike Harmon and the Elite 2 Racing Team will continue that relationship at the Nashville Superspeedway for the Pepsi 300. James Otto will be displayed on the hood and Muzik Mafia on the television panel of Harmon’s #84 Chevy for the 300-mile event.(Elite 2 Racing PR)(3-16-2008)

Baker Curb Racing #37 Still Needs Sponsorship: UPDATE: “Even back when Mike [Curb] and I were first talking about this deal last fall, we recognized that the odds were stacked against us as a stand-alone team. We decided to do it anyway and we’re coming face-to-face with some of those odds right now,” [team owner Gary] Baker said. “We’ve put together a team that’s going to be capable of winning races in the near future, but we’re sucking wind on our #37 car if we don’t get a sponsor soon,” Baker said. “That would be yet another stand-alone Nationwide car that will have to be parked, and it’s a shame.Bristol Herald Courier)(3-15-2008)
UPDATE: Baker Curb Racing is working towards securing sponsorship for its #37 Nationwide Series team for the remainder of the season, which is currently a guaranteed entry based on Owner’s Points. The team has a variety of Cup and full-time Nationwide drivers interested in driving for the team once sponsorship is secured. So far the team has seen Brad Baker and Greg Biffle behind the wheel this year. For more information on sponsorship opportunities contact Baker Curb Racing.(Baker Curb PR)(3-15-2008)

Border Patrol Sponsoring #28 Again: Jay Robinson Racing announced a sponsorship agreement with the U.S. Border Patrol for the remainder of the 2008 Nationwide Series as a part of their overall recruiting initiative. The sponsorship package kicks off this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway with the unveiling of the #28 U.S. Border Patrol’s entry into the Sharpie Mini 300. U.S. Border Patrol will be the primary sponsor on the #28 Chevy for 29 of the 31 races left on the Nationwide Series schedule, excluding only the Mexico and Canada Races.(Jay Robinson Racing PR)(3-14-2008)

Activ8 Marketing Names New President: Jenn Calinoff, who has spent the past two seasons as Director of Marketing and Business Development for Fitz Motorsports, has been named President of Activ8 Marketing effective immediately. Activ8 was founded last year by her husband Mike Calinoff and Tim Winski of Chicago. Specializing in multi-level sponsorship and business-business programs, the company is also a full service marketing, public relations, website and graphic design agengy, along with facilitating car renderings and corporate image projects.(Activ8 PR)(3-14-2008)
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Courtesy of The Hot Lap
www.TheHotLap.com

Baker Curb Racing is working towards securing sponsorship for its #37 Nationwide Series team for the remainder of the season which is currently a guaranteed entry based on Owner’s Points. The team has a variety of high profile Cup and full-time Nationwide drivers interested in driving for the team once sponsorship is secured. For more information on sponsorship opportunities with BCR contact David Morse, Director of Corporate Partnerships at (270) 816-2900 or by e-mail at dmorse@bakercurb.com .
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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

Blood, Sweat & Tears 40th Anniversary Tour prerace concert at Kentucky: The Blood, Sweat & Tears 40th Anniversary Tour will make a Kentucky Speedway stop July 19 to set the stage for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series “Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers. While traversing the world, the band has generated album sales in the millions and a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Vocalist Rob Paparozzi, will join bassist Gary Foote, trumpeters Steve Janikowski and Teddy Mullet, keyboardist Glenn McClelland, drummer Andrea Valenti and trombonist Jens Wendelboe to perform favorites such as “Spinning Wheel,” “And When I Die,” “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” “More and More,” “God Bless the Child” and many more.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(3-16-2008)

Sprague most consistent at Martinsville test: Jack Sprague in the #2 KHI Chevy, was the most consistent atop the speed charts at the Martinsville two-day test session. After having the fourth-fastest speed in the first session Wednesday, Sprague topped the evening session at 94.387 (20.062) and the morning session Thursday at 95.675 (19.792). Sprague was second-fastest at 94.106 (20.122) in the final session.(nascar.com)(3-14-2008)

Chrissy Wallace to make debut at Martinsville: Chrissy Wallace told all the boys she one day would be a NASCAR driver. The 20-year-old Wallace, a daughter and niece in the popular Wallace family of racers, is set to make her NASCAR debut March 29 in the Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. Tapped to drive for a championship-caliber team, Wallace said she will drive five Truck races and five ARCA races for Germain Racing. On top of that, Wallace will continue racing Late Model events around the Carolina tracks where she has found Victory Lane four times and was named most popular driver at Hickory Speedway, making her the first female to win in a Late Model stock car at the track in its 57-year history. her father, Nationwide Series driver Mike Wallace, who pilots the #7 Camry [for Germain Racing]. The venture will make Mike and Chrissy the first father-daughter duo racing for the same team in NASCAR. [#03-Chrissy Wallace was 11th on the speed charts in the final test session at Martinsville.](nascar.com)(3-14-2008)
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A R C A (Automobile Racing Club of America)
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Courtesy of ARCA
www.arcaracing.com

ARCA RE/MAX Series Testing at Rockingham Speedway March 21, 22; Media Welcome…..

ROCKINGHAM NC (3-14-08) – Nearly 40 ARCA RE/MAX Series teams are entered to test at Rockingham Speedway Friday and Saturday, March 21 and 22. The two-day test is in preparation for the inaugural Carolina 500 Sunday, May 4.

Test entries include the most recent ARCA RE/MAX Series winner Michael Annett, Formula 1 veteran Scott Speed and teammate Ken Butler, III, Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., five-time Daytona winner Bobby Gerhart, rookie Joey Logano and current Craftsman Truck Series racer Justin Marks.

The on-track activity will be from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm each day with an hour break for lunch at noon.

Media are welcome both days. Grandstands are free to the general public.
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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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Crane Lake Resort Partners with Micks Motorsport in NASCAR …
WhoWon.com - Lincoln,NE,USA
“Crane Lake Resort is very pleased to be involved with Micks Motorsports and their NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Team,” explained John Baglieri, …
www.whowon.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=230&StoryID=240915
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DON THOMSON JR. AND HOME HARDWARE TEAMING UP FOR THREE MORE YEARS!

March 14, 2008. Continuing one of the longest running sponsorship arrangements in Canadian racing, Fitzpatrick Motorsports driver Don Thomson Jr. and Home Hardware have reached an agreement for their partnership to continue for the next three seasons in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (NCATS).

“We’re thrilled to be continuing to work with the great people at Home Hardware” said driver of the #4 Home Hardware Chevrolet Don Thomson Jr. “The toughest part was coordinating schedules to get everyone face to face so we could finalize all of the details. Once we all got together everything came together very quickly and the support that Home Hardware is giving us with this new long term deal is fantastic. It really says a lot about their commitment to Fitzpatrick Motorsports and this series. I can’t thank them enough”.

While the racing competition doesn’t begin for a couple of months Don Thomson Jr. and the Home Hardware team have been hard at work preparing two new cars for this years thirteen race schedule. “Our new oval track car is completed and all painted up and ready to go as soon as the snow clears” said Thomson. “We still have a bit of work to do on the new road course car”.

This hard work day in and day out during the off season is one of the reasons that the Home Hardware Chevrolet is a front runner every weekend at the track. Last season Thomson claimed victory in the first ever NCATS race at Cayuga Speedway and also claimed the win at Mosport Speedway. In twelve events last year Thomson was on the podium four times and the Home Hardware team also collected a total of eight top-ten finishes. “We were pretty pleased with the overall results last year, but we fell a bit short in the championship and that’s what the Home Hardware team is focused on for this season” said Thomson.

(thanks, Sean)
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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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The Best Ad Campaign in NASCAR History
Dale Jarrett picks up his helmet and steps out of the garage in his UPS firesuit. Poignant music begins to play. Dale walks slowly in front of the now iconic UPS truck and stares at it pensively.
frontstretch.com/

Insider Racing News
insiderracingnews.com/Writers/BB/031508.html
Tiregate - Deal With It, Tony
by Brenda Benedict

Numbers Don’t Lie: Cup Drivers Disappearing From Nationwide
by Josh Stewart
snipurl.com/21xhh-gazete

Insider Racing News
insiderracingnews.com/Writers/KR/031608.html
Dale, Thanks For The Memories
by Kim Roberson

SOZ talks Drivers’ Union - When is the first drivers’ strike? by Mike Harper
www.racetalkradio.com/soz/id67.htm

Will the Real Jimmie Johnson Please Step Forward? by Dennis Michelsen
www.racetalkradio.com/soz/id66.htm

Owner’s Points are a ….. Joke by Gregg Shultz
www.racetalkradio.com/soz/id65.htm

High Banks High Anxiety - Fantasy Insight Bristol by Dennis Michelsen
www.racetalkradio.com/soz/id63.htm

Insider Racing News
insiderracingnews.com/Writers/RF/031708.html
Burton Get’s Her Done This Time, Wins At Bristol
by Ron Felix

Insider Racing News
insiderracingnews.com/Writers/KR/031708.html
“Operation Wax Smoke”
by Kim Roberson

Tired TV Crews Need A Break
dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/03/tired-tv-crews-need-break.html

Monday Night TV Showdown Looms
dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/03/monday-night-tv-showdown-looms.html

Post-Race Comments: ESPNEWS, SportsCenter, Victory Lane, SPEED Report, Wind Tunnel
dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/03/post-race-comments-espnews-sportscenter.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

MONDAY, MARCH 17

2:00A-3:00 SPEED SPEED Report, R
4:00A-5:00 SPEED NASCAR Victory Lane, Food City 500, Bristol Motor Speedway, R
8:00A-9:00 SPEED NASCAR Victory Lane, Food City 500, Bristol Motor Speedway, R
9:00A-10:00 SPEED Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, R
10:00A-12:00 ESPN-CL ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals Finals, Gainesville Raceway Gainesville, FL, Mar 16/08,
R-espn2
5:30P-6:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, Allen Bestwick, HD, L
8:00P-9:00 SPEED This Week in NASCAR, N

TUESDAY, MARCH 18

12:00m-1:00A SPEED This Week in NASCAR, R
1:00A-2:00 espn2 NASCAR Now, HD
8:00A-9:00 SPEED This Week in NASCAR, R
11:00A-12:00 ESPN-CL 2004 AC Delco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Las Vegas, NV, Oct 31/04
12:00n-1:00P SPEED FIM 125 World Championship CommercialBank Grand Prix of Qatar, Losail International
Racetrack in Doha, Qatar, Mar 9/08, N
1:00P-2:00 SPEED AMA Monster Energy Supercross Series. RCA Dome, Indianapolis, IN, Mar 1/08, HD, R
2:00P-3:00 SPEED AMA Monster Energy Supercross Series. Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN, Mar 15/08, HD,
R
6:00P-6:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, Ryan Burr, HD, L

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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The Stock Car Gazette
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