Stock Car Gazette for Tuesday, October 7, 2008

We’ll keep you caught up with all the latest NASCAR Sprint Cup, Craftman Truck Series (soon to be Camping World Truck Series? CWTS… sounds weird!), the Nationwide Series, and all the rest of the stock car racing news, right here in today’s 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 http://MotorSportsNews.Net

Do you know for sure?

http://motorsportsnews.net/you-can-know-for-sure

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The Stock Car Gazette is sponsored by:

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Stock Car Gazette Columnists Speak Out!
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Interview With A Busch Series Champion
by: FSRealRacing

Read an interview with David Green at http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/1932

Read more FSReal-Racing articles from MotorSportsNews.Net here: http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/category/fsrealracing
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TV Times – Kansas Cup Ratings Up 10.7 Percent
by: Lou Modestino

ABC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Camping World RV 400 Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway earned an overnight Nielsen Media Research rating of 3.1, Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Daily reports. Read the rest of this article at http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/1945

Read more of Lou’s articles from MotorSportsNews.Net here: http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/category/tv-times
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MotorSportsNews.Net(work) web site features
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KEVIN HARVICK INC. AND JACK SPRAGUE PART WAYS
by Mike Irwin ~ October 6th, 2008 @ 4:35 pm

http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/1943

KERNERSVILLE N.C. (October 6, 2008) – Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) announced today that driver Jack Sprague has been released from the No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado. KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick will assume driving duties of the No. 2 Chevrolet for the upcoming Truck Series event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on October 18th. Details on the driver lineup for the remainder of the season will be announced at a later date.

“The performance of the No. 2 team was not up to either Jack or KHI’s standards,” said Kevin Harvick, co-owner of Kevin Harvick Inc. “My main goal now is to prepare the team to run for a championship in 2009. I am looking forward to getting behind the wheel in Martinsville. It should be a lot of fun.” (KHI PR)
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Rule Clarification Regarding Passing At Daytona International Speedway And Talladega Superspeedway
by Mike Irwin ~ October 6th, 2008 @ 4:26 pm

http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/1939

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 6, 2008) – At yesterday’s Drivers Meeting, NASCAR reiterated the rule about passing under the yellow line and provided the same information to all drivers and crew chiefs in a hand out, as we’ve done in past Daytona and Talladega races. The verbatim language is:

“This is your warning: race above the yellow line. If, in NASCAR’S judgment, you go below the yellow line to improve your position, you will be black-flagged. If in NASCAR’s judgment you force someone below the yellow line (in an effort to stop him from passing you), you may be black-flagged.”

“During the last lap of yesterday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway the driver of the No. 01 violated NASCAR policy by driving under the yellow line to improve his position,” said NASCAR President Mike Helton. “In NASCAR’s opinion he was not forced below the yellow line. NASCAR correctly took immediate action to enforce the policy by penalizing the No. 01 and scoring the No. 20 as the race winner.”

Helton continued, “Since the end of the race there has been some confusion as to what is allowable during the last lap at Daytona and Talladega. To be clear, as we go forward, there will be no passing under the yellow line at any time during NASCAR races at Daytona or Talladega, period. This includes any passing below the yellow line near the start/finish line on the final lap,” said Helton. (NASCAR PR)
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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 www.Catchfence.com

This Week In Ford Racing: Co-Owner Of Yates Racing, Doug Yates – http://www.catchfence.com/press/100608m.html

Smells Like Victory… Again! Get the Old Spice Towel NASCAR Driver Tony Stewart Used After Winning the Oct. 5 AMP Energy 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Talladega Superspeedway – Fans Can Log On to OldSpice.com or Tony Stewart.com to Place a Bid Until 9 a.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 13 – All Proceeds Will be Donated to the Tony Stewart Foundation: Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is working with Old Spice to give a lucky fan the sweat towel right off his shoulder – unwashed and autographed! Directly after winning the Oct. 5 AMP Energy 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Stewart signed his Old Spice towel in black ink and handed it over to a charity auction to benefit the Tony Stewart Foundation. The charity auction begins at 9 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Oct. 7 and will run until 9 a.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 13. Fans can place a bid for the autographed towel by logging on to www.OldSpice.com or www.TonyStewart.com. Throughout the 2008 racing season, every time Stewart wins a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, a NASCAR Nationwide Series race or a major motorsports event, his Old Spice victory lane towel will be auctioned off for charity. Towels from Stewart’s previous Nationwide Series wins this season – February 16 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, February 25 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., April 26 at Talladega Superspeedway, July 28 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, along with his autographed hat from his May 9 Nationwide Series victory at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and the towel from his June 4 triumph in the Old Spice Prelude to the Dream all-star dirt late model race at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio – collectively raised $6,536.91. – True Speed Communication For P&G, Press Release

Denny Hamlin Released from University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing was released this morning from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital after spending the night for observation. Following his lap 99-incident in yesterday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway, Hamlin was taken to the track’s infield care center then transported by ambulance to Birmingham. He was kept overnight at UAB and released this morning to return home to North Carolina. Hamlin had just lead his ninth lap of the race when he lost his right-front tire in turn two, slid up the track and made heavy contact with the SAFER barrier. – Weber Shandwick For FedEx Racing, Press Release
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Check out Racing Wrecks!

Sprint Cup Crash Fest at Talladega, Oct. 5, 2008

http://racingwrecks.info/2008/10/sprint-cup-crash-fest-at-talladega-oct-5-2008/

(8 pictures total)

http://www.racingwrecks.info

(advertisement)
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Courtesy of Google Alerts

Regan Smith robbed by NASCAR rule
Toronto Star – Ontario, Canada
DAVE MARTIN/AP Tony Stewart, front left, leads a pack of cars through the tri-oval on the final lap of the NASCAR race at Talladega on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008. …

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/512391

NASCAR gets bailed out-must be for the psy-op benefit !
By Penny(Penny)
What does NASCAR have to do with the ongoing financial crisis? Nothing, you say? You would be wrong then. Me, I think NASCAR is the biggest psy-op sport in the US. Ever really watch it? Someone in my house loves racing, not just NASCAR, …

http://pennyforyourthoughts2.blogspot.com/2008/10/nascar-gets-bailed-out-must-be-for-psy.html

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Courtesy of Insider Racing News

http://www.insiderracingnews.com

Allmendinger Will Drive No. 00
Michael Waltrip Racing is proud to announce that AJ Allmendinger will attempt to qualify the No. 00 Champion Mortgage Toyota Camry at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 Saturday night. “I look forward to it and I think this is a great opportunity,” Allmendinger said. “Over the past couple of months the organization has really picked up with how everyone has been running. Hopefully, I can go out there and do a good job and get the No. 00 Champion Mortgage Toyota team back inside the top 35.” This past weekend Kenny Wallace recorded the team’s best finish of the season by crossing the finish line in 12th-place at Talladega Superspeedway. Now, it is Allmendinger’s turn to strap into the No. 00 Champion Mortgage Toyota for the first time on Thursday for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice and then qualifying. Allmendinger knows the team is only 39 points shy of 35th-place in the owner points. The coveted position is currently occupied by Robby Gordon, who finished eighth on Sunday. Allmendinger’s crew chief, Peter Sospenzo, feels good about their chances of reclaiming a top 35 spot.

Race and Commercial Breakdown for the Amp Energy 500
Total number of commercials: 123
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 71
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 25
Total number of companies or entities advertised in brief promos or crawlers: 20
Total amount of time these brief promos take during broadcast: app. 4 min. 5 sec.
Start time to record race/commercial periods: 2:01 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 6:28 PM
Total minutes: 267
Minutes of race broadcast: 212
Minutes of commercials: 55
Number of missed restarts: 0 but they were very close on two occasions
Number of ‘mystery cautions’: 1 ..MORE AT…(cawsnjaws.com)
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Courtesy of Jayski

http://www.jayski.com

Entry List is posted for the Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, 47 cars are entered including #25-Brad Keselowski, #40-Bryan Clauson, #75-Derrike Cope, #82-Scott Speed and #45-Chad McCumbee. Mark Martin is back in the #8, Bill Elliott back in the #21, A.J. Allmendinger will run the #00 MWR Toyota. See the entry list on Jayski’s Charlotte Entry List page.(10-6-2008) http://www.jayski.com/stats/2008/entries/31lms2008-entry.htm

schemes added: for 2009, the #6 UPS Ford…all brown….and a couple for 2008 that will run at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, the #25 GoDaddy.com that Brad Keselowski will drive [also at Texas] and the #88 AMP Energy Relaunch that Dale Earnharxdt Jr. will run at LMS. Plus added the #33 Realtree car from Talladega. See my Paint Scheme Gallery for the images and Paint Scheme Chart.

http://www.jayski.com/schemes/paintschemes.htm

Talldega overnight TV Ratings: ABC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Amp Energy 500 Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway earned a 4.0 overnight rating from Nielsen Media Research, Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Daily reports. The rating is 4.8% lower than the 4.2 the Cup race earned overnight on ABC in 2007.(SceneDaily)(10-7-2008)

Almirola about 2009 sponsorship: ARIC ALMIROLA, #8 U.S. ARMY IMPALA SS, ON SPONSORSHIPS FOR ‘09? “I have told a lot of people this weekend, I don’t get paid to speculate, I get paid to drive race cars. I am just going out there doing the best job I can every weekend. I am not giving any extra effort now, because if I were, that would be shame on me, because I wasn’t doing my job earlier in the season. I am doing everything I was doing earlier in the season, I am doing the same things. It is business as usual. It is up to Max (Siegel) and John (Story) to take care of all that stuff. A part of me worries about it, but a part of me, I can’t worry about it, that isn’t my job.”(GM Racing PR)(10-7-2008)

NC Auto Racing HOF announces Walk of Fame: Mooresville, North Carolina, also known as “Race City, USA”, will unveil a new Walk of Fame attraction in May 2009 designed to honor inductees of the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame. The walkway will be located on the sidewalks of Historic Downtown Mooresville in front of the Charles Mack Citizen Center. Ron Johnson, Director of the Mooresville Convention and Visitors Bureau, has played key role in the project, not only by bringing the funding to the table but injecting his vision for a one of a kind attraction. Said Ron Johnson, “This project marks the end of a five-year dream that NASCAR Technical Institute’s John Dodson and I have shared. We wanted to build something that would bring together the rich heritage of the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame and the downtown Mooresville area.” The attraction will feature markers for each of the Hall of Fame’s inductees. The 2008 induction ceremony, being held on October 8, will honor the late Benny Parsons. During this year’s ceremony, an unveiling of the Walk of Fame markers, featuring Richard Petty’s 1997 induction into the Hall of Fame, will take place. Don Miller, founder of the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame and Chairman of the Board said, “I can’t tell you how excited I am about this project. Racing was born in the Carolinas. This walkway solidifies our rich history and preserves our heritage in this great sport that has meant so much to all of us.” North Carolina manufacturer David Allen Company has been contracted to build the markers, which will be installed by early May. More info on the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame at ncarhof.com.(NCARHOF PR)(10-7-2008)

Harvick “Driven to the Outdoors” at LMS: In cooperation with RCR sponsors Realtree, Chevrolet, Shell Oil Company and Motorsports Authentics, Kevin Harvick’s #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy will feature a camouflaged-based Shell-Pennzoil paint scheme at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, as part of the first ever Chevy Driven to the Outdoors program. In addition to a full line of NASCAR camouflage merchandise and memorabilia, the Chevy Driven to the Outdoors program will feature a unique sweepstakes that will ultimately reward one fan with a 2009 Chevy Silverado LTZ. Fans interested in learning more about the Chevy Driven to the Outdoors program and the rules associated with the sweepstakes can visit www.chevy.com/driven.(RCR PR)(10-7-2008)

Petty to run Phoenix, after that ? #45-Kyle Petty will race for Petty Enterprises in November at Phoenix International Raceway, but will he return to the team in 2009? Petty Enterprises Executive Vice President Robbie Loomis said the future is still to be determined and if Petty could find more races somewhere else, he could drive for another team next year. Petty has talked in the past about possibly doing a part-time schedule next year, either with the Pettys or somewhere else. He already has committed to be in the telecast booth for TNT during its six events. Some of Petty’s sponsorship are tied to him as a driver. “We’ve got to look at Petty Enterprises and where we’re going with the future, but at the same time Kyle Petty has to look at Kyle Petty himself and I’m sure if the opportunity comes up and somebody’s got a good situation for him to run a full schedule, I would think Kyle probably would want to do it barring he still gets to do his TV races,” Loomis said Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. Chad McCumbee will run the remainder of the races starting with next week at Lowe’s Motor Speedway with the exception of Phoenix, Loomis said. Loomis said he really likes McCumbee, who will be evaluated for the rest of the season to determine if he will be signed for 2009.(SceneDaily)(10-6-2008)

Soldier Grand Marshal at Martinsville: Staff Sgt. Robert Hankins of Colorado Springs, Colo., will serve as the grand marshal of the TUMS QuikPak 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville International Speedway in Martinsville, Va. on October 19. Hankins, who is originally from Martinsville, Va., is currently serving his third deployment in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and will be on a two-week leave to attend the TUMS QuikPak 500 and serve as the grand marshal. Hankins was selected to serve as the grand marshal after winning a nationwide contest sponsored by TUMS. TUMS set out to find a deserving race fan who had provided “quick relief” to a family member, friend or community, just like their favorite heartburn reliever – the all-new TUMS QuikPak. In addition to serving his country, Hankins provided fast relief to his neighbors in Colorado Springs when he helped a family who suffered a house fire. In his essay, Hankins described the chance to be the grand marshal of the TUMS QuikPak 500 as “the ultimate dream come true for the kid who grew up in a racing town, and who on that very same track, watched many cars race to take the checkered flag.” At the TUMS QuikPak 500, Hankins will lead the crowd on race day by delivering the, “Gentlemen, start your engines,” race command. He has also won the chance to attend a host of pre-race ceremonies, meet the drivers and watch the race from the comfort of a catered skybox suite. The grand marshal of the TUMS QuikPak 500 was selected by America, as consumers were invited to vote online for one of five finalists at www.TUMSRacing.com between Friday, Sep. 5 and Friday, Sep. 12. The individual who received the most votes was named the grand marshal.(TUMS Racing PR)(10-7-2008)
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Testimonial

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$3.96 X 2.7 = $10.69 minus cost of 2 ounces of Ethos $2.10 = $8.59 savings every fill-up

Increase MPG 7 – 19%
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Distributorships available

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Courtesy of Race2Win

http://www.race2win.net

Paul Menard on Track Talk Live Thursday, October 9th
Paul Menard, who finished second at Talladega, will appear on Track Talk LIVE this Thursday, October 9th. Track Talk airs LIVE every Thursday from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET on the Prime Sports Network . Tune in as Race 2 Win’s Jeff Holtzclaw, Blake Feese, Greg DePalma and Heather Meyer discuss the latest happenings in NASCAR. Listeners are always welcome to join in on the show, call toll-free at 1-877-266-1909 or email at nascar@primesportsnetwork.com if you would like to offer your opinions and insight.

NASCAR Teleconference: Tony Stewart
This week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teleconference – in advance of Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway – features two-time series champion Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, who is one of 12 drivers competing in the 2008 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Full Story – http://www.race2win.net/wc/08/10/ntts2.html

Video: NASCAR Cam – Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart believes he could still have a shot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup (38 seconds) [Watch Video] http://www.race2win.net/video/2008_nascar_cam_october_tony_stewart_says_he_a_contender.html
Tony Stewart keeps himself busy with work for next year – and it’s keeping him excited for this year (50 seconds) [Watch Video] http://www.race2win.net/video/2008_nascar_cam_october_tony_stewart_is_busy_but_excited.html
Tony Stewart just wants to win races (36 seconds) [Watch Video] http://www.race2win.net/video/2008_nascar_cam_october_tony_stewart_just_wants_to_win_races.html
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Courtesy of That’s Racin’

http://www.thatsracin.com

NASCAR clarifies ‘yellow line’ rule
One day late to avoid controversy at Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR on Monday clarified its rule about racing below the yellow line to the inside at that track and at Daytona Superspeedway.

http://www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/19584.html

Jimmie Johnson stays on course, on top
That’s Racin’s weekly ranking of the top 40 teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as of the Amp Energy 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

http://www.thatsracin.com/topstories/story/19573.html

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Courtesy of www.Valvoline.com

Yes, He REALLY Said That
Ricky Carmichael, on his first laps at Talladega in a Kevin Harvick-owned Chevrolet ARCA car. “I didn’t think, ‘Whoa, what am I doing here?’, but I couldn’t believe how much you move around in the draft. I really couldn’t. That blew me away. We were all over the place.”

THE BIG STORY
Two “big one” multi-car accidents impacted the Chase standings as Tony Stewart won Sunday’s Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. On a green-white-checker finish, Regan Smith’s DEI Chevrolet passed Stewart’s Toyota coming to the finish line, but Smith was below the yellow “out-of-bounds” line and NASCAR officials ruled it illegal. They put him as the last car on the lead lap, in 18th place. Smith said Stewart forced him to go below the line. It was Stewart’s first win of the season, ending a 43-race winless streak, and first at Talladega. There were a Cup record 28 different leaders. Paul Menard was the runner-up by .052 second, followed by David Ragan, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer.

The Chase standings, with Talladega finish in parenthesis: Jimmie Johnson (ninth); Carl Edwards (29th), – 72 points; Greg Biffle (24th), – 77; Burton, – 99 ; Bowyer, – 152; Kevin Harvick (20th), – 171; Stewart, – 203; Jeff Gordon (38th), – 232; Matt Kenseth (26th), – 245; Dale Earnhardt Jr. (28th), – 249; Kyle Busch (15th), – 331; Denny Hamlin (39th), – 335.

Also: Paul Menard will leave DEI for Yates Racing next season, apparently in a third car… Mike Skinner drove the No. 84 Toyota at Talladega and will at Charlotte. Scott Speed, A.J. Allmendinger’s replacement, will do the other races this season plus drive a third Red Bull car at Charlotte… Robert (Bootie) Barker will be Michael Waltrip’s crew chief next season. Waltrip’s team will have a technical alliance with JTG-Daugherty, which is switching to Toyota… Andretti Green will field the U.S. entry in A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, with Marco Andretti and Danica Patrick doing selected races… Rookie Markus Niemela won the Atlantic series championship with a victory Friday at Road Atlanta.
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P R E S S * R E L E A S E S
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We were “hard-pressed” to find anything to “release” here. har-har
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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

http://www.jayski.com

Entry List: There are 53 cars on the preliminary entry list for Friday night’s Dollar General 300. Some notes: Justin Allgaier will attempt his series debut in the #12, Chase Miller will be in the #19 GEM Dodge, and Danny O’Quinn will be in the #35 Team Rensi Ford. The complete list is posted on the Lowe’s Race Page.(10-6-2008) http://www.jayski.com/nationwide/2008/next/31lowes.htm#entry

500th NASCAR Start for Finch: – Twenty years ago in Charlotte, James Finch watched while Jeff Purvis strapped himself into the #49 Buick after qualifying 14th for what would be Phoenix Racing’s first venture into the NASCAR arena. On October 10, 2008, Finch will watch Mike Bliss strap into the #1 Miccosukee Chevy for what will be Finch’s 500th start as a car owner.(Finch/Player Management International PR)(10-6-2008)
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Courtesy of The Hot Lap

http://www.TheHotLap.com

Quotes from Tony Stewart from Teleconference today….(don’t forget about the Jail & Bail fundraiser taking place Wed.) Before we begin with the media questions, I know that you’re one of several people in the sport who’s participating in Wednesday’s Jail & Bail charity event for the Brienne Davis Scholarship Fund, and that’s at the Brickhouse Tavern in Davidson, North Carolina. I’m sure you can drum up some bail for this fundraiser. TONY STEWART: Well, I’ve got a big list. The part that scares me is I’m scared people aren’t going to want to help bail me out just to keep me in jail a little longer. It’s a great event. I know the big list of NASCAR officials that are passionate about the Brienne Davis Foundation and doing this in Brienne’s memory. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I am a partner in the Brickhouse Tavern, so I know the preparations that have gone into this event, and it should be a lot of fun for everybody that shows up. There’s going to be some great bands, and we’re going to have a pretty good time. So if you want to come there and have some good laughs, it’s going to be a good day on Wednesday. (NASCAR) (10-06-08)

Kevin Harvick will take the wheel of the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Rheem Chevrolet this Friday for 200 laps of action under the lights at Lowe’s (N.C.) Motor Speedway. In 15 previous Nationwide Series starts at the track, Harvick has scored two top-five and eight top-10 finishes while completing 99.3 percent of total laps (2983 of 3005 laps).
FINAL FIVE: Beginning with the Dollar General 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, the Nationwide Series enters the final five race stretch of the 2008 season. Following the Charlotte race, teams will have one weekend off, returning for races at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park, Texas Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and concluding at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Cale Gale will be behind the wheel of the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Chevrolet at Memphis for his final race of the 2008 season and Harvick will pilot the car for the remaining races. (KHI)
(10-06-08)

It’s time to find out the winners of the Dollar General “DG300 Toyota Tundra Showdown.” Eight finalists, four for “Team Leffler” and four for “Team Vickers” have been picked at random for their chance to win one of four Toyota Tundras. The driver that finishes highest on the track in that race, Vickers or Leffler, will win Toyota Tundras for the four contestants that supported him. The finalists will watch the race from the team’s respective pit boxes. LEFFLER ON LOWE’S MOTOR SPEEDWAY“Lowe’s Motor Speedway was not a track I particularly enjoyed until they did the re-surfacing work on it a couple of years ago. Now, it’s high on my list of favorites. With the fast speeds and three-wide racing it’s a lot of fun. This is a big weekend for Braun Racing and our sponsors Dollar General and Great Clips with the winners of the DG 300 Showdown being decided. I am going to do everything I can for the four fans on “Team Leffler” so that they can go home with a Toyota Tundra. We are taking the same car that won the May race here in Charlotte so we have high expectations and plan to take “Golden Child” back to victory lane again.” EQUIPMENT INFORMATION The No. 38 Great Clips team will unload chassis # 33 in this weekend’s Dollar General 300. Nicknamed, “Golden Child” this is the same car Kyle Busch piloted to victory lane at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May. Denny Hamlin drove the car to a second place finish in Chicago and Jason Leffler has two eighth place finishes (Michigan and Kansas) while driving chassis #33. (Braun Racing) (10-06-08)
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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

http://www.jayski.com

A change on the #2 truck? UPDATE 2 Sprague out; mulling retirement: Word around the Craftsman Truck Series garage was that Jack Sprague could be out at Kevin Harvick Inc. at the end of the season. Former motocross rider and current Camping World East Series driver Ricky Carmichael was floated as a possible replacement.(TheNascarInsiders.com)(9-14-2008)
UPDATE: Kevin Harvick Inc. announced that driver Jack Sprague has been released from the #2 Chevry Silverado. KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick will assume driving duties of the #2 Chevy for the upcoming Truck Series event at Martinsville Speedway on October 18th. Details on the driver lineup for the remainder of the season will be announced at a later date. “The performance of the #2 team was not up to either Jack or KHI’s standards,” said Kevin Harvick, co-owner of Kevin Harvick Inc. “My main goal now is to prepare the team to run for a championship in 2009. I am looking forward to getting behind the wheel in Martinsville. It should be a lot of fun.”(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(10-6-2008)
UPDATE 2 More: Sprague sat eighth in points, 489 behind Hornaday, after his second consecutive DNF Saturday at Talladega, Ala. He crashed with 24 laps to go at the superspeedway and finished 27th, his second-worst finish of the season, two weeks after crashing out in 26th at Las Vegas. “We didn’t have the results. It was no one thing, but every week it was something. It’s been a miserable year for everybody involved,” Sprague said. “It’s just getting to the point where enough’s enough. I’ve got nothing bad to say, I have a lot of respect for Kevin and what he’s built there, just sometimes it doesn’t work.” Sprague, 44, questioned the timing of the decision with five races remaining but said he understood the team’s need to put the #2 in a position to land sponsorship for next season with current sponsor American Commercial Lines not expected to return. Whether he has made his final start in the Trucks remains to be seen. “I’ve contemplated retirement. I’ve had a very, very rough year and a half,” he said. “This business has a lot of ups and downs, the downs are very tough to take when you want to win as bad as I do.”(ESPN.com)(10-6-2008)

Racing Resources says….
…Mountain Dew 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday — Bodine scored his 14th Truck Series victory in his 110th race.
…Bodine has won the past three superspeedway races (Talladega ’07, Daytona ’08, Talladega ’08).
…Bodine led three times for 10 laps, taking the lead for the final time on the last turn. He won from the fifth starting position — the other two races at Talladega have been won from the pole.
…This is the 14th win for Germain Racing, second of 2008, both by Todd Bodine.
…Ron Hornaday, who finished second, now leads Johnny Benson (11th) by 39 points. Benson had a one-point lead going into the race. Hornaday has scored 158 points more than Benson in the past five races.
…Bodine’s margin of victory was 0.075 seconds.
…Toyota posted its 11th win of the season. Chevrolet has seven, and Ford and Dodge each have one.
…Erik Darnell led the most laps (48). He has led 48 percent of the laps on superspeedways in 2008.
…Joey Logano (26th) and Richard Johns (31st) made their Truck Series debuts.
…The race was slowed four times for 17 laps of caution.
…The race featured 16 lead changes among eight drivers.
…The top 10 consisted of five Toyotas, one Ford and four Chevrolets. The highest-finishing Dodge was 13th.
…The highest-finishing Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate was #6 Colin Braun (fourth).(ESPN.com)(10-6-2008)
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A R C A (Automobile Racing Club of America)
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Courtesy of ARCA

http://www.arcaracing.com

ARCA Weekly Notes Package: 10/6/08
TOLEDO OH (10-6-08)–And Talladega Makes Five: Allgaier Leads ARCA RE/MAX Series in Race Wins…
[Read More] – http://www.arcaracing.com/news.cfm?contentid=7299

Hantz Group to Sponsor ARCA RE/MAX Series portion of ARCA Championship Weekend at Toledo Speedway
TOLEDO OH (10-6-08)-For the fourth consecutive year, the Hantz Group will support ARCA Championship Weekend at Toledo Speedway through title sponsorship of the ARCA RE/MAX Series’ 200 lap/100 mile season finale race. Belle Tire and Federated Car Care will serve as presenting sponsors of the race. The Hantz Group 200 presented by Belle Tire and Federated Car Care rolls off at 2 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, October, 12th. The race is live on SPEED Channel.
[Read More] – http://www.arcaracing.com/news.cfm?contentid=7296

Sharp, Speed Win 2008 Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Championship
[Read More] – http://www.arcaracing.com/news.cfm?contentid=7295

Frank Kimmel Wins 2008 Bill France Triple Crown
[Read More] – http://www.arcaracing.com/news.cfm?contentid=7294
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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

http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/AM/100708.html

Talladega Tire Troubles
by Allen Madding

RaceTalkRadio.com:
Time to Exhale – Making the Grade Dega 2 by Dennis Michelsen

http://www.racetalkradio.com/soz/id197.htm

The Nascar Insiders
Hey, Nice Body…
After a weekend of madness at Talladega, I wanted to clarify something and let our readers in on a little secret. Engines and horsepower are important, but success at the superspeedways all comes down to how good the sheetmetal is on your race vehicle.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/413371584/

Cheers & Jeers
Tony’s Win: The Rule is Black and White
by Carol Einarsson
CHEERS to Talladega. Sometimes I think it’s my favorite race.

http://www.racejournalonline.com/index.cfm?Pagename=column&id=533

Biffle Would Have Spun Stewart At Talladega
Greg Biffle had every single reason in the world to be cranky. Coming from the back to the front at Talladega with a powerful teammate pushing him through the field, Biffle wound-up watching the race finish instead of participating in it.

http://dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/10/biffle-would-have-spun-stewart-at.html

Craven’s Weekend TV Trifecta
The gang at ESPN has been very quiet about Ricky Craven. This weekend, Craven stopped by the Bristol, CT campus to participate in a weekend trifecta of NASCAR programs. If there was ever a doubt that Craven deserved a spot in the ESPN line-up, that was erased by Monday at 6PM.

http://dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/10/cravens-weekend-tv-trifecta.html

Good, Bad, & Ugly – Edwards Managed To Avoid All The Idiots At Talladega Except One – by Ron Thornton
Carl Edwards tried to stay away from trouble all day at Talladega, riding at the back of the pack and pitting alone. In the end, what cost him was the head inside his own helmet, and it turned a pretty GOOD day into a BAD one for both Edwards and teammate Greg Biffle.

http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Articles/08/100708Thornton.asp

Stewart’s Hot – Roush Not – by Mike Finnegan
Tony Stewart pulls off his first Talladega Superspeedway win in the AMP Energy 500, holding off three DEI drivers in a green-white-checkered finish of the 190 lap event.

http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Articles/08/100508Finnegan_Cup.asp

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T V * L I S T I N G S
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Courtesy of Jayski

http://www.jayski.com/pages/tv.htm

Tue Oct 7
8:00 am This Week in NASCAR SPEED

5:00 pm NASCAR Now ESPN2

Wed Oct 8
12:00 am This Week in NASCAR SPEED

5:00 pm NASCAR Now ESPN2

Thu Oct 9
12:00 am This Week in NASCAR SPEED

12:00 pm NSCS Talladega Replay SPEED

1:00 pm 1983 Carolina 500 ESPNC

3:30 pm NSCS Talladega Replay HDNet

5:30 pm NASCAR Now ESPN2

6:00 pm NNS Charlotte Practice ESPN2

7:00 pm NSCS Charlotte Pole Qualifying ESPN2

7:00 pm NSCS Charlotte Pole Qualifying ESPNC

Jayski does not list all the programming offered by SPEED; for complete listings go to their website, http://www.speedtv.com/schedule/

Always CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS!
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