TV Times – Mayfield/NASCAR Feud Getting Nastier By The Day

This Jeremy Mayfield/NASCAR feud is getting nastier by the day. We’re not sure where it’s all going to end? Hopefully, something that will be mutually acceptable to both parties. But, that remains to be seen because it appears that the battle lines have been drawn.

Here’s the Daytona TV ratings. TNT says its coverage of that Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Daytona International Speedway earned a 3.1 household rating from Nielsen Media Research. The rating was 18.4 percent lower than the 3.8 TNT earned for the race in 2008, and a spokesperson noted this year’s race fell on the July 4th holiday, which is traditionally a weak time for television ratings. This came from SceneDaily and StockCarGazette.com.

International Speedway Corp. has seen revenues drop 13.6 percent and has reported a loss for the first six months of its 2009 fiscal year – the loss mostly attributed to a write-down of $55.6 million for struggling merchandise arm Motorsports Authentics.

In releasing its financial statement for December 2008-May 2009, ISC said it has seen admissions revenue drop 16.5 percent, motorsports-related revenue drop 8.7 percent and food, beverage and merchandise revenue drop 33.7 percent. Admissions revenue for March-May (including NASCAR Sprint Cup weekends at Martinsville, Phoenix, Talladega, Richmond and Darlington) were down 18.2 percent. The track operator has had a net loss of $6.5 million for the first half of the year, compared to a profit of $62.25 million in the first half of last year. This item came from AutoRacingSport.com.

Here’s another one from the same source. The Fuji International Speedway, a subsidiary of car-maker Toyota, will relinquish the hosting rights for the Japanese Grand Prix from 2010.
The circuit said that the global economic downturn has made it “extremely difficult” to continue to host the event. The race is estimated to cost between 2 billion and 3 billion yen (£12-18 million), according to Reuters. Fuji was scheduled to host the Formula One race in 2010, alternating each year with the Honda-owned Suzuka Circuit. “I apologize deeply for being unable to live up to expectations,” said Hiroaki Kato, president of Fuji International Speedway, in a statement. Toyota has been forced to put several projects on hold to save funds as it expects its operating loss to reach a record 850 billion yen in the business year to March 2010. Fuji staged Japan’s first Formula One race in 1976 but a crash which killed two spectators in 1977 saw the circuit removed from the Formula One calendar. Also, Bulgarian officials were scheduled to meet with Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone last week to discuss a deal for the country to host a grand prix from 2011.

Motorsports publisher Coastal 181 announced today the upcoming release of I’LL NEVER BE LAST AGAIN, the autobiography of Bill Wimble. The long-awaited memoir of the legendary racer from Lisbon, New York, was written in concert with award-winning journalist, Lew Boyd.

Bill Wimble enjoyed a meteoric career during the prime era of sportsman-modified racing on the East Coast. He was NASCAR National Sportsman Champion in 1960 and 1961 and won seven state and fourteen track titles throughout the ’60s. The lion’s share of Wimble’s wins came aboard the state-of-the-art, signature red, black and white # 33s fielded by McCredy Motors in Sherburne, NY. The Wimble/#33 combo grew into one of the most popular and lasting brands in the history of short-track racing.

One of the reasons for Wimble’s unusual popularity was his personal style. At a time when most drivers strutted about with swashbuckling braggadocio, Wimble – though firm and focused – was accessible, respectful, and articulate. Many fans made the assumption that behind that driving suit was something different – and special.

They were right. In I’LL NEVER BE LAST AGAIN, Wimble details his valiant struggle as a teenager to save his family’s dairy farm along the St. Lawrence River. Later, following his near-fatal crash at Lebanon Valley Speedway in 1968, he literally started over again, re-crafting his career and honing his entrepreneurial skills. Along the way, he developed an enduring set of life principles that carry poignant messages for all of us. His is truly an American success story.

I’LL NEVER BE LAST AGAIN is 234 pages, hard-cover, with black and white photography. A formal book launch and autograph session with Bill Wimble will take place at the Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, NY, on Wednesday, July 22 at the 100-lap ROC modified event. After the launch, the book will be available for $26.95 plus $6 S&H at www.coastal181.com or by calling 1-877-907-8181 toll free during business hours.

Located in Newburyport, MA, Coastal 181 is a leading publisher of oval track racing books, covering superspeedways, open-wheel racing, and short-track stock cars. I’LL NEVER BE LAST AGAIN is the 16th Coastal 181 title, following upon such popular titles as Richie!, Win It or Wear It, Gotta Race!, and Paved Track Dirt Track, among others.

Here’s what’s happening on the tube this weekend for the gear heads. It all starts on Thursday with ESPN2 airing NASCAR Now at 5 p.m. and Speed offering the Camping World West race from Irwindale, CA at 9 p.m. Friday has ESPN2 going with NASCAR Now at 5 p.m. and Speed airing NASCAR Nationwide Practice from Madison, IL.

Saturday gets it off and running at 2 p.m. with Speed airing the American LeMans Series from Lime Rock, CT. ESPN2/TSN2 kick in at 5 p.m. with the NASCAR Nationwide Qualifying from Madison, IL and Speed offers NASCAR Truck Qualifying from Kentucky. Then at 7 p.m. The Duce will go SDD with NHRA Qualifying from Seattle. Also at 7 p.m. Speed returns with the Truck race from Kentucky. Then ESPN2/TSN each air the Nationwide race from Gateway, IL at 9:30 p.m. At the same time Speed has the ARCA Re/MAX race from Kentucky followed by AMA MotoX from Millville, MN at 11:30 p.m.

Sunday’s action starts at noon on Speed with the AMA Pro Sport Bikes from Mid-Ohio followed by the AMA Superbikes at that same venue. At 2 p.m. Speed airs the FIM 250 from Germany. TSN offers the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race from St. Eustache, Que. at 3 p.m. Also at 3 p.m. it’s the Grand Am Rolex event from Birmingham, AL on Speed. There’s more for the the bikers on Speed with the FIM MotoGP from Germany at 6 p.m. The Speed Report will wrap-up the busy weekend at 7 p.m. The Duce comes back at 9 p.m. with the NHRA Final Eliminations from Seattle with Speed offering Wind Tunnel and host Dave Despain at the same time. (END)

NOTE: INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED SOURCES, PRESS RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES.