Stock Car Gazette for Monday, April 7, 2008
by Mike Irwin ~ April 7th, 2008 @ 6:25 am. Filed under: Stock Car Gazette.279 reads
It was a dark and stormy night… sorry, Snoopy, but it was as hot as a heated-up oven this past weekend at Texas. Full Sprint Cup race results and points, plus all the latest news are all right here in the Stock Car Gazette…
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Stock Car Gazette Columnists Speak Out!
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Busch Closes Deal In Texas, Wins O’Reilly 300
by: Thomas Chemris
Kyle Busch won the Nationwide Series O’Reilly Auto parts 300 at the Texas Motor Speedway by holding off Jeff Burton to claim the twelfth series win of his career.
MORE: motorsportsnews.net/archives/1174
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Track Trash – Texazz Two Step
by: Racing Maniac
The long green runs today cut the ‘on lead lap’ drivers to a sorry few. And it diminished the number of Lucky Dogs, which may be a good thing. In the old days, if you wanted to get back on the lead lap, you had to prove yourself by blowing the doors off the leaders. But NA$CAR has changed….they don’t have doors any more.
MORE: motorsportsnews.net/archives/1175
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Silly Season for Sponsors
by: Doug Turnbull
An announcement that many anticipated came to fruition on Tuesday, as General Mill and Richard Childress Racing announced a partnership between Cheerios/Betty Crocker and the #33 team, beginning in 2009. No driver for the team has been announced, though many speculate that Bobby Labonte is the leading candidate.
MORE: motorsportsnews.net/archives/1173
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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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Courtesy of Stock Car Gazette subscriber Ed B. - thanks!
NASCAR taking steps to keep its core fans happy
snipurl.com/23o5i-gazete
Driver killed in crash at Thompson Speedway in Connecticut
blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_nascar/2008/04/driver-killed-i.html
No win again for Junior
Racing fans hoping to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. end his victory drought Sunday went home from Texas Motor Speedway disappointed. But none of them was as disappointed as Earnhardt himself.
www.kansascity.com/sports/story/564086.html
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Courtesy of Google Alerts
Respected Gentleman NASCAR veterans admire Burton’s style
Winston-Salem Journal - Winston-Salem,NC,USA
By Mike Mulhern FORT WORTH, Texas — When it comes to being a spokesman for NASCAR, few men do it better than Jeff Burton. Yes, he may have started taking …
snipurl.com/23o5f-gazete
Author, university set ‘The Physics of NASCAR’ lecture
ThatsRacin.com - USA
Physics professor and author of “The Physics of NASCAR,” Diandra Leslie-Pelecky will visit UNC Charlotte Monday, April 7, to present a free, public lecture …
www.thatsracin.com/news/story/12723.html
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Courtesy of Insider Racing News
www.insiderracingnews.com
Edwards Wins Samsung 500
Carl Edwards was the favorite, picked by the other drivers and crew men, to win the Samsung 500 on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway — and he didn’t disappoint. Edwards started on the outside of the front row but fell back initially on the start. Edwards slowly worked his way back to the front and Edwards dominated the race in the second half and in a green-white-checkers finish, held off Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch for his third victory this year. It was his 10th win in 128 career races. Edwards built up a seven-second lead before the final caution came out. The caution allowed Johnson to close on Edwards. But Edwards never gave Johnson a chance to pass him in the final laps. “This is for Bob Osborne sitting at home,” said Edwards, as he talked to his crew on the radio. “Good job guys.”
Although Johnson finished second, he knew he had been beaten bad. “I didn’t have anything at the end for Carl,” Johnson said. Ryan Newman finished fourth and Denny Hamlin was fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer. Biggest surprise of the day: Jeff Gordon had a car that just wouldn’t handle. He had his hands full before finally wrecking the car and eventually finishing 43rd in the race. It was only the second time in his career that he has finished as low as 43rd.
Pole sitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. got his five bonus points for leading a lap but faded much like Jeff Gordon did. The car was almost undriveable but he wrestled the car to a 12th place finish. The Sprint Cup Series moves to Phoenix International Raceway next Saturday April 12th, 2008, for the Subway Fresh Fit 500K. The race is scheduled to start at 8:00 PM / Eastern Time on Fox.
2008 Samsung 500 Final Results
Race Date April 6, 2008
Texas Motor Speedway
Pos Start Car Driver Make Sponsor Points/Bonus/Laps Status
1 2 99 Carl Edwards ** Ford Aflac 195/10 339 Running
2 5 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 175/5 339 Running
3 3 18 Kyle Busch Toyota Interstate Batteries 170/5 339 Running
4 4 12 Ryan Newman Dodge Samsung HDTV/ALLTEL 160/0 339 Running
5 14 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Ground 155/0 339 Running
6 35 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Prilosec OTC 150/0 339 Running
7 24 20 Tony Stewart Toyota The Home Depot 146/0 339 Running
8 31 8 Mark Martin Chevrolet U.S. Army 142/0 339 Running
9 8 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DEWALT 143/5 339 Running
10 25 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s 134/0 339 Running
11 21 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell/Pennzoil 130/0 338 Running
12 1 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet National Guard/AMP Energy 132/5 338 Running
13 7 6 David Ragan Ford AAA Insurance 124/0 338 Running
14 32 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal Cask No. 16 121/0 338 Running
15 41 38 David Gilliland Ford Yates Racing 118/0 338 Running
16 36 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 115/0 338 Running
17 19 15 Paul Menard Chevrolet Quaker State/Menards 112/0 338 Running
18 38 28 Travis Kvapil Ford Yates Racing 109/0 338 Running
19 11 42 Juan Montoya Dodge Texaco/Havoline 106/0 337 Running
20 30 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios Racing/Sam’s Club 103/0 337 Running
21 29 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Caterpillar 100/0 337 Running
22 22 5 Casey Mears Chevrolet Cheez-It/CARQUEST 97/0 337 Running
23 23 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 94/0 337 Running
24 42 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target 91/0 337 Running
25 10 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser 88/0 336 Running
26 26 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Best Buy/Garmin 85/0 336 Running
27 13 66 Scott Riggs Chevrolet State Water Heaters 82/0 336 Running
28 27 10 Patrick Carpentier * Dodge Valvoline 79/0 335 Running
29 9 84 Mike Skinner Toyota Red Bull 76/0 334 Running
30 15 7 Robby Gordon Dodge Jim Beam 73/0 334 Running
31 20 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA AUTO PARTS 70/0 333 Running
32 17 77 Sam Hornish Jr. * Dodge Mobil 1 67/0 333 Running
33 40 00 Michael McDowell * Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine 64/0 332 Running
34 28 21 Bill Elliott Ford Motorcraft 61/0 332 Running
35 34 01 Regan Smith * Chevrolet DEI/Principal Financial Group 58/0 331 Running
36 12 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker 60/5 330 Off Track
37 43 78 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet Furniture Row/DenverMattress.com 52/0 330 Running
38 39 70 Jeremy Mayfield Chevrolet Haas Automation 49/0 329 Running
39 16 16 Greg Biffle Ford DISH Network/DishDVRs 46/0 312 Running
40 37 34 John Andretti Chevrolet Front Row Motorsports 43/0 263 Off
41 6 44 David Reutimann Toyota UPS 40/0 253 Out
42 33 96 J.J. Yeley Toyota DLP HDTV 37/0 173 Out
43 18 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 34/0 124 Out
** Led Most Laps
* Rookies
All Results Unofficial
2008 Top-40 Sprint Cup Points After Samsung 500
Race Date April 6, 2008
Texas Motor Speedway
POS +/- DRIVER POINTS/BEHIND/STARTS/POLES/WINS/TOP 5/TOP 10
1 — Jeff Burton 1065 7 0 1 3 5
2 — Kevin Harvick 1006 -59 7 0 0 2 4
3 +2 Kyle Busch 1001 -64 7 1 1 4 4
4 — Dale Earnhardt Jr. 978 -87 7 1 0 3 5
5 +1 Tony Stewart 957 -108 7 0 0 3 5
6 +4 Jimmie Johnson 921 -144 7 1 0 3 3
7 +1 Denny Hamlin 913 -152 7 0 1 2 4
8 +3 Ryan Newman 901 -164 7 0 1 2 3
9 -6 Greg Biffle 901 -164 7 0 0 3 4
10 +4 Carl Edwards 881 -184 7 0 3 3 4
11 +1 Clint Bowyer 874 -191 7 0 0 1 4
12 -5 Kasey Kahne 874 -191 7 0 0 0 4
Top 12 Drivers In The Running For The Chase For The Championship
13 +2 Matt Kenseth 820 -245 7 0 0 1 4
14 -5 Jeff Gordon 783 -282 7 2 0 3 3
15 +1 Kurt Busch 763 -302 7 0 0 1 1
16 -3 Martin Truex Jr. 755 -310 7 0 0 0 1
17 +2 David Ragan 752 -313 7 0 0 0 1
18 — Brian Vickers 746 -319 7 0 0 0 1
19 -2 Juan Montoya 739 -326 7 0 0 0 0
20 — Elliott Sadler 711 -354 7 0 0 0 1
21 — Bobby Labonte 707 -358 7 0 0 0 0
22 — David Gilliland 699 -366 7 0 0 0 1
23 — Paul Menard 676 -389 7 0 0 0 0
24 — Travis Kvapil 646 -419 7 0 0 0 1
25 +5 Jamie McMurray 615 -450 7 0 0 0 1
26 +1 Casey Mears 611 -454 7 0 0 0 1
27 -1 Reed Sorenson 607 -458 7 0 0 1 1
28 -3 Robby Gordon 591 -474 7 0 0 0 1
29 — Scott Riggs 588 -477 7 0 0 0 0
30 +6 Mark Martin 563 -502 5 0 0 0 2
31 -3 David Reutimann 552 -513 7 0 0 0 0
32 — Michael Waltrip 530 -535 7 0 0 0 0
33 -2 J.J. Yeley 505 -560 7 0 0 0 0
34 +1 Sam Hornish Jr.* 502 -563 7 0 0 0 0
35 -1 Regan Smith* 496 -569 7 0 0 0 0
36 -3 Jeremy Mayfield 490 -575 7 0 0 0 0
37 +1 Dave Blaney 473 -592 7 0 0 0 0
38 -1 Dario Franchitti* 416 -649 6 0 0 0 0
39 — Dale Jarrett 367 -698 5 0 0 0 0
40 +1 Mike Skinner 344 -721 5 0 0 0 0
* Rookies
NASCAR Wants To Look At 00 Car
Before Michael McDowell’s totaled No. 00 Toyota winds up in the salvage yard, NASCAR’s research and development team wants a chance to inspect the damage. McDowell was able to walk away from an accident in Friday’s qualifying session that later took Texas Motor Speedway crews three hours to replace a 28-foot section of the SAFER barrier that was severely bowed by the impact. The battered hulk of what remained of McDowell’s machine was placed under a tarp and will be on its way to the R&D facility in Concord, N.C., next week. Pemberton said it’s standard procedure for NASCAR to evaluate how its safety initiatives hold up in severe crashes, particularly the advancements that have been made in the new car. “We do it occasionally,” Pemberton said. “We did it with Jeff Gordon’s car after Vegas.
Ganassi Unhappy With Performance
Chip Ganassi wasn’t pleased with his NASCAR teams long before Dario Franchitti failed to qualify for Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway. Just how unhappy the car owner actually is became clear Saturday when he unleashed a blistering indictment of his team’s performance so far this season. “Frankly, there are 46 cars there and if you can’t beat three of them, that’s pretty pathetic,” Ganassi said on Sirius Satellite Radio. “I certainly have all the faith in the world in (Franchitti’s) driving abilities. I don’t think it’s that. The fact of the matter is, we didn’t give him a car that was capable of doing it.”
RCR Won’t Name 2009 Driver
Richard Childress Racing has Bobby Labonte driving in the Nationwide Series with Shane Wilson as a crew chief. Could that be a tryout to see if they can work together on the recently announced RCR fourth Sprint Cup team next year? Both Childress and Wilson say that’s reading more into the situation than exists, even though Labonte is driving for Petty Enterprises in Sprint Cup and his contract ends following the 2008 season. As far as candidates for the driver for the fourth Cup car, Childress said he has a list, but not a timetable. Among the drivers whose contracts end following this season are Carl Edwards, David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman, Reed Sorenson and Martin Truex Jr.
Petty-Loomis Disagree On Change
on Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, as reporters attempted to unravel exactly who decided to replace him with rookie Chad McCumbee this weekend, it was. Petty made it clear the decision wasn’t his and that he never wanted to come out of the car. Robbie Loomis, the vice president of competition at Petty Enterprises, said it was. So the B.S. flag was thrown. “I’ll let you throw the B.S. flag on this a little bit,” said Petty, who is scheduled to be back in the car next week at Phoenix. “I’m not going to tell you the truth, and here’s the reason. It will hurt too many different people in too many different ways from too many different angles. I’m just not going to tell you the truth. Take what I say and write it. I’m just not going to tell you where everything’s at. I just can’t.” He won’t because to tell the truth would be to throw members of his team, perhaps even his famous father, seven-time champion Richard Petty, under the bus. In a way, he did.
insiderracingnews.com/Daily/2008/Apr/040508.html
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Courtesy of Jayski
www.jayski.com
Edwards wins at Texas: #99-Carl Edwards won the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway for his 3rd win of 2008 and the 10th of his career. He domanated the race, leading 122 laps and surviving and green white checker finish. #48-Johnson was 2nd, followed by #18-Busch, #12-Newman, #11-Hamlin, #31-Burton [who continues to lead the points], #20-Stewart, #8-Martin, #17-Kenseth and #07-Bowyer. #24-Gordon wrecked early and finished 43rd, only the second time in his career that he has finished last [the other being Texas in 1999]. There were 16 lead changes among 6 drivers and 6 cautions for 27 laps.
Newman’s car too high: Penske Racing’s #12-Ryan Newman finished fourth in Sunday’s Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, but his Dodge did not clear postrace inspection. According to Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby, the right rear of the car was too high following the Sprint Cup Series race. The car was one-eighth of an inch beyond the allotted half-inch tolerance. Any potential penalties will be announced Tuesday.(SceneDaily.com)(4-6-2008)
NASCAR Now To Feature Monday Roundtable Discussion: NASCAR Now, ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information show, features news, highlights, opinion, debate and analysis from drivers, crew chiefs and insiders both on and off the track. On Monday, April 7, host Allen Bestwick leads a discussion of the Texas Motor Speedway weekend and other NASCAR news in a one-hour episode airing at 5:30pm/et. Joining Bestwick will be a panel of ESPN’s NASCAR analysts and reporters. Half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now air Tuesday and Wednesday of this week at 6pm/et and Thursday and Friday at 7pm/et.
Hamlin nearly faints after race: #11-Denny Hamlin was talking with reporters on pit road about his fifth-place finish in the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway when he nearly fainted and collapsed Sunday. It brought an abrupt end to the interview, as a wobbly Hamlin staggered to a nearby golf cart with the assistance of team personnel. He then was whisked away to be given fluids and to rest, after which team officials insisted he was fine. “He’ll need to get some fluids in him, and he’ll be all right.” Hamlin stood off to the side for several minutes before even attempting to answer questions, taking sips from a water bottle and having a cold towel applied to the back of his neck. He then answered three questions before nearly collapsing, with one of his answers being about his physical condition. “I didn’t feel well [during the race],” Hamlin said. “It’s just the heat, the long runs. So I’ll try to get better. It really hit me when I got out of the car. I was just really dizzy and I knew I needed to sit down.”(NASCAR.com)(4-7-2008)
Ganassi promises changes if Cup teams don’t improve: Chip Ganassi wasn’t pleased with his NASCAR teams long before #40-Dario Franchitti failed to qualify for Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway. Just how unhappy the car owner actually is became clear Saturday when he unleashed a blistering indictment of his team’s performance so far this season. “Frankly, there are 46 cars there and if you can’t beat three of them, that’s pretty pathetic,” Ganassi said on Sirius Satellite Radio. “I certainly have all the faith in the world in (Franchitti’s) driving abilities. I don’t think it’s that. The fact of the matter is, we didn’t give him a car that was capable of doing it.” Although he praised the work Montoya and his # 42 crew has done to rebound from a slow start to the season, Ganassi was particularly upset with the performance of Sorenson’s #41 team. The third-year driver has four finishes of 31st or worse.”The 41 team, it’s the same old things that take them out,” he said. “One week its this, the next week it’s that, and it’s sort of this combination of all of the above. Everybody on the 41 team is going to have to take a good look in the mirror and ask themselves if they are prepared for what’s coming down the pike.” Ganassi, who was in St. Petersburg, Fla., with his IRL teams, said later Saturday he won’t hesitate to make personnel changes if that’s what it will take to get his teams turned in the right direction. (Associated Press/CBS Sports)(4-6-2008)
Villeneuve seeking sponsors overseas: Jacques Villeneuve is still hopeful of returning to NASCAR and is currently seeking sponsors overseas to try to secure the budget that would see him back behind the wheel in the US. “Well we still have a few months to get the budget,” said Villeneuve. “It’s hard going. I’m working on my own now and actually working with Barry Green. Craig was working hard on buying a team in NASCAR, but that didn’t work out and at the same time it closed some doors last year with teams that might have seats. So now I have to start again and keep going.” The Canadian has secured a deal to compete in the last two events of the new Speedcar Series, which features former Formula One drivers in NASCAR Nationwide type machines. He says the opportunity will not only help him get some valuable seat time in preparation for an eventual return to NASCAR on a road course event, but also to find sponsorship on new markets like Dubai, where he is set to race next weekend.(Autosport.com)(4-6-2008)
NASCAR to Examine McDowell’s Car: Before Michael McDowell’s totaled #00 Toyota winds up in the salvage yard, NASCAR’s research and development team wants a chance to inspect the damage. McDowell was able to walk away from an accident in Friday’s qualifying session that later took Texas Motor Speedway crews three hours to replace a 28-foot section of the SAFER barrier that was severely bowed by the impact. The battered hulk of what remained of McDowell’s machine was placed under a tarp and will be on its way to the R&D facility in Concord, N.C., next week. NASCAR vice president for competition Robin Pemberton said it’s standard procedure for NASCAR to evaluate how its safety initiatives hold up in severe crashes, particularly the advancements that have been made in the new car. Pemberton said NASCAR engineers may be particularly interested in this crash, because it should provide some valuable telemetry to show forces and loads on the car when it impacted the SAFER barrier and then tumbled at least eight times. An initial inspection of the car by NASCAR officials following the accident seemed to indicate that all of the safety features on the car performed as expected, according to Pemberton. (NASCAR.com)(4-6-2008)
Only four drivers left: Only four Sprint Cup drivers have ran all fifteen Sprint Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway including the race Sunday: #8-Mark Martin, #31-Jeff Burton, #24- Jeff Burton and #43-Bobby Labonte. Martin and Burton have won at the track.(4-5-2008)
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Courtesy of Gazette weekend editor Heather M.
How bad was it? Gordon’s worst since ‘93 season
FORT WORTH, Texas - Jeff Gordon said it has been a long time since he had a day like he had Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12766.html
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Courtesy of Scene Daily
www.scenedaily.com
Bob Pockrass: It’s all in the Petty name
FORT WORTH, Texas Kyle Petty wants to make his getting out of the car this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway to be no different than Mike Skinner getting into AJ Allmendingers car except the age difference is reversed.
snipurl.com/23o5h-gazete
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Courtesy of That’s Racin’
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Edwards’ dominating win prompts plenty of griping
‘I am tired of hearing people complain and the media making up stories about how terrible it is,’ Texas victor says
FORT WORTH, Texas - Carl Edwards’ dominating victory in Sunday’s Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway was nearly as predictable as the grousing by fellow drivers after the race.
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12755.html
Rewind | OK, if Sunday’s race stunk, was it the new car’s fault?
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12794.html
Burton keeps points lead with another top 10
www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/12793.html
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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
Kyle Busch Wins at Texas: Kyle Busch, driving the #18-DLP Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing is the winner of the O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. It was Busch’s first victory in 2008, first victory at TMS and his 12th victory in 115 Nationwide Series races. Rounding out the top ten were; #29-Jeff Burton, #2-Clint Bowyer, #21-Bobby Labonte, #16-Jamie McMurray, #32-Brian Vickers, #5-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #6-David Ragan, #38-Jason Leffler, #20-Tony Stewart. There were 12 lead changes among 8 drivers and 4 cautions flags for 13 laps. Complete race results are posted on the Texas Race Page.(Unofficial)(4-5-2008)
www.jayski.com/nationwide/2008/next/07texas.htm#results
Bowyer Leads Point Standings: #2-Clint Bowyer leads the driver point standings for the second consecutive race with 1047 points; 57 ahead of second place #60-Carl Edwards. Rounding out the top ten were; #99-David Reutimann, #6-David Ragan, #18-Kyle Busch, #88-Brad Keselowski, #1-Mike Bliss, #38-Jason Leffler, #47-Kelly Bires, #33-Kevin Harvick. Complete driver point standings are posted on the Texas Race Page.(Unofficial)(4-5-2008)
www.jayski.com/nationwide/2008/next/07texas.htm#standings
Teams Lining Up Drivers for Mexico Race: Juan Pablo Montoya won’t defend his crown when the Nationwide Series visits Mexico City in two weeks, instead opting for the rare weekend off with his family. While the Chip Ganassi Racing driver won’t be there, several road-course veterans will be, including Sam Hornish for Penske Racing. Mexico native Michel Jourdain is in negotiations to drive the #32 car for Braun Racing. Adrian Fernandez, one of Mexico’s most well-known athletes, will drive for JR Motorsports but will not be able to practice or qualify because the American Le Mans Series is in Long Beach, Calif., that weekend. Hendrick Motorsports test driver David Green will practice and qualify the car, Vice President of Competition Steve Crisp said Saturday. Carlos Contreras also could drive in the race as he has driven for Fitz Motorsports the last few years and that team is using a variety of drivers in its #22 car. As previously announced, Boris Said will drive in place of #25-Bobby Hamilton Jr. for Team Rensi Motorsports. Patrick Carpentier will step into the #9 Gillett Evernham Motorsports car. Driving for the current leader in the owners standings, the #33 car of Kevin Harvick Inc., will be truck regular Ron Hornaday. Veteran road-racer Scott Pruett, who drives for Ganassi in Grand-Am, will drive one of the Ganassi cars while Kyle Krisiloff will pilot the other, team officials confirmed. Driving for Front Row Motorsports will be Brian Simo instead of Eric McClure, McClure said. Mexico City will be the site of Erik Darnell’s Nationwide Series debut for Roush Fenway Racing as he will drive the #17 car, while Craftsman Truck Series rookie Colin Braun, who has extensive road-course experience, will drive the #16 Roush car, according to team officials.(SceneDaily.com)(4-6-2008)
Newman Would Like to Run More Nationwide Races: Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman has had an up-and-down 2008 since his big win in the season opener. One thing he’s not happy about is that Penske Racing isn’t fielding cars for him in more Nationwide Series races this season. “The seat time, no matter what car you’re driving at a certain race track, is very important,” said Newman. “There are two things that I’ve always said that that you learn: the first is the race track and what you learn from it. Race tracks change, characteristics change. For instance, two years ago, they took the bump out of (Turns) 1 and 2. In the Nationwide Series, you get the opportunity to feel that first then you know how to predict things. The combination of the tires - typically the tires are identical, so you have an idea of the tire falloff and what the tires are going to feel like. So there are huge advantages seat-time wise, not just pure racing in getting more experience in being a better race car driver. Getting a taste of a few things make a big difference for your potential Sunday race.”(SPEEDtv.com)(4-4-2008)
Doosan Infracore Sponsoring Busch at Mexico: Doosan Infracore, a global leader in the heavy industrial marketplace, is taking driver Kyle Busch and the #20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing south of the border for the fourth renewal of the Mexico 200 Nationwide Series race at Mexico City. Doosan Infracore is Korea’s largest manufacturer of construction equipment, forklift trucks and machine tools, and is a major supplier of defense products, as well as diesel and natural gas engines. Its U.S. subsidiary, Doosan Infracore America Corp., is headquartered in Suwanee, Ga.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(4-4-2008)
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Courtesy of The Hot Lap
www.TheHotLap.com
Texas post race quotes from race winner Kyle Busch. “We had a great car today…knew it from the beginning. I called Jason (Ratcliff-crew chief) last night going over some things to see if we could free it up from where we were in practice. We were able to pick our way through the field. But I thought, this is too good to be true, I could feel it and knew it, so I told the guys not to get too high on hopes. Expect the unexpected.”"There is great chemistry between the two teams in the #18 and the #20 Nationwide teams. My own guys are my biggest fans, my biggest supporters.” On winning in all three series,”I just want to race, to drive what I can. Winning is important, points are secondary” (thehotlap/media center-tx) (04-05-08)
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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
Gaunt gone from TRG Motorsports? UPDATE Confirmed: Hearing that Marty Gaunt has left his position as general manager for TRG Motorsports. Also hearing that some crew members are no longer with the team as well. [TRG fields teams for #7-Andy Lally and the #71-Donny Lia](4-5-2008)
UPDATE: A representative from TRG confirmed that Marty Gaunt has resigned and that Butch Hylton [#7 crew chief] has assumed the role of general manager for TRG Motorsports.(4-5-2007)
Lia being honored at Thompson’s 23rd Annual Icebreaker: Preceding the start of the 23rd Annual Icebreaker’s main event [April 6th], NASCAR and Thompson Speedway [Thompson, CT] will pay tribute to three of the “Tour’s” past champions. Among them, Donny Lia, the reigning Tour Champion, will be honored for his incredible 2007 campaign title.(ThompsonSpeedway.com)(4-4-2008)
Busch to miss Kansas race: Richie Wauters [crew chief for #51] confirmed that Kyle Busch will miss the Series next race at Kansas, consequently giving up the points lead. The team looked at every possible scenario in which Busch could drive his Sprint Cup and Nationwide cars at Talladega, Ala., and also travel to Kansas, but nothing appeared feasible. Either Johnny Sauter or David Green will drive the #51 at Kansas.(ESPN.com)(4-3-2008)
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Courtesy of TruckSeries.Com
www.truckseries.com
Lori Hamilton Named Spokesperson for Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Week
www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/NCTS_08/articles/000004/000497.htm
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A R C A (Automobile Racing Club of America)
___________________________________________________________
Courtesy of ARCA
www.arcaracing.com
ARCA Announces the Debut of Inside the ARCA RE/MAX Series Radio Show
Live broadcast every Tuesday night at the Toledo Speedway Bar & Grill
www.arcaracing.com/news.cfm?contentid=6298
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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/BB/040508.html
It’s a Family Tradition - NASCAR Style
by Brenda Benedict
Petty Miscommunication Will Make Sponsors Wary
by Josh Stewart
snipurl.com/23o51-gazete
Insider Racing News
insiderracingnews.com/Writers/KR/040608.html
Newest Safety Measures Saved McDowell’s Life
by Kim Roberson
Insider Racing News
insiderracingnews.com/Writers/RF/040708.html
With Something to Prove, Edwards Wins Samsung 500
by Ron Felix
Wrecks Equal Ratings, Whether We Like It Or Not
by Josh Stewart
snipurl.com/23o5p-gazete
We’re (not) in the money
NASCAR sponsor wallets are closing as the US economy slides into at least a mild recession; major teams and drivers are scrambling to find the money that they need to succeed in the expensive racing business.
A bleak economic outlook is reflected at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend …
www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=284484
Finish Line Problems Plague “NASCAR On Fox”
dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/04/finish-line-problems-plague-nascar-on.html
ESPNEWS Finds A NASCAR Niche
dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/04/espnews-finds-nascar-niche.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, APRIL 7
2:00A-3:00 SPEED SPEED Report, R
4:00A-5:00 SPEED NASCAR Victory Lane, Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, Apr 6/08, R
7:00A-8:30 ESPN-CL IRL IndyCar Series Honda Indy Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, FL, Apr
6/08, HD, R-ESPN
8:00A-9:00 SPEED SPEED Report, R
9:00A-10:00 SPEED Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, R
12:00n-1:30P SPEED NASCAR Camping World Series West Toyota NAPA Autocare Center 150, All-American
Speedway, Roseville, CA, Mar 29/08, HD, R-HDNet
2:00P-3:00 SPEED National Arenacross Series, Van Andel Arena, Race #2, Grand Rapids, MI, Jan 6/08, R
4:00P-5:00 VS USAR Hooters Pro Cup, South Georgia Motorsports Park, Mar 29/08
5:30P-6:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, Allen Bestwick, HD, L
8:00P-9:00 SPEED This Week in NASCAR, N
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
12:00m-1:00A SPEED This Week in NASCAR, R
12:00m-1:00A espn2 NASCAR Now, HD
3:00A-4:00 SPEED AMA Monster Energy Supercross Series. Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON, HD, Mar 29/08,
HD, R
4:00A-5:00 SPEED AMA Monster Energy Supercross Series. Texas Stadium, Irving, TX, Apr 5/08, R
8:00A-9:00 SPEED This Week in NASCAR, R
11:00A-12:00 ESPN-CL 2005 Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, Bandimere Speedway Denver, CO, July 17/05
12:00n-1:00P SPEED FIM 125 World Championship Gran Premio bwin.com de España, Circuito de Jerez,
Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, Mar 30/08, N
1:00P-2:00 SPEED FIM World Superbike, Ricardo Tormo Circuit, Race #2, Valencia, Spain, Apr
6/08, N
2:00P-3:00 SPEED FIM World Supersport, Ricardo Tormo Circuit, Valencia, Spain, Apr 6/08, N
6:00P-6:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, Nicole Manske, 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!
___________________________________________________________
The Stock Car Gazette
Copyright 2002-2008 by MotorSportsNews.Net
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