 |
Now that was a little more like it… I got to see all the Sprint Cup racing from Martinsville yesterday and I enjoyed it, even though the wrong guy won (lol). |
Truck Race Delayed Until Monday
The Kroger 250 Camping World Truck Series race has been postponed until Monday at 12:00 p.m. Rain forced NASCAR to move the race after repeated attempts to dry the track. The race will be televised live on Fox. The two Sprint Cup practice sessions were also washed out on Saturday but forecast are calling for clearing skies for Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 with only a slight chance of rain. (Insider Racing News)
Check out the rest of what’s current in the stock car racing world right here in today’s Stock Car Gazette.
____________________________________________________________
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
____________________________________________________________
The Stock Car Gazette is sponsored by:
Hasco Collectibles
Div. Hasco Services, LLC
701 Mantooth Ave.
Lufkin, TX 75904
http://www.hascodiecastcars.com
hasco@diecastcars.net
866-66-HASCO (866-664-2726)
OUR NEW SALE IS HERE NOW!
We have hundreds of items at 15% to 85% off of list.
Over 900 items are reduced from cars to apparel to trinkets.
Just click the red sale banner at the top of our home page,
click the Special Sale link in the left column of the home page,
or, just click this link: http://www.hascodiecastcars.com/sale.aspx
NOTE: BUY NOW-DO NOT WAIT-WE WILL NOT BE AROUND LATER!!!
Hasco Collectibles
Div. Hasco Services, LLC
701 Mantooth Ave.
Lufkin, TX 75904
http://www.hascodiecastcars.com
hasco@diecastcars.net
866-66-HASCO (866-664-2726)
___________________________________________________________
E d i t o r ‘ s * N o t e s
___________________________________________________________
Now that was a little more like it… I got to see all the race yesterday and I enjoyed it, even though the wrong guy won (lol).
Truck Race Delayed Until Monday
The Kroger 250 Camping World Truck Series race has been postponed until Monday at 12:00 p.m. Rain forced NASCAR to move the race after repeated attempts to dry the track. The race will be televised live on Fox. The two Sprint Cup practice sessions were also washed out on Saturday but forecast are calling for clearing skies for Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 with only a slight chance of rain. (Insider Racing News)
___________________________________________________________
Stock Car Gazette Columnists Speak Out!
___________________________________________________________
Track Trash – Martinsville Madness
by: Boyd McPherson
Hendrick Motorsports definitely has it figured out a Martinsville. Congrats for a win on their anniversary celebration. Read it all at http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/3263
For more Track Trash, please visit http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/category/track-trash
___________________________________________________________
N A S C A R * S P R I N T * C U P * S E R I E S
___________________________________________________________
Courtesy of Stock Car Gazette subscriber Ed B. – thanks!
Digger Cam – We Finally See It!
Ever since its inception, I’ve been wondering what the “Digger” cam looked like.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BrucesNascarBitsAndPieces/~3/G_8VnsRTid0/digger-cam-we-finally-see-it.html
___________________________________________________________
Your ad could be displayed here… very reasonable rates. E-mail Mike@MotorSportsNews.Net
___________________________________________________________
Courtesy of Google Alerts
Stewart-Haas team establishing itself
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2009-03-29-stewart-haas_N.htm
___________________________________________________________
Courtesy of Insider Racing News
http://www.insiderracingnews.com
Once Again – Johnson Wins At Martinsville
CIA Stock Photo
Johnson Moves Hamlin Out Of The Way
Denny Hamlin led the most laps but it was Jimmie Johnson who muscled his way past Hamlin with 15 laps to go and then drove to victory in the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. It was Johnson’s 41st trip to Victory Lane in 261 career races. Johnson pretty much owns Martinsville, having won the last five of six races at the .526-mile track and owns a total of six wins in 15 races at the Virginia track. It was the 18th Sprint Cup victory at Martinsville for Rick Hendrick, coming on the 25th anniversary of his first win in the series. Geoff Bodine won that race 25 years ago.
Hamlin held on for second place and Tony Stewart finished in third spot. Jeff Gordon finished fourth and increased his NASCAR points lead to 89 over second place Clint Bowyer. Bowyer finished fifth in Sunday’s race followed by Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., A.J. Allmendinger and Jamie McMurray to round out the top ten. Joey Logano finished 32nd and took home the rookie of the race honors.
The next race on the Sprint Cup schedule – the seventh event of 36-races for the 2009 Sprint Cup Championship. The Samsung 500 will be on April 5th, at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. The race begins at approximately 1:30 p.m. eastern time with live, high-definition coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 12:30 p.m. eastern time. The race will also be broadcast live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio Channel 128 and PRN radio.
2009 Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Final Results
Race Date March 29, 2009
Martinsville Speedway
Pos Start/Car Driver Make Sponsor Points/Bonus/Laps/Status
1 9 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 190/5 500 Running
2 8 11 Denny Hamlin ** Toyota FedEx Freight 180/10 500 Running
3 7 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Old Spice/Office Depot 165/0 500 Running
4 1 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 165/5 500 Running
5 3 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet BB&T 155/0 500 Running
6 27 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army 150/0 500 Running
7 31 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet Kellogg’s/Carquest 146/0 500 Running
8 19 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy/National Guard 142/0 500 Running
9 16 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Charter Communications 138/0 500 Running
10 28 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Irwin Industrial Tools 134/0 500 Running
11 12 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell/Pennzoil 130/0 500 Running
12 15 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target 127/0 500 Running
13 21 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA 124/0 500 Running
14 24 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Little Debbie/Kingsford 121/0 500 Running
15 13 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar 118/0 500 Running
16 23 96 Bobby Labonte Ford Ask.com 120/5 500 Running
17 29 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge Charter Communications 112/0 500 Running
18 2 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 109/0 500 Running
19 6 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser 106/0 500 Running
20 11 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine 103/0 499 Running
21 25 07 Casey Mears Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s 100/0 499 Running
22 22 12 David Stremme Dodge Penske Racing 97/0 499 Running
23 10 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Dewalt 94/0 499 Running
24 4 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s 91/0 498 Running
25 38 98 Paul Menard Ford Energizer/Menards 88/0 498 Running
26 5 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac 85/0 498 Running
27 26 6 David Ragan Ford UPS 82/0 498 Running
28 18 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M 79/0 498 Running
29 20 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker 76/0 498 Running
30 40 36 Scott Riggs Toyota Array Lighting/Nexxus Lighting 73/0 497 Running
31 17 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Stanley Tools 70/0 497 Running
32 34 20 Joey Logano * Toyota The Home Depot 67/0 496 Running
33 14 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 64/0 496 Running
34 32 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge Mobil 1 61/0 496 Running
35 33 34 John Andretti Chevrolet Taco Bell 58/0 496 Running
36 35 171 David Gilliland Chevrolet Capital Window 55/0 492 Running
37 37 8 Aric Almirola Chevrolet Guitar Hero 52/0 490 Running
38 42 41 Jeremy Mayfield Toyota All Sport 54/5 441 Running
39 36 82 Scott Speed * Toyota Red Bull 51/5 424 Running
40 30 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Robby Gordon Motorsports 43/0 349 Engine
41 41 187 Joe Nemechek Toyota NEMCO Motorsports 40/0 90 Brakes
42 39 66 Dave Blaney Toyota Prism Motorsports 42/5 49 Rear Gear
43 43 64 Todd Bodine Toyota Gunselman Motorsports 34/0 3 Engine
** Led Most Laps
* Rookies
All Results Unofficial
2009 Top-40 Sprint Cup Points After Goody’s Fast Relief 500
Race Date March 29, 2009
Martinsville Speedway
POS +/- DRIVER POINTS/BEHIND/STARTS/POLES/WINS/TOP 5/TOP 10
1 — Jeff Gordon 959 6 0 0 4 5
2 +1 Clint Bowyer 870 -89 6 0 0 3 4
3 -1 Kurt Busch 827 -132 6 0 1 2 3
4 +5 Jimmie Johnson 817 -142 6 0 1 2 4
5 +3 Denny Hamlin 811 -148 6 0 0 2 3
6 -2 Kyle Busch 800 -159 6 1 2 3 3
7 — Tony Stewart 798 -161 6 0 0 1 4
8 -3 Carl Edwards 750 -209 6 0 0 1 2
9 -3 Kasey Kahne 745 -214 6 0 0 1 2
10 +2 Kevin Harvick 714 -245 6 0 0 2 2
11 — David Reutimann 710 -249 6 0 0 1 1
12 -2 Matt Kenseth 704 -255 6 0 2 2 2
Top 12 Drivers In The Running For The Chase For The Championship
13 — Jeff Burton 697 -262 6 0 0 1 2
14 +1 Juan Montoya 673 -286 6 0 0 0 1
15 +1 A.J. Allmendinger 670 -289 6 0 0 1 2
16 +3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 660 -299 6 0 0 0 2
17 +4 Michael Waltrip 630 -329 6 0 0 0 1
18 +9 Ryan Newman 625 -334 6 0 0 0 2
19 +4 Bobby Labonte 620 -339 6 0 0 1 1
20 -6 Brian Vickers 617 -342 6 1 0 1 3
21 +3 Marcos Ambrose 616 -343 6 0 0 0 1
22 +6 Jamie McMurray 609 -350 6 0 0 0 2
23 -5 Greg Biffle 605 -354 6 0 0 1 2
24 -7 Elliott Sadler 600 -359 6 0 0 1 1
25 -3 David Stremme 599 -360 6 0 0 0 0
26 -1 Casey Mears 588 -371 6 0 0 0 0
27 +4 Mark Martin 587 -372 6 2 0 0 2
28 -8 Martin Truex Jr. 584 -375 6 1 0 0 1
29 -3 David Ragan 569 -390 6 0 0 0 1
30 -1 Reed Sorenson 569 -390 6 0 0 0 1
31 -1 Robby Gordon 485 -474 6 0 0 0 0
32 +1 Sam Hornish Jr. 459 -500 6 0 0 0 0
33 +1 John Andretti 455 -504 6 0 0 0 0
34 — Joey Logano* 437 -522 6 0 0 0 0
35 +3 Paul Menard 414 -545 6 0 0 0 0
36 — Aric Almirola 387 -572 6 0 0 0 0
37 — David Gilliland 386 -573 5 0 0 0 0
38 -3 Scott Speed* 386 -573 6 0 0 0 0
39 — Travis Kvapil 292 -667 4 0 0 0 0
40 +3 Scott Riggs 216 -743 3 0 0 0 0
* Rookies
___________________________________________________________
Courtesy of Jayski
http://www.jayski.com
Johnson wins at Martinsville: #48-Jimmie Johnson won the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, for his first win of 2009 and the 41st of his career. It his fifth win in the last six Martinsville races and comes on the anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports first win 25 years ago. #11-Hamlin, who led the most laps on the day and was bumped out of the lead by Johnson with 16 laps to go, finished second, followed by #14-Stewart, #24-Gordon, #33-Bowyer, #39-Newman, #5-Martin, #88-Earnhardt, Jr, #44-Allmendinger, and #26-McMurray. There was one change in the top-35 in owner points as #71-Gilliland fell out and #98-Menard moved in. There were 12 cautions for 66 laps and 7 drivers led a lap with 13 lead changes.
For race results, awards and more on the Martinsville Race Results Page.(3-29-2009)
http://www.jayski.com/stats/2009/results/6mar2009results.htm
UNOFFICAL Driver Points Standings [after Martinsville race 6 of 36]:
1) #24-Jeff Gordon 959
2) #33-Clint Bowyer 870 -89
3) #2-Kurt Busch 827 -132 [1 win]
4) #48-Jimmie Johnson 817 [1 win]
5) #11-Denny Hamlin 811 -148
6) #18-Kyle Busch 800 -159 [2 wins]
7) #14-Tony Stewart 798 -161
#99-Carl Edwards 750 -209
9) #9-Kasey Kahne 745 -214
10) #29-Kevin Harvick 714 -245
11) #00-David Reutimann 710 -249
12) #17-Matt Kenseth 704 -255 [2 wins]
in running for top 12 – the chase:
13) #31-Jeff Burton 697 -262
14) #42-Juan Montoya 673 -286
15) #44-A.J. Allmendinger 670 -289
16) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. 660 -299
For drivers and owners points standings, see the Drivers/Owners Points Standings.(3-29-2009)
http://www.jayski.com/stats/2009/points/6mar2009points.htm
Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Texas:
#71-Gilliland falls out of the top-35 by 3 points and #98-Menard moves into a locked in position
31) #7-Gordon/Robby Gordon: 485, +75
32) #77-Hornish/Penske: 459, +48
33) #34-Andretti/Earnhart Ganassi: 455, +44
34) #20-Logano/Gibbs: 437 +26
35) #98-Menard/Yates: 414, 3 points ahead of 36th
these teams/ drivers must qualify by speed but are close to the top-35: 36) #71-Gilliland/TRG 411, 3 points out of 35th
37) #8-Almirola/Earnhardt Ganassi: 387, -27
38) #82-Speed/Red Bull: 386 -28
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see my Drivers/Owners Points Standings page.(3-29-2009)
http://www.jayski.com/stats/2009/points/6mar2009points.htm
Race Fast Facts – Martinsville Speedway
Jimmie Johnson won the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500, his 41st victory in 261 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and fourth top-10 finish in 2009. His last previous victory came at Phoenix in November 2008.
This is his sixth victory and 14th top-10 finish in 15 races at Martinsville Speedway.
Johnson now has more NASCAR Sprint Cup wins at Martinsville (six) than any other track. (He has five at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.)
Denny Hamlin (second) posted his seventh top-10 finish in eight races at Martinsville Speedway. It is his third top-10 finish in 2009.
Tony Stewart (third) posted his 12th top-10 finish in 21 races at Martinsville Speedway.
Joey Logano (32nd) was the highest finishing rookie.
Jeff Gordon leads the point standings by 89 points over Clint Bowyer.(NASCAR Statistics)(3-29-2009)
Mike Brown named GM at TRG: Mike Brown has been named General Manager of #71-The Racer’s Group NASCAR program. Brown was GM at Bill Davis Racing for the last 12 years and watched the operation expand from 19 employees with a single Cup operation to a workforce of 300 that also fielded multiple truck teams, including last year’s series champion Johnny Benson.(Fox Sports)(3-30-2009)
EGR still needs sponsorship after Texas for Almirola: Aric Almirola, who has a commitment from Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to field the #8 Sprint Cup car through next week’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, still needs sponsorship for the April 18 race at Phoenix International Raceway. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing President Steve Lauletta said he had “nothing new to report” when asked if sponsorship had been secured for Almirola and if Almirola was going to be able to go to Phoenix.(Scene Daily)(3-30-2009)
Bristol Officials Reviewing Saturday Night Special: Bristol Motor Speedway vice-president of events Wayne Estes said the process of selecting the legends field dictated that Bristol winners at the Cup or Busch/Nationwide Series level would compete, and none would be “full-time” competitors in either series. “This gave us the opportunity to keep Terry Labonte in the field,” Estes said. “Considering his ties to the two most famous finishes in our history, we wanted Terry in the race.” As is the case with all events at the track, Estes and BMS staff will review options for improving the legends show. “Clearly, we learned a lot that will be applied if we do this again,” Estes said. “The question now is, do the fans want to see it again. Most of them tell us that they do, with some adjustments. “I talked to Cale Yarborough and his comment was, “‘Take the young guys out and let just us old guys race.”‘ That seems to be the prevailing feeling, and open it up beyond Bristol winners so that Buddy Baker and Ricky Rudd can take part.” In retrospect, Estes admitted that the Saturday Night Special could have more been compelling with additional planning and tinkering.(Bristol Herald Courier)(3-30-2009)
Stewart-Hass still looking for sponsorship for Newman: Q: HOW’S THE SPONSORSHIP SEARCH COMING? Ryan Newman: “I’d say just like many people out there. The door is always open. People at Stewart-Haas Racing are working on other sponsors let’s say for primary as well as associates. The U.S. Army is committed to their amount of races, I think it’s 23. They’ve been great to work with. We have Haas Automation on the car as well but we’re currently looking and working on other things as well.”(Chevy PR)(3-29-2009)
Back problems for Jeff Gordon? Okay, what’s the deal with Jeff Gordon’s back? He’s talked for three weeks now about chronic back pain. And that sounds suspiciously like the type of pain that Ricky Rudd and Mark Martin have endured. Martin himself had major back surgery a few years ago to alleviate his pain. Gordon has made no mention of any possible surgery, but his repeated complaints are raising eyebrows. At the moment he’s been doing some heavy-duty workouts to try to relieve the pain.(mikemulhern.net)(3-29-2009)
___________________________________________________________
Your ad could be displayed here… very reasonable rates. E-mail Mike@MotorSportsNews.Net
___________________________________________________________
Courtesy of That’s Racin’
http://www.thatsracin.com
Johnson pushes way past Hamlin, wins
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin found a way to disagree without being disagreeable after the Goody’s 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
http://www.thatsracin.com/115/story/6151.html
Practice didn’t make perfect
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Jeff Gordon said the single practice session teams got on Friday may actually have hindered his team’s performance in Sunday’s race.
http://www.thatsracin.com/140/story/6222.html
Newman moving the right way
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – With a surge in the final 10 laps, during which he passed Mark Martin and Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman finished sixth on Sunday.
http://www.thatsracin.com/140/story/6218.html
Notes | Pearson wins at Charlotte
Earl Pearson Jr. grabbed the lead early and held off a couple of late challenges to win the rain-plagued late model show at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Sunday.
http://www.thatsracin.com/140/story/6225.html
Hendrick, ex-gov gain from close ties
Former North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley crashed one of NASCAR titan Rick Hendrick’s race cars, went with him to receptions and hung around with him at races. But the relationship between the two men goes deeper.
http://www.thatsracin.com/140/story/6057.html
No. 88 team gets past early trouble
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Despite some early race problems, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was able to work his way back into good track position Sunday and held on for an eighth-place finish.
http://www.thatsracin.com/140/story/6221.html
Slideshow | All of Sunday’s action
http://www.thatsracin.com/105/index.html?galleryid=6148
___________________________________________________________
P R E S S * R E L E A S E S
___________________________________________________________
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S IMPALA SS – Winner
TAKE US THROUGH THE PASS FOR THE LEAD; IF THAT HAD BEEN DONE TO YOU, WOULD IT HAVE BEEN OKAY? “I don’t know how Denny (Hamlin) got inside of me on that one restart. I felt like I was a little better and sure enough he was there and he had the lane and we raced hard from there. And then trying to come back and get him, I had a little bit better car on the longer run and I was patient and set him up, set him up, got inside of him. I assume that he knew he ran me down because he didn’t come back down in Turn 1 and dump me. So he tried to put the squeeze on me and I was up on the curb and sliding; we got together and he did a hell of a job saving it. I thought I was going around too and fortunately we had enough distance where we were to the next guy to not have any trouble or lose any spots.
“But I’m out of breath (laughs). That was just a fun day. We didn’t have the best car at the start. We opted to lose track position and to work on the car.”
LET’S START WITH THE PASS FOR THE LEAD. “I just took my time. I felt like I was a little bit better than the No. 11 (Denny Hamlin) on the long haul and I was able to stay with him and get closer and closer. I went into turn three and got inside of him and just starting racing. I think he was trying to not leave me a lot of room which is what you do. Before I knew it I was up on the curve and we made contact and sliding sideways. It certainly wasn’t something intentional. I was just trying to get in there and get the win. I was in there and he was coming down and made some contact. Thankfully neither one of us spun out and he was able to recover and finish second.”
HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU SAVE IT? “At first I lost it and I thought well that’s it and the car caught itself. Then I lost it again when I got in the marbles and again thankfully nobody was right on us so that we could recover and get going and carry on. That was a slide for a really long time and I’m glad that both cars stayed straight.”
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OLD SPICE/OFFICE DEPOT IMPALA SS, FINISHED 3rd:
YOU WERE READY TO POUNCE FOR THE WIN. AS THE DRIVER, ARE YOU MAD THAT YOU DIDN’T GET THE WIN, OR AS THE OWNER, ARE YOU HAPPY TO HAVE BOTH YOUR CARS FINISH IN THE TOP SIX? “Well, both. I was thinking about four laps before it happened down there in (Turns) 3 and 4 that if they had a problem that we were right there in the catbird seat and I was just too far back when they had their problem. But I’m just real proud of our guys on the Old Spice / Office Depot team and real proud of Ryan (Newman) and his U.S. Army team. We both had a great weekend. This is a place I like, obviously, and we’re back up there running where we belong.”
__________
Bill Elliott to Headline First “Lanier Racing Live!” Radio Show
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. (March 27, 2009) – NASCAR legend Bill Elliott is scheduled to headline the premier of the Lanier Racing Live! radio show, a live internet broadcast featuring news and information about Lanier National Speedway (LNS) and the Georgia Asphalt Series (GAS).
Elliott hopes to field three Late Model cars out of his Dawsonville, Ga., based Bill Elliott Racing shop for the 2009 Georgia Asphalt Series and the LNS Super Six Championship: No. 9 Chase Elliott, No. 19 Casey Roderick and No. 91 Trey Poole.
“This type of coverage along with our other local and regional media is great exposure for short track racing,” Elliott said. “We really need to get back to the grass roots of this sport and support our local communities and the family entertainment that these tracks offer. Terry (Roberts) and Scott (Pinner) at Lanier have done a great job with this GAS Radio Network and all of the coverage they’re working on. It’s going to help a lot of these drivers and sponsors get their names out there and maybe find some new opportunities.”
The hour-long Lanier Racing Live!, which kicks off Tuesday, March 31, at 7:30 pm, will broadcast live every week from Sonny’s BBQ on Hwy 53 (Munday Mill Rd) in Flowery Branch, Ga. Sonny’s BBQ, also the presenting sponsor of Lanier Racing Live!, encourages fans to head out for dinner and to catch the live broadcast.
Fans can listen live to the program from home by visiting the LNS website at www.lanierspeedway.com or www.BillElliott.com and clicking on the “GAS Radio Network Listen Live” link.
___________________________________________________________
C A M P I N G * W O R L D * T R U C K * S E R I E S
___________________________________________________________
Truck Race Delayed Until Monday
The Kroger 250 Camping World Truck Series race has been postponed until Monday at 12:00 p.m. Rain forced NASCAR to move the race after repeated attempts to dry the track. The race will be televised live on Fox. The two Sprint Cup practice sessions were also washed out on Saturday but forecast are calling for clearing skies for Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 with only a slight chance of rain. (Insider Racing News)
___________________________________________________________
Courtesy of Jayski
http://www.jayski.com
Crawford wins pole at Martinsville: #14-Rick Crawford was the fastest qualifier with a speed of 94.737 mph to win the pole for the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. This is Crawford’s 6th series pole; his 2nd at Martinsville. Rounding out the top ten were;#15-Shane Sieg, #1-Johnny Benson, #33-Ron Hornaday Jr., #6-Colin Braun, #2-Kevin Harvick, #9-Max Papis, #88-Matt Crafton, #5-Mike Skinner, #17-Timothy Peters. DNQ-none. Complete starting lineup is posted on the Martinsville Race Page.(3-28-2009)
http://www.jayski.com/cts/next/2009/4martinsville2009.htm#lineup
Harvick leads rain-shortened final practice: #2-Kevin Harvick was the fastest on track with a speed of 94.652 mph to lead the abbreviated final practice session at Martinsville Speedway, Rain brought out the red flag early and after the track was dried, the teams were only able to get back out for only a few more laps before the hard rain arrived and the session was halted. Rounding out the top ten were; #14-Rick Crawford, #88-Matt Crafton, #33-Ron Hornaday Jr., #51-Kyle Busch, #25-Terry Cook, #5-Mike Skinner, #6-Colin Braun, #17-Timothy Peters, #16-Brian Scott. Final practice speeds are posted on the Martinsville Race Page.(3-27-2009)
http://www.jayski.com/cts/next/2009/4martinsville2009.htm#prac2
Starr leads first practice: #24-David Starr had the fastest lap with a top speed of 94.486 mph to lead the first practice session for the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. Rounding out the top ten were; #60-Stacy Compton, #2-Kevin Harvick, #17-Timothy Peters, #25-Terry Cook, #1-Johnny Benson, #33-Ron Hornaday Jr., #51-Kyle Busch, #5-Mike Skinner, #16-Brian Scott. Two cautions during practice; #23-Jason White backed into the wall going into Turn 1 sustaining damage to the left rear; #4-Ricky Carmichael spun going into Turn 3, so damage to the truck. There were 36 trucks on track for the first session. Practice speeds are posted on the Martinsville Race Page.(3-27-2009)
http://www.jayski.com/cts/next/2009/4martinsville2009.htm#prac1
Sieg starts second; picks up sponsor: After a soggy Saturday in Martinsville, Virginia, Shane Sieg in the #15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota Tundra will take to the track Monday for the rain delayed Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. . Sieg posted the #15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota Tundra on the outside pole for the 250 lap event with a speed of 94.326 mph. Sieg’s solid start prompted Woodard Pools of Waycross, Georgia to come onboard as the primary sponsor for the #15 Camping World Truck for Monday’s race.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(3-29-2009)
NASCAR allowing teams to adjust crew rosters for rescheduled Kroger 250: NASCAR is relaxing its maximum of 12 crew members per Camping World Truck Series team for the rescheduled Kroger 250 on Monday at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said Sunday. Truck teams are limited to 12 total crew members per race weekend, but teams often use non-contract employees to change and carry tires. With the race being rescheduled from Saturday to Monday because of rain, some teams might have to adjust who will be on their pit crew. Teams will be permitted to change their list of 12 crewmen for Monday but they still cannot have more than 12 per truck, Tharp said.(SceneDaily.com)(3-29-2009)
Ickler in for Kyle Busch at Kansas UPDATE In the #51 for ten races: Brian Ickler has been tapped by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kyle Busch to replace him in the #51 truck for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway on April 25. Ickler, who hails from San Diego, is a protégé of Kyle Busch and has competed in NASCAR’s grassroots racing series from 2005-08.(Topeka Capital Journal)(3-28-2009)
UPDATE: Brian Ickler’s schedule for the 2009 season includes ten races driving the #51 Miccosukee Resorts Toyota in the Camping World Truck Series, along with six races in the #15 Ickler Motorsports entry in the Camping World East Series, and seven races in the ARCA Series.(BrianIckler.com)(3-28-2009)
Strutmasters on board for more races with Peters: During the final practice session on SPEED/tv, it was reported that Strutmasters.com will be sponsoring the #17-Toyota of Timothy Peters for the upcoming races at Kansas Speedway and Lowes Motor Speedway. Peters is currently 9th in the driver point standings going into this weekend’s Kroger 250 at Martinsville.(3-27-2009)
Blacks Tire & Auto Service to back Chad McCumbee: Sitting fifth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points has paid off for Chad McCumbee and the SS Green Light Racing team as Blacks Tire & Auto Service Centers have come aboard to support the teams #07 for Saturday afternoons Kroger 250 at the Martinsville Speedway as the team makes it’s 200th consecutive NCWTS start Blacks Tire & Auto Service has supported grass roots racing in the Carolina’s for many years. Black’s Tire & Auto Service was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Whiteville, NC. Black’s Tire Service operates 31 retail/commercial locations throughout the Carolinas and a wholesale division (BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors) with two distribution centers in Whiteville, NC and Charlotte, NC. The company is family-owned and is committed to friendly service and is highly consumer focused.(SS Green Light Racing PR)(3-27-2009)
Martinsville Tire Notes:Teams in both the NASCAR series will run the same tire codes at Martinsville this weekend, however the Sprint Cup tires will be branded “Goodyear Eagle,” while the Camping World Truck tires will be branded “Goodyear Wrangler” . . . this left-side code (D-4108) is the same one run by these teams at Martinsville last season . . . this right-side code (D-4230) is brand new to the Goodyear tire lineup . . . this right-side features a slight compound change compared to last year to offer cars more grip . . . while this left-side is unique to Martinsville, this right-side will also be run on all four tire positions on Sprint Cup road courses this season . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Martinsville.(Goodyear PR) See pressures, codes and more on the Martinsville Race Page.(3-27-2009)
http://www.jayski.com/cts/next/2009/4martinsville2009.htm#tire
___________________________________________________________
Courtesy of TruckSeries.Com
http://www.truckseries.com
Sponsorless Teams Driven by Love of Racing
03-24-2009 | Megan Englehart, SPEED
Sponsorless Teams Driven by Love of Racing Despite heralded pre-season predictions of doom and gloom, the sky has yet to fall on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In fact, many owners have moved heaven and earth to stay afloat, running their operations out of their own pockets, motivated by nothing other than sheer passion for the sport.
http://www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/NCTS_09/articles/000002/000267.htm
___________________________________________________________
A R C A (Automobile Racing Club of America)
___________________________________________________________
Courtesy of ARCA
http://www.arcaracing.com
Brent Sherman Returns to ARCA RE/MAX Series
Brent Sherman will make a return to the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Salem Speedway in the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 presented by Federated Car Care on April 5. Sherman, a rising star in the ARCA RE/MAX Series in the early 2000′s, has not started an ARCA RE/MAX Series race since winning at Michigan International Speedway in 2006. He has entered the Salem event in a Doug Stringer-owned No. 90 Tracker’s Lodge Chevrolet.
“After I stopped racing ARCA full time I stayed very busy racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the Indy Pro Lights Series,” said Sherman. “But I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to return to ARCA because I have always loved racing here. It’s just such a competitive, fun series. My last ARCA win was a one-off race at Michigan in 2006 and I won the race. My son Cooper was a one-year-old at the time. My daughter is one right now so I am hoping that is the magic number and we can win at Salem in April.”
In 72 career starts since 2001, Sherman has 19 top-5 finishes and 33 top-10s. He finished second in the final point standings in 2004 and fourth in 2003.
Salem Could End 15-Year Streak
While Brent Sherman will make a return to the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Salem Speedway, one very familiar car could be absent from the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 starting field. Car owner Larry Clement, who currently holds the record for most consecutive race starts as a car owner with 314 starts, has not yet filed an entry for the No. 46 Ford.
Clement is recognized by race fans as the car owner for each of Frank Kimmel’s nine ARCA RE/MAX Series championships and, most recently, as the car owner for 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Rookie of the Year Matt Carter. From November 1994 through February 2008, Clement amassed 314 starts as car owner of the No. 46 to include race wins with Bob Hill (4 wins), Kimmel (69 wins) and Carter (1 win).
The last time that a No. 46 Larry Clement-owned racecar was not on the starting grid for an ARCA RE/MAX Series race was at Winchester Speedway in October of 1994. Other ARCA RE/MAX Series car owners with notable current consecutive start streaks include Norm Benning with 269 and Andy Belmont with 245.
First Short Track Race of 2009 Brings Early Season Points Shake-up
The ARCA RE/MAX Series Point Standings will likely look very different following the second of 22 races on the schedule as only one of the current top-5 ARCA RE/MAX Series point contenders–Eddie Sharp Racing’s Justin Lofton–plans to compete at Salem. As a diverse stock car tour that competes on paved short tracks, speedways, road courses and dirt tracks, many ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers pick and choose which races they will compete in each year.
“Salem was my first race last year and I’m looking forward to taking to the track there once again,” said Lofton, who plans to compete in all 22 ARCA RE/MAX Series events in 2009. “I’m stoked about being in the top-5 entering into next week’s race and I would like to leave Salem with a win and the points lead. Despite the fact that we didn’t test in Salem with the rest of the ESR teams, I’m really confident in the No. 6 Lofton Toyota team’s short-track abilities.”
Lofton’s ESR Teammates-Steve Arpin, Craig Goess and Tim George, Jr.-participated in a private test at Salem in order to prepare for the Sping ARCA RE/MAX Series event at the .5-mile high-banked short track. Of the four full-time ESR drivers, Lofton is the only driver that has previous experience at Salem.
Fomer Salem Winners….
Frank Kimmel, the all-time ARCA RE/MAX Series race winner at Salem with nine wins, and Ken Schrader, an ARCA RE/MAX Series race winner at Salem in 1999, are the only former Salem Speedway ARCA winners entered for the April 5 Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200. Other former ARCA RE/MAX Series race winners currently entered include Justin Lofton and Brent Sherman; both drivers are former winners at Michigan International Speedway but have not recorded race wins in ARCA RE/MAX Series short track competition.
Several drivers have recorded their first ARCA RE/MAX Series race win at Salem, including Tobey Butler who was able to do so in 1996 in his career first Series start. Recent first time Series winners at Salem include Shelby Howard in 2003, Blake Bjorklund in 2006 and Billy Venturini in 2006.
On the Road Again…
The ARCA RE/MAX Series has not sanctioned a race since the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona Int’l Speedway in February but the Series will begin a busy stretch of activity beginning with Salem on April 5. Following Salem, many ARCA RE/MAX Series teams and officials will travel to Talladega Superspeedway for a two day ARCA Open Test on April 8 and 9. The ARCA RE/MAX Series will also be on-track for the Carolina 200 at Rockingham Speedway on April 19, the ARCA RE/MAX 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24 and the ARCA Open Test at Kentucky Speedway on April 29. For ticket and broadcast information, visit arcaracing.com.
___________________________________________________________
N A S C A R * C A N A D I A N * T I R E * S E R I E S
http://localracing.nascar.com/news/6
___________________________________________________________
Ron Fellows confirms NASCAR Canadian Tire Series aspirations
Inside Track Motorsport News – Toronto,Ontario,Canada
“As a matter of fact, for the last six months or so I’ve been working on getting a team going in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series,” Fellows said. …
http://insidetracknews.blogspot.com/2009/03/ron-fellows-confirms-nascar-canadian.html
___________________________________________________________
C O L U M N S / C O M M E N T A R I E S
___________________________________________________________
Insider Racing News
http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/BB/032809.html
NASCAR’s Untapped Gold Mine
by Brenda Benedict
Insider Racing News
http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/NB/032809.html
No. 8 Cup Team Outside The Top-35 For The First Time In Ten Years
by Nick Blake
Insider Racing News
http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/KR/032909.html
Will We Have a Second Annual Saturday Night Special in 2010?
by Kim Roberson
The Nascar Insiders
The NASCAR Week That Was: March 22-28
A wet weekend at Martinsville capped off a week dominated by talk out of Hendrick Motorsports.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/m-tzLPcxdeA/
Insider Racing News
http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/RF/033009.html
Johnson Still Owns Martinsville Speedway
by Ron Felix
Insider Racing News
http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/MP/033009.html
Is Mark Martin on the Right Track?
by Matthew Pizzolato
Insider Racing News
http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/CF/033009.html
Martinsville Speedway Notebook ~ Sunday
by Connie Felix
The Daly Planet: Michael Waltrip Set For Monday TV Dash
It has been more than a decade since then Speedvision Executive Producer Bob Scanlon first launched Inside Winston/NEXTEL/Sprint Cup Racing. The CWTS race begins at noon ET and should wrap-up about 2 hours later. Waltrip will then drive …
http://dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2009/03/michael-waltrip-set-for-monday-tv-dash.html
RaceTalkRadio.com:
Gramps Earnhardt Wouldn’t Have Rushed Jeffrey to Nationwide, (And Old-fashioned Beating and Banging, Monday Twitting Fool) by Dennis Michelsen
http://www.racetalkradio.com/soz/id249.htm
The Nascar Insiders
Digger Fans? And Where Are The Hospitality Tents?
As the rain fell down this weekend at Martinsville I had a chance to get out and walk through the midway area. I am a big fan of people watching and where is there a better place to do that?
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/NpzuGh1CgBc/
Happy New Year!
by Carol Einarsson
Welcome to the first edition of CJF1 2009. I’ve decided this year I’ll commit to a season of Formula One weekly recap articles to be posted on Mondays.
http://www.racejournalonline.com/index.cfm?Pagename=column&id=580
A Little Less “Digger” And A Lot More Racing
There was not a lot to talk about for the NASCAR on Fox gang from the Hollywood Hotel in Martinsville. Practice and qualifying for the Sprint Cup Series had been rained out.
http://dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2009/03/little-less-digger-and-lot-more-racing.html
___________________________________________________________
T V * L I S T I N G S
___________________________________________________________
Courtesy of Jayski
http://www.jayski.com/pages/tv.htm
Mon Mar 30
12:00 am NASCAR Victory Lane SPEED
8:00 am NASCAR Victory Lane SPEED
9:00 am Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain SPEED
12:00 pm NCWTS: Kroger 250 at Martinsville [LIVE - was rained out] SPEED
5:00 pm NASCAR Now ESPN2
8:00 pm NASCAR This Week SPEED
Tue Mar 31
12:00 am NASCAR Now ESPN2
12:00 am NASCAR This Week SPEED
8:00 am NASCAR This Week SPEED
5:00 pm NASCAR Now ESPN2
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!
___________________________________________________________
The Stock Car Gazette
Copyright 2002-2009 by MotorSportsNews.Net
All Rights Reserved
SUBSCRIBE / UNSUBSCRIBE INFORMATION
http://groups.google.com/group/StockCarGazette
Miss an edition of the Stock Car Gazette? Visit the E-ZINE ARCHIVE:
http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/category/stock-car-gazette/
IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE: The Stock Car Gazette mailing list is maintained completely by MotorSportsNews.Net. Therefore, we can tell you we have not and will not ever share your e-mail address with anyone for any reason.
IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTICE: ALL broadcast, publication, retransmission to e-mail lists, WWW or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, is STRICTLY PROHIBITED without PRIOR written permission from the editor. However, you MAY manually forward an issue by e-mail to your friends IF 1.) The text is forwarded IN ITS ENTIRETY including all subscription and web page information, and 2.) NO FEE is charged. We ALWAYS appreciate readers who report violations of the copyright to webmaster@motorsportsnews.net.
IMPORTANT PERSONAL NOTICE: Do you know for sure? You can. http://motorsportsnews.net/you-can-know-for-sure
___________________________________________________________
