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Dodge CEO Quits In Personnel Shakeup; Future Of NASCAR Program Unknown, Judge denies NASCAR request for rebuke of former Mayfield attorney, ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship TBD at the Rock on Sunday. Read about these headlines and much, much, more 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 MotorSportsNews.Net
Do you know for sure?
motorsportsnews.net/you-can-know-for-sure
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E d i t o r ‘ s * N o t e s
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Hump day… unless your camel is Bactrian … and then you still have another hump to go over. See, Bactrian camels have “2″ humps, and Dromedary camels only have “1″. See, you learned something today, so it was a profitable day.
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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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The Pepsi 500 race at ACS takes the green flag Sunday, October 11 at 3:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on ABC TV for the 250-lap event. Live pre-race coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. EDT. Radio coverage will be provided by the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Ch. 128. Qualifying is slated for Friday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2 with radio coverage on MRN Radio and Sirius XM Radio Ch. 128.
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Courtesy of www.FrontStretch.com
Top News Stories
by Tom Bowles
Dodge CEO Quits In Personnel Shakeup; Future Of NASCAR Program Unknown
In a surprise announcement, Chrysler’s new ownership group released a statement Monday announcing the departure of two top executives, one of which had direct ties to their NASCAR involvement. Mike Accavitti, named Dodge CEO in June of 2009, has left the company to pursue other interests, along with Chrysler CEO Peter Fong who resigned for personal reasons. In their place, the company has chosen to split the Dodge brand into two separate sections. Fred Diaz, Jr. will head up the Truck division, including the popular Ram brand, while former Vice President Ralph Gilles has been promoted to run the car division of Dodge’s business portfolio.
“The brand-focused strategy has been refined further with the unbundling of the Dodge Brand,” claimed Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Chrysler LLC in a press release. “This reorganization will allow us to protect and develop the unique nature of our product offerings.”
Neither Diaz or Gilles have direct motorsports experience, and the company’s future in NASCAR was not addressed. Accavitti, who was the Director of the Dodge Motorsports program for three years, had been adamant the company would continue its involvement in the series for 2010, albeit at a scaled-back level as the company continues to emerge from bankruptcy protection.
However, heading into next year Dodge had only announced official support for just one Sprint Cup team: Penske Racing, whose organization was instrumental in helping construct the new R6 racing engine. Richard Petty Motorsports, currently running Chargers, recently announced a merger with Yates Racing that will entail a switch to Ford as soon as Talladega in November.
Penske Racing had no comment on these developments at press time.
Sprint Cup Ratings Down … Again
The overnight numbers from the third Chase race are in … and for NASCAR, the third time clearly wasn’t a charm. Pulling just a 2.6 overnight rating for Kansas, those numbers are down 16 percent from the same Sprint Cup race one year ago (3.1). So far in the postseason, NASCAR’s overnight ratings have averaged a 2.6, the worst three-race stretch for the sport’s top series since their first “big money” TV contract took effect in 2001.
45 Cars Entered For Sunday’s Cup Race at Fontana
Late Monday, NASCAR released the entry lists for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races at Auto Club Speedway. There are 45 cars on the entry list for Sunday’s Pepsi 500. Of those 45, there are the 35 full-time teams locked into the field, along with the Nos. 09, 36, 37 (with Kevin Hamlin behind the wheel once again), 66, 71, 82, and 87. In addition, the part-time teams entered include the No. 13 GEICO Toyota for Germain Racing and Max Papis, the No. 64 Gunselman Motorsports Toyota for Mike Wallace, and the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet for Regan Smith.
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Courtesy of Insider Racing News
www.insiderracingnews.com
ARCA Finale This Sunday
With just one race remaining, the ARCA RE/MAX Series championship has come down to the final race of the season this Sunday at Rockingham Speedway where the American 200 takes center stage. It’s hard to imagine that after 20 events there are just 15 points that separate point leader Justin Lofton and rookie Parker Kligerman. By the numbers, Kligerman leads with a season-high eight wins to Lofton’s six. Kligerman also has a better average finish - 5.2 to Lofton’s 5.3. — However, in two other key categories - poles and laps-led - Lofton leads. And both categories award championship points. In the case of poles (15 for 1st, 10 for 2nd & 5 for 3rd), Lofton has the clear advantage with a season-high five Menards Pole Awards whereas Kligerman has none. Ironically, Kligerman earned the pole Saturday in his career-first Nationwide Series attempt at Kansas.
Darian Grubb Named Best Crew Chief
Darian Grubb, crew chief for the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy driven by Tony Stewart, has been named the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Sunday’s Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway. With Stewart running second when the caution flag flew on lap 236, Grubb made a gutsy call on the team’s last pit stop for two tires only. Leader Greg Biffle and the other top-five drivers all took on four tires. Grubb’s decision to go with two tires allowed Stewart off pit road first and he held the top spot for the final 30 laps for the victory. As a result, he now sits fourth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
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Courtesy of Jayski
www.jayski.com
NASCAR History: Oct. 7 — 1951: Herb Thomas wins his first NASCAR race from the pole, winning a 150-lap race on the 1-mile dirt of Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsboro, N.C. Leonard Tippett is second, a lap back, and Joe Eubanks is third, another lap back. Nineteen of Thomas’ 48 wins come from the pole.(NASCAR.com)
Michael Waltrip Racing will test Jarno Trulli and Mika Salo at International Speedway in Lakeland, Fl., the week prior to the NASCAR season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway. Trulli, 35, currently drives for Toyota in Formula One. He finished second last week in the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka and is currently eighth in the World Championship. Trulli’s sole F1 win came at the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix in 2004 while driving for Renault. After Trulli completes the F1 season on November 1 at Abu Dhabi, he will be fitted for his seat at MWR then join the organization to observe for the final three races. Trulli dropped in at Michigan Speedway last June to watch the Sprint Cup race. With the current uncertainty surrounding Toyota’s future in F1, it appears that Trulli is considering stock cars as a viable option. Salo, 42, competed in F1 from 1994 to 2002 and posted two podium finishes. In 2007, Salo won the GT2 class of the American Le Mans Series. He currently competes for a team that MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman has an interest in Europe.(FoxSports)(10-7-2009)
The new head of Dodge’s car brand says the manufacturer will continue its involvement in NASCAR. Ralph Gilles takes over the job from Mike Accavitti, who resigned after three months in the job. Accavitti’s resignation came amid another restructuring of Chrysler, which went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year. The new plan splits Dodge into two brands, one for cars and another for the Ram truck. Gilles becomes president and CEO of the Dodge brand, which competes in NASCAR.Gilles says development and marketing of Dodge vehicles still works through NASCAR participation.(Associated Press/ESPN.com)(10-7-2009)
Sorenson to run chicken scheme at Auto Club: Reed Sorenson drives the #43 Rosie’s Organic Chicken [link seems down] Dodge for Richard Petty Motorsports this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. Rosie was the first chicken in the United States to carry a certified organic label. Rosie is free range and humanely raised with no antibiotics on a 100% organic vegetarian diet with no animal by-products or GMOs as independently verified by Oregon Tilt, a third party certifier. Rosie is sold in a styro-foam free package that produces 73% less landfill and a reduced carbon footprint.(RPM Facebook), see an image of the scheme on my #43 Team Schemes page.(10-7-2009)
jayski.com/schemes/2009/43cup.htm#diecast
New sponsor for Allmendinger at ACS: A.J. Allmendinger Sorenson drives the #44 Dassault Systemes Dodge for Richard Petty Motorsports this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. Dassault Systemes (pronounced: duh-so-Systemes) is the second largest software company in Europe specializing in software that allows companies to create in 3-D. The Petty team along with nearly all Formula One teams use the Paris-based company’s software to design cars and components in virtual reality.(RPM Facebook), see an image of the scheme on my #44 Team Schemes page.(10-7-2009)
jayski.com/schemes/2009/44cup.htm
Jimmie Johnson Foundation on the #48: At Auto Club Speedway, Jimmie Johnson will drive a special #48 Jimmie Johnson Foundation/Lowe’s Impala. His helmet will feature the 12 charities selected for his Helmet of Hope initiative. The helmet will be auctioned off at the 3rd Annual Jimmie Johnson Foundation Dinner and Auction with the proceeds going to the San Diego Jimmie Johnson Foundation Championship Grants in partnership with Lowe’s Toolbox for Education.(GMR Marketings PR), see an image of the scheme on my #48 Team Schemes page.(10-7-2009)
jayski.com/schemes/2009/48cup.htm
Guitar Hero 5 Returns to the #1: Guitar Hero, returns to the track at Auto Club Speedway as primary sponsor of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates’ #1 Chevy driven by Martin Truex Jr. The paint scheme first debuted at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sept. 6, 2009, coinciding with the launch of the popular video game on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The video game returns as primary sponsor of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing for the seventh time this season after sponsoring Aric Almirola and the #8 Team for four races.(EGR PR), see an image of the scheme on my #1 Team Schemes page.(10-7-2009)
jayski.com/schemes/2009/1cup.htm
‘Regular Season’ Award being considered? Jim Hunter, Vice President of Communications for NASCAR was interviewed today on the ‘Bubba The Love Sponge Show’. Hunter spoke about the possibility of awarding the ‘regular season’ champion an award of some sort. Currently, NASCAR does not award points, money, or a trophy to the regular season champ. ‘Bubba the Love Sponge’ asked Hunter about the lack of recognition for the regular season champ and Hunter said NASCAR is looking in to it. Hunter’s did acknowledge that in recent weeks NASCAR has talked about a regular season award of some sort but they have not decided on what that award should be. Hunter said, “That’s something we are looking at doing for next year, we just haven’t decided what it will be.”(Captain Thunder)(10-7-2009)
Judge denies NASCAR request for rebuke of former Mayfield attorney: A U.S. District Court judge has ruled against NASCAR’s request to sanction a former attorney for suspended driver Jeremy Mayfield for an affidavit that misrepresented the background of a Texas drug-testing laboratory operator. Judge Graham Mullen in Charlotte also denied NASCAR’s request for Mayfield to pay for the sanctioning body’s defense against assertions tied to the affidavit. The affidavit was from Harvey MacFenerstein, who has said there were mistakes in his credentials and is no longer being used by the Mayfield legal team. In his ruling Tuesday on the circumstance surrounding the submission of that affidavit, Judge Mullen said [former Mayfield attorney John] Buric probed MacFenerstein’s qualifications, had reason to believe the qualifications MacFenerstein claimed to have were correct and his editorial oversight on whether MacFenerstein was a medical review officer was likely inadvertent and not serious enough for sanctions. The decision Tuesday does not impact the case schedule.(SceneDaily)(10-7-2009)
Biffle’s Team Claims Tissot Pit Road Award in Kansas: Greg Biffle’s crew won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway. It was the sixth win of the season for Biffle’s #16 crew, which leads in the Tissot standings. The crews for Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are tied for second with three wins each. The #16 crew earned $5,000 for the Kansas Tissot pit road win, lifting its season total to $30,000 in prize money. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race Sprint Cup schedule will receive a $100,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the crew and driver. Biffle’s 3M Ford Fusion spent the least amount of time on pit road in Kansas (215.890 seconds). The quick pit stops helped Biffle to a third-place finish in the Price Chopper 400 at the 1.5-mile oval. The #16 over-the-wall crew consists of: Todd Zeigler (front-tire changer), Colin Pasi (front-tire carrier), Kyle Power (rear-tire changer), Kevin McDowell (rear-tire carrier), Rodney Fetters (jackman), Billy Manchester (gasman), Ryan Dextraze (catch can) and Chris Elliott (windshield). The team’s pit crew coach is Andy Ward.(Tissot)(10-7-2009)
The cars of championship leaders Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson have passed a second NASCAR inspection. NASCAR inspected both the Hendrick Motorsports-owned cars after Sunday’s race in Kansas for a thorough inspection after the Chevys squeaked through a week earlier. The teams were warned they had nearly failed and were to not bring the cars to the track again. NASCAR also examined the car of race winner Tony Stewart, as is standard procedure. In addition, Kurt Busch’s car was randomly selected for inspection.(Associated Press)(10-6-2009)
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Courtesy of Racin’ Today
www.racintoday.com
Minter: Mistakes Mean One And Done in Chase
By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
Some random observations heading into Week Four of the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup:
www.racintoday.com/archives/10691
Woody: The Poor Get Poorer And The Rich Get Warned
I still don’t understand exactly what went down last week when NASCAR warned a couple of championship contenders that they were about to step out of bounds.
But I’ve got a sneaking suspicion.
I think what we saw was yet another case of NASCAR looking out for the rich & famous – the same NASCAR that earlier this year hammered the poor & unknown.
Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson got a “warning” from inspectors that their cars were ‘close to failing inspection.”
I wasn’t aware that NASCAR had an early-warning system. I thought a car was either legal or illegal. I didn’t realize there was a third category, “barely legal.”
www.racintoday.com/archives/10685
Monday Morning Crew Chief: JPM Stirring Things Up Again - www.racintoday.com/archives/10659
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Courtesy of www.Valvoline.com
Yes, He REALLY Said That
Jimmie Johnson, on racing at Dover. “For me, this is one of the closest tracks to off-road racing that we have on the circuit. You’re virtually airborne off in each corner, so I think that helps me some, and relates back to the vehicles I drove growing up.”
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P R E S S * R E L E A S E S
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I am looking for anyone that might have attended any of the Dover races from June 2005 - June 2009 and took pictures of a Long Haired Dachshund, named Squirt, in a #12 Ryan Newman autographed doggie jersey. For health reasons, I had to have Squirt put down on September 23, 2009, and I had a hard drive failure that has caused me to lose all my pictures.
I would appreciate any and all pictures sent to me at my email address, fargofan@excite.com.
Thank you,
Jeff Shockley,
Dover, Delaware
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KEVIN HARVICK INC. ANNOUNCES SEVENTH ANNUAL KEVIN HARVICK FAN CLUB GATHERING
Free Admission for Fan Club Members and General Public
KERNERSVILLE, NC. (October 6, 2009) Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) is proud to announce the seventh annual Kevin Harvick Fan Club Gathering on Saturday, October 24 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Kevin Harvick Inc. facility located at 703 Park Lawn Court in Kernersville, North Carolina.
This year’s event will feature an autograph session, for 2009 Fan Club members only, with 2007 Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick. Three-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday, the most successful motocross racer in history, Ricky Carmichael and KHI team co-owner DeLana Harvick will also participate in autograph sessions. A limited number of tickets are available for these sessions for Fan Club members only and attendees will be selected through a random ticket draw.
The Kevin Harvick Inc. race shop will be open for viewing, showcasing all three of KHI’s race teams. Fans can sample, view and collect information from a variety of displays including exhibits by: Longhorn Smokeless Tobacco, Rheem Manufacturing, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Shell, Reese’s, Coca Cola, Pinnacle Food Group, Charter Communications, Kroger/Procter & Gamble, Monster Energy drink, Nationwide Insurance, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, as well as a Victory Junction collection station for such items as paper plates, paper towels, blankets, and arts and craft items.
This year’s Fan Club Gathering festivities will include a Car and Specialty vehicle show featuring some of Harvick’s own commemorative collection, as well as a silent auction where fans can bid on authentic one-of-a-kind memorabilia.
The evening will be capped off with the Rheem Extreme Cake Challenge, a cake decorating competition, sponsored by Rheem Manufacturing. Audrey’s Specialty Cakes of Cornelius N.C. (www.specialtycakesonline.com) and Katiebelle’s of Charlotte N.C. (www.katiebelles.com) will face off to see who can build the most extreme cake inspired by KHI’s No. 33 Rheem Nationwide Series entry within the given time allotment. At the end of the evening each cake will be judged by Kevin and DeLana Harvick, a representative from Rheem and selected Fan Club Gathering attendees, with Rheem presenting the winner a check for $1,000. The cakes will then be cut for all attendees to enjoy.
Two hundred randomly selected Fan Club members will receive a coupon for a free sample of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches in their complimentary Fan Club goody bag. Other food products will be available for purchase including CiCi’s pizza, Starbucks coffee and hot chocolate and popcorn.
The Kevin Harvick Inc. souvenir trailer will also be on hand for fans to purchase merchandise to add to their Kevin Harvick and KHI collections.
The 2009 Kevin Harvick Fan Club Gathering is free for Fan Club members as well as the general public and will take place rain or shine! Parking for all attendees will be located at Dudley Cosmetology University Campus (Inn and Conference center, Cafeteria, Administration, Yeates Center and 1080 Building) between the hours of 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. The campus is located at 900 A-B East Mountain Street, Kernersville, N.C. 27284. There will be buses, including a handicapped accessible transporter, which will run every 15 to 20 minutes from the Dudley Cosmetology University Campus shuttling fans to the KHI facility.
Only Kevin Harvick Fan Club members will be able to attend Kevin’s autograph session. KHI will not be accepting new members for the 2009 Kevin Harvick Fan Club on site; however 2010 Fan Club memberships will be available for purchase at www.kevinharvick.com in November.
For more information about the seventh annual Kevin Harvick Fan Club Gathering please call 336-992-2998 or visit www.kevinharvickinc.com.
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David Ragan will be signing autographs at Speedzone (17871 Castleton Street, City of Industry, CA) on behalf of Discount Tire on Thursday, October 8th from 6-8 PM.
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Meet the Driver … Fans can meet Clint Bowyer on Thursday, Oct. 8 from 6 - 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time at the Stater Brothers Fan Fest located on the frontstretch parking lot of Auto Club Speedway. Bowyer will participate in a Q&A session and sign a limited number of autographs due to time constraints.
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Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date
GM: 983
Chevrolet: 648
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 694
Ford: 594
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Chrysler: 453
Dodge: 204
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 19
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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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QUICK NOTES
October 10, 2009
Auto Club Speedway
Copart 300
Race length: 150 laps/300 miles
Banking: 14-degrees in the turns
11-degrees on the frontstretch
3-degrees on the backstretch
Track layout: 2 miles
Shape: D-shaped Oval
Pre-Race Schedule:
Friday:
Final Practice: 4:05 p.m. – 6:25 p.m., ET
Saturday:
Qualifying: 12:00 p.m., ET
TV: The Copart 300 can be seen live on ESPN2 at 4:00 p.m., ET.
Radio: The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will broadcast the race live at 4:00 p.m., ET.
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Courtesy of www.FrontStretch.com
Today’s Top News
by Phil Allaway
49 Entered for the Nationwide event
On the Nationwide side of the garage, 49 teams have entered Saturday afternoon’s Copart 300. In addition to the 30 teams that are locked into the field, there are many part-timers that are not locked in that have sent in their entries:
- Xxxtreme Motorsports, which debuted back at Daytona in July, will field the No. 58 for Chase Austin. Sponsorship will be provided by Cavi Clothing and Macy’s. Previously, this team has partnered with SK Motorsports to field a car for Austin.
- Stanton Barrett returns to the Nationwide Series in the No. 31 Chevrolet for Rick Ware Racing. Sponsorship will be provided by Interush, in addition to the “Thrust Buster” drink from Circle K convenience stores, and by a new novel called “Family Affair,” written by Caprice Crane.
- Johnny Borneman’s No. 83 team returns to the track for the first time since Iowa in August. This will be the team’s eighth attempt of the year. Borneman has four starts this year in his No. 83, with a best finish of 16th at Iowa. He also failed to qualify for the first three races of the season driving a No. 22 for Trail Motorsports. In reality, the No. 22 was his No. 83 team rebadged because Trail Motorsports didn’t have the equipment to compete.
- Paul Menard is back for another attempt in the No. 98 Menards Ford, while Jeremy Clements will once again attempt the race in the No. 0 for JD Motorsports in what seems to be a joint venture between JD Motorsports and Clements’ family team.
- Jarit Johnson and Danny O’Quinn, Jr. are both entered for SK Motorsports, but have switched rides for the weekend — O’Quinn will be in the No. 07 while Jarit Johnson will be in the No. 44.
- Finally, Stott Classic Racing will make their ninth attempt of the year with Andy Ponstein in their No. 02 Chevrolet.
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Courtesy of Jayski
www.jayski.com
Brütal Legend on the #20: Brütal Legend, an action-adventure game developed by Double Fine Productions and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, will adorn the #20 Toyota this weekend along with GameStop.(JGR PR)(10-6-2009)
Cassadee Pope signing National Anthem at California: Singer/songwriter Cassadee Pope, of pop band Hey Monday fame, will perform the National Anthem prior to the NASCAR Nationwide Series race, the Copart 300 at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 10. Along with band members Mike Gentile, Alex Lipshaw, Jersey Moriarty and Elliott James, lead vocalist Pope, with her piercing vocals, recently finished up a headlining tour in the UK.(Auto Club Speedway PR)(10-6-2009)
300 starts for Bowyer: #29-Clint Bowyer will make his 300th career NASCAR start (includes NASCAR’s top-three national series) in Saturday’s 300-mile NNS event at Fontana. Since joining RCR in 2004, the Emporia, Kan., native has earned one NNS championship, along with 11 career NASCAR wins; two in the Sprint Cup Series, eight in the NNS and one in the Camping World Truck Series.(RCR PR)(10-6-2009)
Braun Going Pink at Lowes: Braun Racing announced that their entire organization will “go pink” for the upcoming Dollar General 300 in support of Dollar General-sponsored, IndyCar Series driver Sarah Fisher, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Brian Vickers and Reed Sorenson will trade in their traditional black and yellow #32 and #10 Dollar General Toyotas for a special pink paint scheme in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on October 16. Braun Racing teammate, Jason Leffler, and his primary sponsor, Great Clips, will also support the cause with a specially designed pink #38 Camry. Primary sponsor, Dollar General, and Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR), are supporting the fight against breast cancer by going pink at the previous week’s IndyCar Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 10. Fisher will be racing in a pink Dollar General car as part of her “On Track for a Cause” initiative.(Braun Racing PR)(10-6-2009)
Congrats: RAB Racing announces a new member of the team; Carsyn Abigayle Cavitt. She is the brand new baby girl of Jacquelyn Briscoe, the team’s VP of Business Operations, and Getty Cavitt born on Tuesday, October 6th. She weighed in at 8 lbs. 8oz and 21 inches.(RAB Racing)(10-6-2009)
Barrett back in the #31 at California: Stanton Barrett will pilot the #31 Rick Ware Racing car at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., on Oct. 10. The #31 will carry associate sponsorship from Bantam Books’ Family Affair, a newly released novel by Caprice Crane. Crane is a published novelist, screenwriter and TV writer. She currently writes for the re-launched TV show “Melrose Place” and has also written for “90210.” She is the daughter of legendary actress Tina Louise, best known as Ginger on “Gilligan’s Island.” “Melrose Place” star Shaun Sipos, who plays David Breck on the CW drama series, will attend the race as a guest of the #31 team. California-based Interush, a long-time supporter of Barrett, returns as an associate sponsor of the #31.(Stanton Barrett PR)(10-6-2009)
Wimmer in the #40 for rest of year: Scott Wimmer returns to the #40 StopRepairBills.com Chevy this weekend, and will remain behind the wheel of the Key Motorsports machine for the rest of the season. The Copart 300 at Auto Club Speedway will be Wimmer’s 22nd race of the year with Key Motorsports.(Key Motorsports PR)(10-6-2009)
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Courtesy of The Hot Lap
www.TheHotLap.com
No.9 news-RAB Racing is pleased to announce a new member of the team; Carsyn Abigayle Cavitt. She is the brand new baby girl of Jacquelyn Briscoe, the team’s VP of Business Operations, and Getty Cavitt born on Tuesday, October 6th. She weighed in at 8 lbs. 8oz and 21 inches. Brett Sumpter, RAB Racing’s mechanic/rear tire carrier is from the “Golden State”.. The 23-year-old moved to the east coast 2 years ago to work in racing and has been with RAB Racing for two seasons now. Brett’s hobbies include mountain biking, snowboarding and he most recently competed in his first triathlon, “Take Flight Triathlon” on Sunday, October 4th finishing 4th in his age group and 85th of over 700 competitors overall. (RAB) (10-06-09)
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AUTOGRAPH SESSION: The first 150 people to purchase a No. 33 Camping World diecast for $20 on October 10, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. until Noon, at the Camping World store located on track property at Auto Club Speedway will receive a ticket to the Kevin Harvick autograph session set to take place on Sunday, October 11, 2009, from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
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C A M P I N G * W O R L D * T R U C K * S E R I E S
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Courtesy of Jayski
www.jayski.com
Vitor Meira wishes to make it clear that he is not contemplating a move to NASCAR now. “I plan to run in the IndyCar Series as long as it possible to do so,” said Meira. “I love racing the Indy cars and I hope to do it for as long as I am able. The opportunity to test a truck along with Nelson Piquet Jr. came up and it sounded like fun. I thought I might be able to give Nelson some pointers on running an oval because this will be his first time on an oval track. Before I agreed to do it, I asked both A.J. and Larry Foyt about it, and they gave their permission. It doesn’t mean I’m looking to go NASCAR racing now because my priority is racing with A.J.’s team in the IndyCar Series. I’ve really enjoyed working with A.J., Larry, our sponsor ABC Supply and Honda Racing this year and I want to continue to work with them as long as they want me. And we have some unfinished business at Indy.”(Victor Meira PR)(10-6-2009)
White & GunBroker.com Racing readying for 2010: During an interview on the Sirius Speedway radio program, Jason White said that he and the GunBroker Racing team will be returning in 2010 and have already started preparing for the new season. The team, which formed just prior to the 2009 Daytona race, has worked hard to build a strong team, and Jason stated their goal for 2010 is to “finish in the top five in points and win a couple of races.”(10-5-2009)
Chris Lafferty to drive at Martinsville: October 24th at Martinsville will start a new chapter in Lafferty Motorsports history when team owner Chris Lafferty climbs behind the wheel of the #89 Chevy for his first race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck series. Since 2004 Lafferty Motorsports has fielded an entry on a part time basis with the hopes of competing full time in the years to come.(Lafferty Motorsports PR)(10-5-2009)
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Courtesy of TruckSeries.Com
www.truckseries.com
Aric Almirola Gaining Ground, Proving He Has What It Takes
10-05-2009 | TruckSeries.com Report
Aric Almirola As the season winds down, better keep an eye on Aric Almirola in the No. 15 Toyota. The Florida native might just be the next to wind up in Victory Lane.
www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/NCTS_09/articles/000013/001383.htm
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BRAZILIAN DRIVERS TO TEST FOR RED HORSE RACING
MOORESVILLE, N.C.(October 5, 2009) – Brazilian natives, Nelson Piquet, Jr. and Vitor Meira will test a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Toyota Tundra at Little Rock for Red Horse Racing. The one day test scheduled for Monday, October 12th, will be the first time behind the wheel of a stock car for Formula 1 driver, Nelson Piquet, and IndyCar Series driver, Vitor Meira.
Red Horse Racing will field two Toyota Tundras (both displaying #1) for Piquet and Meira to test on the short track at Rockingham Speedway. Red Horse Drivers Timothy Peters and TJ Bell will also be on hand to help the open wheel drivers acclimate to their first stock car test.
Just 24 years old, Nelson Piquet Jr. has already made a name for himself in several racing series around the globe. He experienced instant success in the South American Formula 3 Series, finishing fifth in the championship after running only half of the races in 2001. Piquet also became the youngest driver ever to win the British F3 title earning him recognition by the Formula 1 community. Piquet continued to impress in the Formula 1 feeder series, GP2. He earned one race win and four podium finishes in his first year. He followed up that season with a close run for the championship. He eventually finished second but his performance led to ING Renault signing him as a test driver for their F1 team in 2007. After a year as a test driver, Piquet got his chance to race in the F1 series alongside teammate Fernando Alonso. Piquet experienced two successful seasons in 2008 and 2009.
Vitor Meira started his racing career much the same way, in the South American Formula 3 Series where he earned eight victories en route to winning the championship in 2000. That same year he tested an IndyCar Series car for Panther Racing at Texas Motor Speedway. By 2003, Meira’s IndyCar Series career was in full swing. With each passing year, he has seen more and more success and has been a part of some of the most prestigious teams in the series including Team Menard, Rahal Letterman and Panther Racing. At the end of 2008, Meira’s stats were quite impressive. The 32 year old has earned more than 50 top-10 finishes in his IndyCar career which spans eight years, including runner-up finishes in the 2005 and 2008 Indianapolis 500’s.
Both Piquet and Meira plan to use this test with Red Horse Racing to evaluate a future career among the NASCAR ranks. Both extremely successful in their respective series, Piquet and Meira look forward to a new challenge. Pacific Mobile will be a sponsor of the test as they are also evaluating NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Racing.
“We look forward to helping Vitor Meira and Nelson Piquet make the transition into NASCAR,” said Red Horse Racing Owner, Tom DeLoach. “It’s not an easy thing to do to go from an open wheel background to racing stock cars but they are both immensely talented and have the ability to be successful in any series they chose to race in”
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A R C A (Automobile Racing Club of America)
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Courtesy of ARCA
www.arcaracing.com
ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship TBD at the Rock on Sunday
Justin Lofton and Parker Kligerman are the only two drivers mathematically eligible to earn the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship and just 15 points separate the two. Past precedence may be on point leader Lofton’s side as there are only two times in the past 20 years in which the point leader heading into the final event of the ARCA RE/MAX Series Season failed to clinch the title.
The most recent example occurred just last season when the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship Points Standings came down to the last race of the year at Toledo Speedway. Five drivers entered Championship Weekend with a mathematical chance to earn the title with Eddie Sharp Racing’s Scott Speed leading the standings by 90 points over Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and 110 points over Just Allgaier. Speed was the point leader at the conclusion of the nine consecutive races leading into Toledo but finished fifth in the final point standings after a series of on-track altercations between Speed and Stenhouse eliminated both from contention. Meanwhile, Allgaier won the Toledo race, his sixth of the season, to earn the 2008 championship for his Illinois-based family team by 50 points over Frank Kimmel.
In 1989, Bob Brevak entered the final event of the year 15 points ahead of Bob Keselowski but lost the title by 65 to Keselowski. In 1995 Bobby Bowsher and Andy Hillenburg were tied in the point standings heading into the 19th and final event of the year at Salem Speedway and Hillenburg clinched the title by 45 points.
The 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship will be determined in the American 200 at Rockingham Speedway on Sunday, October 11, 2009. The race is on SPEED at 10 p.m. Eastern.
Close Final Point Championships
Justin Allgaier over Frank Kimmel by 50 points in 2008
Tim Steele over Frank Kimmel by 90 points in 1997
Andy Hillenburg over Bobby Bowsher by 45 points in 1995
Bobby Bowsher over Bob Keselowski by 40 points in 1992
Bob Keselowski over Bob Brevak by 65 points in 1989
Bob Dotter over Bill Venturini by 25 points in 1984
Bob Dotter over Bill Venturini by 15 points in 1983
Larry Moyer over Marvin Smith by 10 points in 1981
Bob Dotter over Marvin Smith by 60 points in 1980
Marvin Smith over Moose Myers by 60 points in 1979
Marvin Smith over Delmar Clark by 35 points in 1978
Dave Dayton over A. Arnold by 80 points in 1976
Ron Hutcherson and Dave Dayton tied to form ARCA’s only co-championship team in 1974
Ramo Stott over Tom Bowsher by 30 points in 1971
Benny Parsons over Les Snow by 20 points in 1968
Iggy Katona over Nelson Stacy by 4.5 points in 1957
Kimmel Winless in 2009
Veteran ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Frank Kimmel, the all-time active winner in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, remains winless in 2009. Kimmel has won at least one race each consecutive race season since 1996 including two seasons with a career-high ten race wins in a single season in 2002 and 2001. The last time Kimmel acquired just a single victory in a race season was 1997. Overall, Kimmel has 74 career wins and is just five wins shy of tying Iggy Katona as the winningest driver in ARCA RE/MAX Series history. He has not made a trip to victory lane since Salem last year.
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U S A R (United Speed Alliance Racing)
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Courtesy of USAR
usarprocup.com
Mays MotorsportsTeams up with MS Society to Bring Awareness to Rockingham
www.usarprocup.com/?p=1109
Drivers Hungry For USAR Pro Cup Series WIX Challenge Award In 3rd Championship Race
www.usarprocup.com/?p=1103
Rockingham Official Entry List — Aaron’s 150 presented by Black’s Tire and Auto Service
www.usarprocup.com/?p=1099
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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/BW/100609.html
NASCAR Hall of Fame Freshman Class Embarrassingly Small
by Brian Watkins
Insider Racing News
insiderracingnews.com/Writers/AM/100609.html
Racer Profile: Lloyd Moore
by Allen Madding
The Nascar Insiders
Kudos To Joey Logano
I’ve taken a little grief from the readers regarding my post from last week about Joey Logano needing a short memory after wrecking big at Dover.
feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/I3eMWjwgUYQ/
Insider Racing News
insiderracingnews.com/Writers/CA/100709.html
The Chase Gets Better Every Week
by Chuck Abrams
The Nascar Insiders
Ask The Insiders Wednesday #44
feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/0K8eCB5Jfg8/
Cheers and Jeers: NASCAR, Kansas, Tony Stewart, and Chevrolet
www.racejournalonline.com/index.php?page=read&article=500
Pictures from Kansas! Click here!!
www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2040057&id=1316042712&l=8a45a79cf4
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T V * L I S T I N G S
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Courtesy of Race Fan TV
www.racefantv.com/
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7
5:00P-5:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, HD, L
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8
3:00P-4:00 SPEED NASCAR Camping World Touring Series West Toyota/Copart 150,All American Speedway, Roseville, CA, Sept 26/09, HD, N
5:00P-5:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, HD, L
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
2:30P-4:00 SPEED NASCAR Sprint Cup PRACTICE, Pepsi 500, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA, HD, L
4:30P-6:00 VS IRL IndyCar Series QUALIFYING, Firestone Indy 300, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL
5:00P-5:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, HD, L
6:00P-7:00 VS IRL Indy Lights Series, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL
6:30P-8:30 SPEED/TSN2 NASCAR Sprint Cup QUALIFYING, Pepsi 500, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA, HD, L
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10
12:00m-2:00A SPEED NASCAR Nationwide Series PRACTICE, Copart 300, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA, HD, SDD, N
1:00P-4:00 SPEED Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL, HD, L
3:00P-4:00 espn2 NASCAR Sprint Cup FINAL PRACTICE, Pepsi 500, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA, HD, L
4:00P-7:00 VS IRL IndyCar Series Firestone Indy 300, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL, HD, L
4:00P-4:30 espn2/TSN2 NASCAR Nationwide Series COUNTDOWN, Copart 300, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA, HD, L
4:30P-7:00 espn2/TSN2 NASCAR Nationwide Series Copart 300, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA, HD, L (expect green at 4:46P)
7:00P-10:00 TSN2 IRL IndyCar Series Firestone Indy 300, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL, HD
10:30P-12:30A espn2 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing QUALIFYING, Virginia Nationals, Richmond, VA, HD, SDD, N
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11
10:00A-11:00 espn2 NASCAR Now, pre-race, HD, L
12:30P-2:30 SPEED NASCAR RaceDay, preview of today’s Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway, HD, L
2:30P-6:30 SPEED American Le Mans Series The Monterey Sports Car Championships, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA, Oct 10/09, HD, N
2:30P-3:15 ABC/TSN2 NASCAR Sprint Cup COUNTDOWN, Pepsi 500, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA, HD, L
3:15P-7:30 ABC/TSN2 NASCAR Sprint Cup Pepsi 500, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA, HD, L (expect green at 3:31P)
7:00P-10:00 espn2 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing ELIMINATIONS, Virginia Nationals, Richmond, VA, HD, SDD, N
7:00P-8:00 SPEED The SPEED Report, HD, N
8:00P-9:00 SPEED NASCAR Victory Lane, Pepsi 500, Auto Club Speedway, HD, N
8:00P-9:00 HD Theater World Rally Championship, 2009 Rally Norway, Feb 13-15/09, HD, N
9:00P-10:00 SPEED Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, HD, L
10:00P-12:00m SPEED ARCA RE/MAX Series American 200, Rockingham Speedway, Rockingham, NC, SDD, N
10:00P-11:00 espn2 NASCAR Now, post-race, HD, L
We do not list all the programming offered by SPEED; for complete listings go to their website, www.speedtv.com/schedule/
Always CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS!
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The Stock Car Gazette
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Car Insurance Ford Mustangs for sale
