Mary’s World

Did you here that omg this is the last 9 or 8 days of school. YES I CAN NOT WAIT TILL LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

THE most played game right now is probly WEBKINZ!

you tell me what your fave game this week! Then tell me if you are going to any camps or not and tell me what camps you are going to!!!

Do you see people at the pool yet or at the arcades or any place else, i surely do just wait you will to!!

tell me what you are going to do the 104 days of summer!!

call me text me or message me later

I HOPE YOU MAKE THE WEEK LAST HA HA HA NOT!!

            I know Jr Nation doesn’t care weather Shrubby did it on purpose, or not. The Boos will come even if Kyle Busch apologizes or not. It’s going to get even worse..

Not much else on the spit for this weekend. Everyone call your mom, and kiss your wife for mother’s day on Sunday!!

Cup series: Darlington Raceway, Dodge Challenger 500, Sat. 5/10, 6 pm. Fox.

Nationwide Series: Darlington Raceway, Diamond Hill Plywood 200, Fri. 5/9, 6pm ESPN2.

Truck Series: Lowes Motor Speedway (Next Week), North Carolina Edu. Lotto 200, Fri. 5/16, 6:30pm Speed.

As always, News stolen from Jayski dot Com… www.jayski.com the mothership of all that is NASCAR!!!

 Qualifying Order for the Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway is posted. Go-or-go homers will qualify at the end of the session on Friday, May 9. 2008 at 5:15pm/et, once the top-35 drivers are done. The first of the top-35 drivers scheduled to go out is #15-Menard, the final top-35 driver scedhuled is #9-Kahne. The first go-or-go homer to go out [36th] is #21-Elliott, the final driver scheduled to qualify is #84-Allmendinger.

• The Second practice for the Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway is over, the the top five were:
  #84-Allmendinger 178.679
  #88-Earnhardt Jr. 178.640
  #22-Blaney 178.620
  #18-Busch 177.249
  #16-Biffle 176.676
  slowest: #17-Kenseth 171.441 and #10-Carpentier 172.457
  most laps run: #18-Busch 42; #9-Kahne, 41
  note: the track qualifying record is held by Ward Burton, in March 1996 [after the track was repaved the last time] 173.797mph
  incidents: #66-Riggs and #10-Carpentier both hit the wall during the session, but only Riggs will be forced to a backup car. #70-Sauter will also go to a backup car.(SceneDaily)
  See all the speeds on my Darlington Practice Speeds Page.(5-8-2008)
• Where did the non top-35 drivers [go-or-go-homers] run in the 2nd practice at Darlington
  if things stay the same, these drivers would make the race:
  #84-AJ Allmendinger, 1st
  #22-Dave Blaney, 2nd
  #78-Joe Nemechek, 6th
  #70-Johnny Sauter, 7th
  #40-Sterling Marlin, 8th
  #96-J.J. Yeley, 19th
  #34-John Andretti, 23rd
  #21-Bill Elliott, [would use past champ provisional] 43rd
  if things stay the same, these drivers would miss the race:
  #45-Kyle Petty, 37th
  #10-Patrick Carpentier, 44th
  See all the speeds on my Darlington Practice Speeds Page.(5-8-2008)
• Four Race Tracks Tony Stewart has never won a Cup race at: There are four current race tracks the Cup Series runs on that #20-Tony Stewart has not won at [a Cup race]:
  California 0 for 14 with a best finish of 4th in 1999 & 2001
  Las Vegas 0 for 10 with a best finish of 2nd in 2000
  Talladega 0 for 19 with a best finish of 2nd [6 times] in 2001,2002,2005,2006
  Darlington 0 for 15 with a best finish of 4th in 2001 & 2002
  Stewart has won at 18 of 23 tracks he has raced on, didn’t win at Rockingham which is no longer active for Cup racing

Dale Jr. Talks Openly about His Grief, Growth and New Gig In Latest ESPN The Magazine Cover Story: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. has spent the seven years since his fathers death learning how to live without him. In the cover story for ESPN The Magazine, All Grown Up, Dale Jr. talks in depth publicly for the first time about the pain of losing his dad, who was killed in a crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001. Writer Marty Smith reveals that since Junior left the family business, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (and affiliation with Dale Sr.s third wife Teresa Earnhardt), for NASCAR juggernaut Hendrick Motorsports this season, hes finally feeling like himself again. “When my dad died, I was numb, blind. I just kept moving. Going. Doing. It was horrible. The further away from it I get, the more I understand how I went through it. Dale Earnhardt Jr. I didnt talk about it because it wasnt something I wanted to preach. Oh, I lost my Daddy, woe is me, and I gotta go through life without him. I didnt want that message. I aint got nothing against her. She might have something against me, I dont know.” (Dale Earnhardt Jr. regarding Teresa Earnhardt, who declined to be interviewed for the story.) ESPN The Magazine was granted exclusive access to Juniors property and Whiskey River, the replica Wild West town hes built on his 200 acres of land in North Carolina. The issue is on newsstands Wednesday, May 7. ESPNthemag.com will exhibit a complementary photo gallery and a behind the story by Smith, who lost his own father while writing the piece on Dale Jr. See the full story at ESPNthemag.com.(5-7-2008)

Hendrick Motorsports reopens museum: Check out Rick Hendrick’s first Chevrolet. Watch a dissected Impala SS “Car of Tomorrow” being pieced together. See the cars and memorabilia of Casey Mears, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. These are just a few things visitors can do now that Hendrick Motorsports has reopened its museum. The 15,000-square-foot facility, which was closed the last four months for renovations, pays tribute to nearly 25 seasons of Hendrick Motorsports history and offers fans the latest in team-related apparel and merchandise. Admission to the museum is free of charge. Throughout the year, the museum will exhibit a rotating stable of famous Chevrolets — such as an original All-Star Racing entry, multiple Daytona 500 champions and the inaugural Brickyard 400 winner. Featured currently are cars driven by Geoff Bodine, Tim Richmond, Ken Schrader and Ricky Hendrick, among others. Visitors will be met at the entrance by the Monte Carlo SS that Johnson drove at Homestead-Miami Speedway to clinch the 2007 Sprint Cup Series title. The Hendrick Motorsports museum is open to the public from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visitors can find special announcements, extended race-week hours, driving directions and additional information related to the museum at www.HendrickMotorsports.com.(

Stewart gives few hints about future: #20-Tony Stewart returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday to help Chevrolet unveil its new midget-car engine, an appearance that prompted another round of questions about Stewart’s plans and whether they might include IndyCars. “There’s a part of me that thinks running at Indy and in IndyCar is a chapter of my life that is closed,” he said. “Then there is the emotional part of me that says, ‘Never say never.’ I don’t know if I’ll ever get in an IndyCar again, but if that happens, it’s going to be a long way down the road because I have a lot of commitments on the NASCAR side.” Stewart has been running with Joe Gibbs Racing since 1998, and his current contract doesn’t expire until the end of next season. Yet he’s already fielding offers from other teams and said last month he had discussed terminating the deal early, depending on which offer he accepts. Some of those offers also include ownership of a team. Many believe Stewart, who turns 37 on May 20, is looking to move in part because he has long ties to Chevrolet, one of the Cup series’ manufacturers. JGR is now using Toyotas, and Stewart remains winless this season after winning 32 times in his first nine years on the Cup circuit. While Stewart acknowledged he considered Chevy’s deal with his own open-wheel teams a personal endorsement, he brushed off the suggestion that he was upset with driving a Toyota. “It wasn’t weird when we started the program,” he said. “It wasn’t weird then, and it’s not weird now. When we started our (open-wheel) program, Mopar provided us with engines and both sides understood.” As so often happens when the Indiana native visits the speedway, however, the discussion quickly turned to one of his favorite subjects — the Indy 500 — and whether he would still like to race here. The answer: Only if it’s a full-time gig in the IRL. “If I was going to come to Indianapolis again, I don’t want to come and show up for the month of May,” he said. “If I am going to do it, I need to start at Homestead. I need to run all of the races leading up to the month of May to really feel like I am being fair to the team and being fair to myself. … As long as I’m driving a stock car, that basically takes that part of it out of the equation.”(Associated Press/ESPN)(5-8-2008)

Darrell Waltrip Racing Experience to open in Fall of 2008: Belle Island Village – along with three-time Cup Champion and FOX Sports analyst Darrell Waltrip and fellow motor sports veteran Jeff Hammond – announced key components of the Darrell Waltrip Racing Experience, scheduled to open in fall 2008 at Belle Island’s themed development, located in the heart of Pigeon Forge, TN. The new $5 million, 27,000-square-foot racing-themed attraction promises to place visitors in the driver’s seat with diverse and highly interactive components to showcase the racing experience from all vantage points of today’s motor speedway. Included in the Darrell Waltrip Racing Experience, visitors will find:
* a variety of racecar simulators integrating virtual reality
* competition remote-controlled cars that race around a mini-Bristol Motor Speedway replica
* an interactive theater and a soundstage with an actual studio-quality media set, hardwired to allow either live television production with editing capabilities or guests’ interactive fun, such as seeing what it is like to sit in Darrell Waltrip’s studio chair on race day
* interactive pit crew area with images of Darrell Waltrip and his former Crew Chief Jeff Hammond
* both permanent and rotating exhibits, such as a variety of actual stock cars that have won racing events
* an exhibit that commemorates the history of stock car racing
* an “Infield Experience”
* a gift shop and a Victory Lane arcade with the latest in NASCAR and racing-related games
“Anyone who isn’t a die-hard racing fan when they get here will be when they leave,” Waltrip said. “We’re making sure this place is a true ‘experience,’ including the sights, sounds, smells, atmosphere, motion and intensity of racing that give people an opportunity to know what it feels like to be part of a real stock car race, from a lot of different perspectives.” According to Waltrip, it will take the average guest approximately two and a half hours to see all of the attraction, given the range of components within the facility. More info at belleisland.com/dwre.htm.(PR)(5-8-2008)

Fuel Prices hitting Race teams too: As gas prices soar across the country, the thought of paying $6.25 a gallon would make any consumer cringe. Yet that’s what it costs in NASCAR, where race teams use a special Sunoco 260 GTX unleaded fuel to fill their cars. Although the gas is free — part of Sunoco’s agreement as NASCAR’s official fuel supplier — it doesn’t mean car owners and drivers aren’t feeling the pain at the pump. “It affects all of us, anybody that’s in business,” said car owner Richard Childress. “Getting our cars to the racetracks costs a ton in gas money for the haulers. Bringing our people to the tracks, the rising costs of jet fuel. It’s very, very expensive to do what we’re doing.” Childress, owner of a highly successful race team, isn’t complaining. Nor are the drivers who pull in multimillion dollar salaries and don’t flinch at $85 fill-ups on their luxury SUV’s. But no one in NASCAR is immune to the weakening economy and rising costs on fuel. Just because they can afford it, doesn’t mean they aren’t feeling the pinch. Under Sunoco’s deal with NASCAR, teams are provided free fuel at any sanctioned test, practice or race for all three top divisions. A company spokeswoman said it’s impossible to determine just how much fuel is used per weekend because of fluctuations in schedules, weather and the teams’ practice times each week. When teams tested earlier this week at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, their gas was once again free. But the good teams test a lot, traveling all over the South to facilities not sanctioned by NASCAR. Sunoco doesn’t cover those all-day sessions, and a race team typically brings a 55-gallon drum of gas to get them through the test. Even so, there are critics who complain that NASCAR races are dipping into the national supply. But NASCAR officials claim the amount of fuel being used — less than 175,000 gallons per year on the Sprint Cup Series — doesn’t come close to the 366 million gallons that Americans average in daily usage. So NASCAR has no current plans to shorten races, as it did in the early 1970s when OPEC hoarded oil to increase prices, causing long lines at the pumps.
But the pain is still felt away from the track, where teams have noticed a significant increase in transportation costs. From sending diesel-chugging haulers across the country to transport the race cars, to the exorbitant jump in jet fuel, costs are soaring in simply getting drivers, crews and equipment to each event. With diesel fuel now over $4.00 a gallon, and each hauler holding roughly 300 gallons, fill-ups now cost more than $1,200 for a truck that only gets between 4.5 and 7.5 miles per gallon. The real pinch, though, comes in jet fuel. Many team owners shuttling crew members, and drivers flying private planes on weekends, are considering cutting down on the luxuries. Many drivers own their own planes and use them for personal and professional travel. But at about $4.30 a gallon, Carl Edwards estimated it costs him $2,000 a trip to fill his airplane — not worth it for a spur-of-the-moment vacation. Many also consider themselves lucky to be at the highest level of racing. Fuel isn’t free outside of NASCAR, and as high as the ARCA level, teams are paying for gas to get to the track and once they get there.(in part from the Associated Press/ESPN)(5-8-2008)

• Wood Brothers Racing Brings Back Mercury Paint Scheme: Wood Brothers Racing will be placing its 1971 Mercury paint scheme on the #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion in Darlington this weekend for the Dodge Challenger 500 on Saturday night, May 10th. Bill Elliott will drive the #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion with the vintage paint scheme. The candy apple red and white COT with the signature gold numbers will commemorate a time in Wood Brother’s racing history when David Pearson drove the #21 to five wins and eight pole starting positions at Darlington Raceway. The #21 Purolator Mercury moved back into the racing scene when Leonard Wood recently restored the race car that was housed in the Darlington Raceway Museum for over 30 years. David Pearson and Carl Edwards brought modern and classic race cars together again in a media event for the newly surfaced raceway in April. Pearson made laps in the original Mercury as Carl Edwards followed in the new COT style race car. Leonard Wood stood by and buckled Pearson in, as he did as Pearson’s crew chief years ago. Scenes of the special feature will air during the pre-race show NASCAR Raceday on Speed Saturday, May 10th at 5:00pm/et.(Wood Brothers Racing)(5-7-2008) Comment here
• Marlin back in the #40; Franchitti update: Former CGRFS driver Sterling Marlin will drive the #40 Dodge Challenger in this Saturday night’s Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway, while its full-time driver Dario Franchitti continues to recover from a race injury he received in the NNS event at Talladega Superspeedway last month (April 26). At this time, Marlin is confirmed to drive for CGRFS at Darlington only. He raced full-time for CGRFS when the team started in 2001 and drove for CGRFS from 2001-2005 tallying 172 starts, four wins, three poles, 24 top-fives, 57 top-10s and led a total of 1,444 laps. Marlin also tested the #40 Monday and Tuesday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway
  Franchitti Update: Dario Franchitti, full-time driver of the #40 CGRFS Dodge, will sit out this weekend’s NSCS race at Darlington Raceway. Franchitti was fitted for a carbon fiber brace last week but will take another weekend off to give his ankle more time to heal. His status behind the wheel of the #40 Dodge will continue to be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

• Armed Forces Unite for Major Military Tribute by NASCAR Drivers: Six Sprint Cup drivers and two Nationwide Series drivers will lead all NASCAR fans in the USO Salute the Troops Memorial Day tribute to the armed forces on Saturday, May 24th, and Sunday, May 25th, at Lowe’s Motor Speedway to kick off a nationwide effort to raise funds for military families worldwide. All will drive specially designed cars supporting branches of the military. Participating drivers include #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr., #24-Jeff Gordon, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #07-Clint Bowyer, #8-Mark Martin, #21-Jon Wood, Brad Keselowski, Cale Gale and NHRA’s Tony Schumacher. Several of those drivers, including Mark Martin, Jon Wood and Brad Keselowski were at Lowe’s Motor Speedway today for the unveiling of the special cars. Distinguished members of the military kicked off the Salute the Troops tribute in grand style with a military color guard presentation and the presentation of the cars that will run in the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300, Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day and the O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals the previous weekend to show their support for America’s armed forces. The USO Salute the Troops program hopes to raise funds for American military families in need through the effort. The NASCAR and NHRA team owners, sponsors, drivers and employees donated the space on their cars to collectively thank the armed forces at the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300, Coca-Cola 600 and O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Diecast models and officially licensed merchandise of the participating drivers will be available for sale through Motorsports Authentics. “It is an honor for Motorsports Authentics to be a part of this program with Speedway Motorsports, General Sadler, Victory Management and the teams,” said Mark Dyer, president of Motorsports Authentics. “All of the men and women serving selflessly in the military are heroes and we recognize their immense sacrifice. This is a great opportunity to recognize, celebrate and support them in a meaningful way. Our sincere hope is that people will come out in force to show their support of this program and to help the heroes among us.” Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Motorsports Authentics, Victory Management Group and the NASCAR and NHRA teams and their respective sponsors developed the program. JHE Productions and Lowe’s Motor Speedway will collaborate to create a fantastic pre-race tribute presentation. Two major organizations will work together to promote the Salute the Troops Memorial Day Tribute and support the event’s fundraising efforts: The USO and Speedway Children’s Charities.(PR) see images of the cars on my Team Schemes pages: #88, #24, #48, #07, #8 and #21 plus the #88 NNS Team Schemes page and #77 NNS Team Schemes page.(5-7-2008) Comment here
• Big Red back on the #42: Wrigley’s Big Red brand will once again adorn the hood of the #42 Dodge Charger that Juan Pablo Montoya will pilot at Darlington Raceway this weekend. This will be the third race for the Big Red paint scheme this season.(CGRFS) see images of the scheme on my #42 Team Schemes page.(5-7-2008)
• Jack is back on the #07: After a three-race hiatus, Clint Bowyer’s #07 Chevy returns to its traditional black and white Jack Daniel’s paint scheme this weekend at Darlington. Jack Daniel’s will be the primary sponsor on RCR’s #07 entry for the remainder of the 2008 schedule with the exception of Dover in June and Watkins Glen in August when DIRECTV will assume the primary sponsorship position.(RCR)(5-7-2008)
• Harvick approaching DNF record: #29-Kevin Harvick has not recorded a DNF in 54 consecutive races, which is the longest active streak. Harvick holds the modern era (1972-present) record with 58 consecutive races without a DNF (10/3/2002-8/1/2004).(RCR)(5-7-2008)

Testing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway is over: Sprint Cup testing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway ended Tuesday evening, with 51 cars running laps, the fastest was #26-McMurray at 185.720mph in a Ford followed by the Dodge of #12B-Newman, the Toyota of #84-Allmendinger, #66B-Riggs in a Chevy and the Dodge of #10-Carpentier. There were six minor incidents during the 10 hours of testing. A.J. Allmendinger, Robby Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt Busch each brushed the yellow outside SAFER barriers. All five cars received only minor damage and each driver was able to drive back to the garage area. Regan Smith was a double-dipper, making contact with the outside wall twice. He was able to drive into the garage following each fender-bender.(LMS PR)

• Toyota staying out of Stewart negotiations: Toyota officials don’t want to lose #20-Tony Stewart to another manufacturer, but they won’t get involved in negotiations to keep the two-time Sprint Cup champion at Joe Gibbs Racing after his contract expires in 2009. “We’re not a company that gets in the middle between owners and drivers,” Lee White, the general manager of Toyota Racing Development, said before Saturday’s race at Richmond International Raceway. “If there is a manufacturer out there that is spearheading or brokering or promoting an activity like this, I can promise you it will not be Toyota. We don’t consider that to be our role in the garage.” There has been speculation that Chevrolet is behind a move to lure Stewart, who uses the manufacturer for his Sprint car organization, to CNC Haas Racing. Part-ownership of the team also is on the table, which Stewart has acknowledged. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say Tony really likes to win,” White said. “I think Tony’s best opportunity to win races, multiple races, and continue to threaten for championships is right where he is.”(ESPN.com)(5-4-2008) Comment here
• Logano wins ARCA race at Rockingham: Joey Logano, in the #25 Venturini Motorsports-prepared Joe Gibbs Racing Oil-Gresham & Associates Chevy, led 257 of 312 laps to conquer the “Rock” in his career-first ARCA RE/MAX Series start in the Carolina 500 at Rockingham Speedway. Logano also earned the Aaron’s Lap Leader award for leading the most laps. Outside of a late-race wrestling match with Ken Schrader and mid-race battle with Michael Annett and Matt Hawkins, Logano had nary a challenger during the 500 kilometer/312-mile race.(more info and results at ARCARacing.com)(5-4-2008)

Another Impound race, and another damn weekend “WITHOUT A TRUCK RACE!!!I’ll be ready when we can “ThreePeat” every weekend, and when I can slow down and concentrate on some NASCAR News for you guys!!

Between Dale Jr’s hook up and pushing the limits of the track and the cars, he was pushing the 210 mph barrier. It looked like it was Denny Hamlins/Dale Jr./Tony Stewart’s race to win. Stewart kisses the wall and gets caught up in the bigger of “Big” one. Hamlin eats what he had been dishing out all day and gets dumped to a 3^rd place Finnish, and Jr. Pushing the Crown Royal car of Jamie McMurry on to Victory… But he fell short by 9 spots. www.jayski.com The NASCAR Mothership!!!!

Not a bad day for all. It was good to see Juan Pablo’s Yellow banana come in 2^nd, and David Reagan, Bryan Vickers, Travis Kvapil, Casey Mears and Ryan Newman all get to Ten’s since we don’t usually see them up that far. The sad story of the day was #55 of Waltrip. Poor Michael was in the Cat Bird seat on the last restart, but in post race interviews he thinks his blown Toyota engine was what spun his teammate McDowell’s 00′on the white flag lap. They came in 26^th and 27^th.

Ron Hornaday wins from the Pole @ Kansas, and coming in second was his team mate Jack Sprague.

On to Richmond!!!!

Sprint Cup Series: Richmond Int’ Raceway Crown Royal’s Dan Lowary 400 Saturday 5/03 7pm Fox

Nation Wide Series: Richmond Int’ Lipton TEA 250 Friday 5/02 7pm ESPN2.

Truck Series: Lowe’s Motor Speedway, North Carolina Edu. 200, Friday 05/16, “3 weeks”

News from “The Silly Season”

Kyle Busch wins at Talladega: #18-Kyle Busch won the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, for his 2nd win of 2008 and 6th of his career. The race ended under caution when there was a semi-big wreck on the last lap [once the white flag is thrown, NASCAR does not do a Green-White-Checker]. It is the 8th time since the ‘Lucky Dog’ rule went into effect at Dover in Sept 2003 that a driver who has received the Lucky Dog/Lap Back pass has gone on to win the Cup race. Busch now has seven NASCAR victories this season: two in Sprint Cup, three Nationwide and two in the Craftsman Truck Series. Finishing 2nd was #42-Montoya [his best oval finish] followed by #11-Hamlin, #6-Ragan, #83-Vickers, #28-Kvapil, #5-Mears, #12-Newman, #07-Bowyer and #88-Earnhardt Jr. #7-Robby Gordon finished 11th. #20-Stewart wrecked late and ended up 38th, #99-Edwards lost a tire and smacked the wall, finishing 40th. There were 8 caution flags for 23 laps and there were 52 lead changes among 20 drivers.

REVISED UNOFFICAL Drivers Points Standings [after Talladega race 9 of 36]:
1) #31-Jeff Burton 1347 [1 win]
2) #18-Kyle Busch 1325 -22 [2 wins]
3) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1268 -79
4) #11-Denny Hamlin 1248 -84 [1 win]
5) #48-Jimmie Johnson 1245 -102 [1 win]
6) #29-Kevin Harvick 1208 -139
7) #07-Clint Bowyer 1182 -165
#16-Greg Biffle 1148 -199
9) #20-Tony Stewart 1137 -210
10) #99-Carl Edwards 1084 -263 [would be 7th if no 100pt penalty][3 wins]
11) #12-Ryan Newman 1062 -285 [1 win]
12) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya 1029 -318
other chase contenders
13) #9-Kasey Kahne 1028 -1pt out of 12th
14) #24-Jeff Gordon 1018 -11
15) #6-David Ragan 994 -35
15) #83-Vickers 994 -35

DEI picks up option on Truex, good thru 2009: When there’s been talk about potential free agents for 2009, #1-Martin Truex, Jr. has had his name passed around in more than one story or conversation. There’s one hitch. His current deal with Dale Earnhardt Inc is good through next season according to team president Max Siegel. “We have an option that we’ve picked up for 2009, so that’s always reported in a confusing way. We love Martin and we’re having discussions about extending it for a long-term deal, but we’re good through 2009. He’s important to our organization…we’re giving him everything we possibly can and what he needs to win and be happy here long term.” Siegel also thinks the on track performance of all four DEI cars is on the upswing. “I think we’re making significant progress. The #15 team’s performance on a weekly basis is indicative of how we’ve elevated the program. We’ve got to stay very patient and focused. If you look at the #1 team and the #8…we’re doing great…got some consistency with our engines and the energy is just fantastic

More testing at Nashville this week: Arriving just days after Talladega, big name teams will be at the Nashville Superspeedway for two days of testing, Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday, April 30. Scheduled to test are Hendrick Motorsports (Chevy) with four cars, drivers TBD; #22-Dave Blaney of Bill Davis Racing (Toyota); #01-Reagan Smith of Dale Earnhardt Inc (Chevy); Haas CNC Racing (Chevy) one car driver TBD; #96-Hall of Fame Racing (Toyota) driver TBD; Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) with one car, driver TBD; and David Stremme testing for Penske Racing (Dodge).(Nashville Superspeedway)(4-28-2008)

7th Annual Dale Earnhardt Day Set for Tuesday, April 29: Dale Earnhardt Inc. will host the seventh annual Dale Earnhardt Day at its corporate headquarters in Mooresville, N.C. on Tuesday, April 29th. The event, which celebrates the birth date of the seven-time NASCAR Champion, also serves as a major benefit for the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, with a percentage of the event’s merchandise sales being donated to the Foundation. The event, which is themed “Behind the Legend, He was One of Us,” will run from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. and will feature a variety of activities and displays for the entire family. Personal photos, mementoes and trophies highlighting Dale’s personal & professional life through the decades of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, will be on hand at the event.(DEI) more info on my Racing Charities page.(4-17-2008)
ESPN’s “NASCAR Now” To Broadcast Live from Dale Earnhardt Day: ESPN’s “NASCAR Now” will broadcast a special one-hour show live from Dale Earnhardt Inc. on Tuesday, April 29 from 6-7pm/et. The show will highlight Tuesday’s annual Dale Earnhardt Day event that honors the birthday of the seven-time NASCAR Champion and serves as a major benefit for the Dale Earnhardt Foundation. The show will be on hand for the event, which runs from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. and will feature a variety of activities and displays for the entire family, and will originate live from the location at 6 p.m. There will be an official ceremony at 3 p.m. with ESPN’s Dr. Jerry Punch serving as the event’s official emcee. In addition, Dale Earnhardt Inc drivers will be on hand to sign autographs at different times during the event. In addition to ESPN, Tanner in the Morning of Charlotte, N.C.’s WSOC-FM 103.7 will host a live radio broadcast from 6-10 a.m., Sirius Satellite Radio will be on hand in the afternoon and Primetime with the Packman from Charlotte’s WFNZ-AM 610 will broadcast live from the event from 3-7 p.m.(DEI)(4-28-2008)

Restrictor Plate Competition Up…Again: The new car matched – and exceeded – the boom in competition from the last visit to a restrictor plate track (February’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway). There were 52 lead changes among 20 drivers during Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. The Daytona 500 saw similar numbers – 42 lead changes among 16 drivers. Sunday’s 20 different leaders is tied for eighth all-time in Sprint Cup Series competition. The 52 lead changes topped both Talladega races from last season. In the 2007 spring race, there were 42 lead changes; in the fall contest, there were 41. There was also a jump in Green Flag Passes for the Lead, a Loop Data statistic that accounts for lead changes all around the track (not only at the start/finish line). Sunday’s race saw 84 Green Flag Passes for the Lead, compared to 67 during the last race held at Talladega.(NASCAR)(4-28-2008)

Ownership not an option at JGR for Stewart: If #20-Tony Stewart wants to become a NASCAR team owner, he’ll have to do it somewhere other than Joe Gibbs Racing. J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR, said Sunday that co-ownership at Gibbs is not an option for Tony Stewart, but other options are available. “Our [ownership] deal is set the way it is,” Gibbs said. “But we could do some stuff to help him get started with his own team if that’s what he really wanted.” Stewart said earlier in the week that he is interest in becoming a Sprint Cup team owner. He also said Haas/CNC Racing has offered that option while allowing him to drive for them. But Stewart is under contact with JGR through the 2009 season. Gibbs said they have no intention of ending the relationship with Stewart before the contract expires. The deal with Home Depot, the primary sponsor of the #20 Toyota Stewart drives, also goes through 2009.(ESPN.com)(4-27-2008)

Well, a week of big hair bitching, down under apologies and the rumor that overshadowed it all.

Well, I myself have lost all respect for Borris Said. The No Fear #25 needed some “wine” with his chease, even on Tuesday on ESPN’s NASCAR Now program, the fluffy headed Fruitcake was still unapologetic to Kinsford’s #59 Ambrose.  Ambrose apologised numerouse times durring the show, but said if Borris wanted to pick a beaf he’s got the wrong guy. Expect more from these two.

Stewart seems to have let it be known he might want out of his last year at JGR, and the followup is he might be looking at 51% ownership of Haas CNC Racing. Who knows what this is gonna wind up to be, but why would a guy want to leave a top team to go and buy into a race team that can’t even stay in the top 35?? Time will tell on this one…

Put the dial on Speed today and leave it. Practice and qualifying all day, and if you miss any it starts over at 7pm tonight.

Schedules:

Sprint Cup: Talladega Superspeedway Aaron’s 499 Sunday 4/27 Noon, FOX.

Nationwide: Talladega Superspeedway Aaron’s 312 Saturday 4/26 1:30, ESPN2.

Truck Series: Kansas Speedway O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 Saturday 4/26 4:30, Speed.

The News from Jayski dot COM. http://www.jayski.com/

Stewart to leave JGR? UPDATE 3 statements Gibbs and Stewart: Sources tell Sports Illustrated that #20-Tony Stewart is working on the final stages of a deal to move from Joe Gibbs Racing to Haas CNC next season. Considering the ramifications of such a move, no one’s admitting anything quite yet, as you’d expect. When reached for comment, Haas CNC Racing spokesman Ron Mench claims there’s been no communication between Stewart and the organization. Stewart’s PR spokesman Mike Arning was noncommittal (“I’ve heard what you’ve heard,” when asked about Haas CNC) but he reminded SI [Sports Illustrated] that Stewart’s contract with Gibbs runs through the 2009 season. “He’s there this year and he’s there next year,” claimed Arning. “And I know for a fact that JGR is interested in retaining Tony for ‘10 and beyond. They’d like him to retire at Joe Gibbs Racing. As Tony’s said many times, ‘Nothing’s broke. Why change it?’ Tony’s going to have a lot of options in front of him; why wouldn’t he? But I don’t see [an early out happening] … everyone is going to live up to the terms of the contract that runs through ‘09.” However, sources are adamant that not just the talking, but deal-making is already taking place for Stewart to go elsewhere. And, while sometimes a formidable opponent, contracts can be easily bought out, as Jamie McMurray and Kurt Busch have shown us in recent years.(Sports Illustrated)(4-23-2008)
UPDATE: Tony Stewart has begun discussion with Joe Gibbs Racing officials about his future with the company, ESPN.com has learned. And that future, sources say, is questionable. Multiple sources close to the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity said Stewart told Gibbs officials that he’d like to be released from the final year of his current driving contract, which expires at the conclusion of the 2009 season. “He definitely has some options,” JGR president J.D. Gibbs said. “To me it’s no different than any of the the options he’s had before. The reality is he’s racing here through 2009. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about that one. Our stance is he’s racing for us through 2009.” Stewart’s publicist, Mike Arning, said “Tony’s contract is through the 2009 season. When that is up he’ll have a lot of options for 2010 and beyond. But in terms of what he’s going to do, or might do, for now and in between, as far as JGR is concerned he’s their driver for 2009.” Sources said Stewart is intrigued by the thought of team ownership. One potential scenario mentioned was a partnership with Haas/CNC Racing, under which Stewart would own as much as a 50% stake in the race team that currently fields the #66 and #70 Chevys. Under that scenario he would drive one of those two machines. Haas GM Joe Custer said he has spoken with several people about the future status of his team, including Stewart’s group. He was adamant that his team has reached no deal with Stewart, but would “by all means be interested in discussing a partnership with a driver of his caliber.” Such a move would reunite Stewart with Chevrolet, which sources said was of the utmost importance to the driver, given that he’s driven for General Motors for most of his career, and that GM sponsors Stewart’s open wheel sprint car program. Gibbs switched to Toyotas from Chevrolets in 2008. Haas/CNC Racing currently fields cars built and powered by Hendrick Motorsports, the organization that has won four Cup championships in the past 10 years, including the past two.(ESPN.com)
UPDATE 2: The following is a statement from J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, regarding the contract status of driver Tony Stewart: “There has been much speculation regarding the future of our driver, Tony Stewart. Tony is currently here through 2009, and from a Joe Gibbs Racing standpoint, we hope he drives for us longer than that and retires here. Tony is a great partner and a huge asset to Joe Gibbs Racing. Right now, we are focused on winning races and winning the next two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships under his current contract.”(Joe Gibbs Racing/True Speed Communication)(4-24-2008)
UPDATE Stewart speaks: Tony Stewart has several different offers to leave Joe Gibbs Racing, and he is considering every option – including ones that could make him the owner of his own NASCAR team. “We’ve got multiple offers on the table right now, and there’s a couple in particular that really have caught our interest,” Stewart told reporters Thursday after Nationwide Series practice at Talladega Superspeedway. “We haven’t made a 100% decision yet on what we’re going to do, but we’re going to look at all the options. And the options are exciting, all the way around.” Stewart’s deal with JGR runs through 2009, and he said last summer he was interested in signing an extension with the team he’s driven for since 1998. But contract talks moved slowly, with Stewart saying in January he was in no rush to get a deal done. Stewart said Thursday he has not ruled out staying with JGR, but when he began negotiating a new contract, other teams approached him with new opportunities. The same thing happened back in 2003, when Stewart was able to leverage several deals – including one from Chip Ganassi – to secure a more lucrative contract with Gibbs. “A wise person told me it never cost a dime to listen, so right now we’re all ears,” Stewart said of the latest offers. “Right now it’s just a matter of figuring out what we want to do, and being smart. We’ve had a great run at Joe Gibbs Racing. It doesn’t mean it’s over. We’re just going to look at everything that’s out there.” Stewart said Thursday he has informed Gibbs officials of his offers, and there were discussions of potentially leaving the team early depending on what deal he agreed to. But he said “a couple offers” included ownership, and the thought of running his own team excited him. Stewart said he has not discussed owning a portion of JGR with owner Joe Gibbs. “Right now we’ve not asked to be released out of our contract,” he said. “They know there are other offers on the table and we’ve said, `What if this is the case? And what if this is presented to us? Is there a possibility we could be released from our contract early?’ But we have not asked to be released from our contract.” Cary Agajanian, who represents Stewart through the Motorsports Management Int. agency, cited the sensitivity of contract talks in declining to comment. “His contract is through 2009 with Joe Gibbs Racing,” said Agajanian, “that’s about all we know, and all we can say.”(Associated Press)(4-25-2008)

Talladega Goodyear Tire Notes: This weekend will be the first time that Goodyear has run a race on these tire codes . . . compared to last year at Talladega, there are two changes of note on this tire set-up . . . first, this left-side code (D-4138) is slightly taller to adjust the stagger and align this set-up with what was run at Daytona in February . . . second, this right-side code (D-4140) has a slight design modification to help reduce the operating temperature of the tire. . the compounds on both sides of the car are the same as in 2007 . . . this is the only track at which these tire codes will be run this season . . .teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup will run different tire codes than those in the Nationwide Series at Talladega this weekend . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Talladega . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.(Goodyear),

Robby Gordon and Central Europe Rally on DIRECTV’s The 101: Team Dakar USA announced the acquisition of the United States broadcast rights for the Central Dakar Rally. DIRECTV will air a daily half-hour show on channel 101, the in-house channel available throughout the United States on the satellite television service. The show airs April 19-26 featuring 13 minutes of overall rally coverage plus nine minutes dedicated to the American efforts of Team Dakar USA. The program airs at 7 pm then re-broadcast at 12:30 am/et. Team Dakar USA Owner and driver Robby Gordon is no stranger to logistical challenges, but the Central Europe Rally may prove to be the greatest challenge yet. Gordon, a fulltime Sprint Cup driver, plans to fly to Paris after Saturday’s Sprint Cup race in Phoenix. In Paris he’ll join members of Team Dakar USA program then drive the race and support vehicles over 1,300 kilometers to Budapest for the rally’s start. At the rally’s conclusion on April 26, Gordon will fly back to the United States to compete in the Sprint Cup race at Talladega on April 27th [P.J. Jones will sub for Robby in practice and qualifying in the #7 RVs.com Dodge]. For additional rally coverage please visit robbygordon.com and robbysuprising.com where Team Dakar USA will have daily updates, the twitter micro blog feed, and videos.(RGM)

Team Dakar USA/Robby Gordon Update in the Central Europe Rally: The course was once again centered around the ex-military base outside of Veszprem, which provided an emotional rollercoaster ride for Robby Gordon and Andy Grider’s. Stage five started out strong with the Monster Energy Hummer taking its first special win in the Central Europe Rally. With that strong performance the team moved to within three minutes of the top spot held by Carlos Sainz. Fortunes turned quickly on the second special for Gordon and Grider when they experienced mechanical problems with the rear wheel assembly of the Hummer. “After the special win we were pumped up because we had fought our way back into this thing. The only thing left to do was to go hard and keep pace with the leaders. I’m very disappointed after the second special. We flew a decent size jump and the truck just came down wrong on the rear and damaged the rear hub. We finally managed to get it fixed but at that point it was too late. Our chances on this rally are over but I’m really proud of this effort.” The bright spot for Team Dakar USA was another couple of strong specials for BJ Baldwin. Baldwin managed ninth in the first special, fifth in the second and seventh on the day. His showing has earned the Ronn Bailey Vanguard Hummer a spot in the top-ten in the overall classification. Once again tomorrows tracks can be found in Veszprem where there will be two specials. The first special in the morning will be 157km while the afternoon special will be 54km. From there the rally goes to Balaton Lake for the final stage in the 2008 Central Europe Rally. Coverage of the rally can be seen in the United States on DirecTV. The half hour show will be aired twice – first at 7p.m. EST and then again at 12:30a.m.(Robby Gordon PR), earlier updates about the rally are available on the #7 Team Page.(4-24-2008)

Career start #300 for Dale Jr: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. is scheduled to make his 300th career start in the Sprint Cup Series this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. In 10 years at NASCAR’s elite level, Earnhardt has recorded 17 wins, eight pole positions, 79 top-five finishes and 127 top-10s. He has completed 85,378 laps, and his 5,842 laps led is fourth among all drivers since 1999. In 16 starts at Talladega, Earnhardt has five wins, seven top-five finishes and nine top-10s. He has led 21.23 percent of the laps he’s run on the 2.66-mile superspeedway (570 of 2,684 laps).(HMS)(4-24-2008)

7th Annual Dale Earnhardt Day Set for Tuesday, April 29: Dale Earnhardt Inc. will host the seventh annual Dale Earnhardt Day at its corporate headquarters in Mooresville, N.C. on Tuesday, April 29th. The event, which celebrates the birth date of the seven-time NASCAR Champion, also serves as a major benefit for the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, with a percentage of the event’s merchandise sales being donated to the Foundation. The event, which is themed “Behind the Legend, He was One of Us,” will run from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. and will feature a variety of activities and displays for the entire family. Personal photos, mementoes and trophies highlighting Dale’s personal & professional life through the decades of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, will be on hand at the event.(DEI)

Chrissy Wallace signs deal for 2009; to run for ROTY? UPDATE Six more in ‘08; possible full time in ‘09: On Sirius Radio’s Morning Drive program, it was reported that Chrissy Wallace has signed an agreement with Germain Racing for the 2009 season and will run for Rookie of the Year.(4-21-2008)
UPDATE: Statement from Mike Hillman Sr., General Manager for Germain Racing: “We have built a schedule for Chrissy Wallace to run six more NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races with us in 2008. Her next race is Milwaukee, followed by Kentucky, Nashville, Gateway, Atlanta and Homestead. We are looking at building some ARCA RE/MAX Series races into that schedule, if funding becomes available. And, ideally, we’d like to see Chrissy Wallace in a fully-sponsored campaign for Raybestos Rookie of the Year in a Tundra for Germain Racing in 2009. We’re very excited about working with Chrissy and I think we’re all looking forward to Milwaukee.”(Germain Racing PR)(4-23-2008)