Archive for April, 2008

Scott’s Nascar News the week of April 28th.

April 29, 2008 at 2:58 am · Filed under Uncategorized

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 3rd 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 2nd, 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 26th and 27th.

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
8) #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)

  • Randy Moss starting truck team? During the prerace report on SPEED at Kansas Speedway, Rick Allen reported that New England Patriot wide-receiver Randy Moss is starting a new truck team with plans to race toward the end of the year. A formal announcement is expected some time next week.(4-27-2008) Comment here

  • Sauter back in #70 at RIR; Schrader could run more races: from a Team Chevy PR:
    KEN SCHRADER, #70 HUNT BROTHERS PIZZA IMPALA SS – Qualified 3rd: HOW DID YOU MAKE THAT CAR GO THAT FAST AS THE LAST QUALIFIER OUT? “It was desperation. When you aren’t locked in to the top-35, you do what you have to do. We definitely concentrated more on qualifying for today. We will probably have to undo a little bit of that tomorrow. The Haas/CNC grout built us a heck of a little car. It is brand new with a brand new sponsor, Hunt Brothers Pizza. The Hendrick Motors, they did their job for sure. You work on qualifying differently when you are one of those cars that is not locked in the top-35 because if you don’t go fast enough, you go home. It brings a out desperation. There are a lot of things you have to do. We are going to have a good little race car.”
    IS THIS A ONE-SHOT DEAL? “No, we’re going to run it some more. We’re definitely going to run it some more. We’re working on the schedule, but we are going to run the car some more this year. I know that Jay [actually Johnny, not Jay] Sauter is going to run it next week and we’re working on that stuff now. That’s the only real good advantage I’ve found to being old so far. I told them to just let me know if I need to be there.”
    YOU WERE SCHEDULED TO BE IN THE BAM CAR FOR TALLADEGA. DO YOU STILL HAVE ANY TIES WITH THEM? COULD YOU UPDATE THAT STATUS?
    “I can’t speak for them. I’ve driven for those people two full years and then drove one race last year. We started of the year this year and they love the sport a lot and they’ve invested a lot of their own money on that team. I know they’re working hard to get funding to run it. I’ll always be indebted to them because I’ve been working for them for a while and they’re just good people that love this sport. But I don’t have any ties to them.”(Team Chevy)(4-27-2008)
  • Montoya named to People en Español’s 50 Most Beautiful: #42-Juan Pablo Montoya will make his first appearance in People en Español’s special-edition magazine as one of its 50 Most Beautiful of 2008. Montoya earned a spot beside singer Christina Aguilera, designer Daisy Fuentes and actor and current participant on “Dancing with the Stars” Christián de la Fuente on the exclusive list. Montoya is one of just four athletes whose photos will appear in the magazine along with NFL quarterback Tony Romo, NHL center Scott Gómez and basketball player Alexis Castro. Montoya participated in a special photo shoot on location in Miami for the magazine in February before heading out to the NASCAR race at California Speedway. Aside from an interview for the magazine, Montoya made a few wardrobe changes and even spent a few minutes in the make-up chair in preparation for the shoot.(Ganassi Racing)(4-27-2008) Comment here

  • Robby Gordon and Team Dakar USA Closes out the Central Europe Rally: The final stage of the Central Europe Rally concluded today with Robby Gordon experiencing more bad luck. Gordon lost a handful of minutes on the stage when his rear wheel came off but still managed an eight place finish. The result was good enough for Gordon to move the Monster Energy Hummer up into the 10th position. BJ Baldwin had another solid day, scoring a fifth place finish on the stage which allowed him to maintain his seventh place in the overall classification. After seven days of racing in Hungary and Romania, Team Dakar USA heads back to the United States with a strong sense of accomplishment. “We did not meet our overall objective but this team was strong,” remarked Gordon “I think the international off-road community know we were here. These are the best race teams in the world and to go door to door with them says a lot about our program. BJ did such a fantastic job of representing Team Dakar USA and Ronn Bailey’s Vanguard. I think he really made a name for himself.” The team will now load up and make the drive back to Paris to organize the vehicles and equipment for shipping back to the United States. For Robby Gordon there is one more stage – he will fly overnight to Alabama for the NASCAR race in Talladega. In 2009 Team Dakar USA will race the first ever Dakar Rally in South America.(Robby Gordon PR) 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.(4-26-2008) Comment here

  • Red Bull’s Speed gets ARCA win: ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Scott Speed, with an assist from the Aaron’s Lucky Dog, won the Kansas Lottery $150 Grand Friday afternoon at Kansas Speedway. Speed, in the #2 Red Bull Toyota, battled back from a lap down, blew by rookie Jesse Smith on a late-race restart with six laps remaining, and then kept Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. at bay to claim his career-first victory in his fifth career series start.(ARCA Racing)(4-26-2008)

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  • Movie to film at Alabama speedway: The latest installment of New Line Cinema’s popular horror/thriller franchise, Final Destination 4, will film racing sequences at Mobile International Speedway [AL] from Monday, May 26th to Saturday, May 31st. The Ronald McDonald House Night race, scheduled for 8:00pm on May 31st, has been moved to a 3:00pm start to accommodate filming. The film crew will be shooting crowd scenes and reactions during the racing program on Saturday, May 31st. Final Destination 4 stars a fresh ensemble cast that includes Bobby Campo, Shantel Van Santen, Haley Webb, Nick Zano, Krista Allen, Andrew Fiscella and Mykelti Williamson. Final Destination 4 is being shot in High Definition with the most advanced form of stereoscopic image capture yet invented – Fusion 3D. It utilizes the dynamic PACE camera system to ensure a rich visual experience matched only by reality.(MIS)(4-25-2008)
  • Smaller Restrictor Plate at Talladega: For the third time in the past four Talladega Cup races, crew chiefs will deal with a new size for the four holes on the restrictor plates required at the track by NASCAR. Sunday’s holes will be 15/16ths of an inch in diameter, 1/32nd of an inch smaller than the holes for the fall race, the first plate race for the Car of Tomorrow. The change will cut about 25 horsepower. In last’s year spring race and the 2006 fall race, the holes were 7/8ths of an inch in diameter. The holes were enlarged for the Car of Tomorrow because the taller, boxier vehicle required more horsepower to go the same speed as the old ride. Two years ago, the holes were 57/64ths of an inch, but NASCAR cut the size because of the faster speeds produced by Talladega’s smooth new pavement. The restrictor plate reduces the flow of air into the engine’s carburetor. NASCAR has required the plates at its races at Talladega and Daytona to slow the cars at the giant, high-banked tracks.(Alabama Live)(4-25-2008) Comment here
  • Dale Jr. Recruiting Men and Women for the U.S. Navy: The U.S. Navy and Dale Earnhardt Jr., announced the formation of the Dale Jr. Division, an 88-person boot camp division at Recruit Training Command. Potential sailors will be able to start signing up for the division on May 24 at their local recruiting station. To officially launch the division, Earnhardt Jr. will drive the JR Motorsports #83 Navy Dale Jr. Chevy in the Nationwide Series CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on May 24. The national recruiting effort is the first of its kind for the Navy, and will be supported by a national advertising and marketing campaign.(JR Motorsports PR), see an image of the car on my #83 NNS Team Paint Scheme Page.(4-25-2008)

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    Scott’s NASCAR News the week of April 25th.

    April 25, 2008 at 3:01 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

    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)

  • Dodge plans to phase in new engine: Dodge officials expect to have a new engine on the track sometime this summer. The new engine should improve water flow and the ability to make power reliably, said Howard Comstock, Dodge’s Sprint Cup program manager. Gillett Evernham Motorsports, Penske Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing build their own engines. Petty Enterprises uses Gillett Evernham motors. “We did the initial development in-house at Chrysler and made parts available to the teams,” Comstock said. “Now they have got parts, and they can get their engines put together and run them for the first time on their dyno. We will get some additional feedback and make some engineering changes as we go along and make sure that everything is solid before the engine actually sees competition.” With Chevrolet and Toyota having introduced new engines last year, Comstock said Dodge has looked at those engines and learned. Ford most likely is coming out with a new engine in 2009.(SceneDaily.com)(1-16-2008) Comment here
  • Trucks to test spec engine at Martinesville: Bill Davis Racing and Roush Fenway Racing each will test a truck at Martinsville Speedway for NASCAR on Monday. Davis said the teams will use a spec engine as NASCAR explores the possibility of making all the engines the same for the Craftsman Truck series at some point. “On the surface, it really looks good because of the cost reduction,” Davis said of a spec engine in the truck series. “The only thing that concerns me, not only my operation but a lot of truck operations are very manufactured-dependent for sponsorship. I’m afraid if the manufacturer doesn’t have his engine in there, it’s a spec motor, is the attraction still going to be there?” Johnny Benson is scheduled to test for Bill Davis Racing. Travis Kvapil is scheduled to test for Roush Fenway Racing.(Roanoke Times)(6-23-2007)
  • Pro Motors wins Engine Builder Showdown: The 2007 MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder Showdown [in May] proved to be one of the most competitive and exciting Showdown since its debut in 2000. A record 19 teams from 10 of the best known NASCAR engine shops registered to take part in the competition. The Engine builder Showdown is a tiered four-round competition for professional engine builders who assemble special performance engines for NASCAR teams. Participating teams – two engine builders per team – vie to build and successfully run a Nextel Cup 357-cubic-inch Ford Engine in the shortest time possible. Winners of the 2007 Showdown, the Pro Motor Engines’ team of Dennis Borem and Darrell Hoffman, were runners up in the 2006 Showdown. In the 2007 final round, they broke the all-time Showdown record with an engine-build time of 16 minutes and 25 seconds with no penalties. Borem and Hoffman went head-to-head with Kevin Webber and Scott Vester, of Hendrick Motorsports, who finished in second place with a build time of 17 minutes and 47 seconds with no penalties. More info at www.engineparts.com.(6-18-2007)
  • DEI and RCR team up to build engines: One of NASCAR’s greatest partnerships – Childress and Earnhardt – has been expanded with the creation of Earnhardt-Childress Racing Technologies. Richard Childress and Teresa Earnhardt announced today that the joint venture partnership will combine the Chevrolet engine departments of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI), with engine development work to begin immediately. Construction of a permanent stand-alone facility located between RCR and DEI will begin later this summer with completion expected by mid 2008. A specific site has not been announced, although a location has been identified pending zoning approval. Until that facility is complete, all work will be divided between the RCR’s engine shop in Welcome, N.C. and DEI’s shop in Mooresville, N.C. It is anticipated that all six RCR and DEI cars will run the first common engine at Daytona in July. Earnhardt-Childress Racing Technologies will develop and build engines for the Chevrolet Nextel Cup Series and Busch Series teams campaigned by the two companies. A long-term goal of the joint venture will include an engine leasing program for teams in NASCAR’s top three divisions. The partnership also has long-term plans to diversify and expand beyond NASCAR by providing race engines to teams competing in series such as the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series, various off-road and stock car series, sports car series, etc. This is not the first time RCR and DEI have worked together in a technology partnership. RAD, an acronym for the three teams owned by Richard Childress, Andy Petree and Dale Earnhardt, was formed in the late 90’s as an aerodynamic consortium between the programs. The partnership was considered wildly successful with the three teams dominating the aerodynamically sensitive restrictor plate tracks Daytona and Talladega for the next few years

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    Scott’s NASCAR News and Updates, the week of April 15th

    April 19, 2008 at 1:32 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

    Is it a “here we  go again”, or is it just the first win for Hendrick Motor Sports this year? Johnson sealing the deal with teammate Dale Jr. 7th, and Gordon behind the curve again this week but a better finish coming in 13th.  No Cup or Truck Race this weekend, but maybe we’ll get some good action from the Nation Wide boys as they tackle Mexico City.

     

    NASCAR takes Humpy up on testing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Schrader gets another ride, Craftsman Truck Drivers head to Mexico,  Stremme becomes a tester and Robbie Gordon Off Road Racing News!!! Direct TV subscribers be sure and watch Robbie Gordon on channel 101 April 19 th-26th.

     

    Race Dates:

     

    Cup Series: Open Weekend.
    Nation Wide:  Corona Mexico 200 presented by Banamex 04/20/08 on ESPN.
    Truck Series: Open Weekend.

     

     

    P.S. Matt and I will be getting the blog up and going some time this week… And if you get lonely from no racing this weekend, check out the Rolex Sports Car Series on Speed, Saturday from Mexico City, 3pm Central.  http://www.grand-am.com/rolex/

     

     

    (News @ Jayski’s dot com)… www.jayski.com/

     

     

    Sprint Cup Series Test Session Added for Lowe’s Motor Speedway:
    NASCAR announced the addition of a Sprint Cup Series test session May 5-6 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. On May 5 practice times are set from 9am – 12     noon; 1pm – 5pm; and 6pm – 9pm. On May 6 practice times are set from 9am – 12 noon and 1pm  – 5pm. Teams may test a maximum of four of those five practice segments. NASCAR visited with the teams this past weekend at Phoenix about the possibility of adding a test to further prepare for the remaining 17 events the series has at intermediate tracks the rest of the season, including next month’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The extra test gives the series seven sanctioned test sessions this year, the same number the teams had in 2007. “We received input from the teams last weekend at Phoenix and a vast majority of them were receptive to adding a test next month at Lowe’s,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR Vice President of Competition. “We always strive to work with the teams and do what is in the best interest of the competitors. We have 17 events ahead of us on intermediate tracks and the additional test allows the teams the opportunity to learn more about the new car, work on their setups and adjustments, and apply that information to these future races.”(NASCAR PR)(4-15-2008)

     

    Darnell to make Nationwide debut in Mexico City: Erik Darnell will make his Nationwide Series debut this weekend at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. The 25-year-old NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular will pilot the #17 CitiFinancial Ford Fusion and will be led by crew chief Drew Blickensderfer. The Beach Park, Ill., native has two road course races under his belt; one at Infineon Raceway and one at Brainerd International Raceway. He also joined his Roush Fenway Racing teammates last month for a test session at Virginia International Raceway.(

     

    Hornaday in first Nationwide race of 2008 at Mexico: Ron Hornaday will jump behind the wheel of the #33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Camping World Chevy for the first time this season when the Nationwide Series travels to Mexico City for Sunday’s running of the Corona 200. Hornaday has one previous start at the track in 2005, driving for KHI. He started the race from the 21st position and finished the day 12 th

     

    Some Engine News: Hendrick Motor Sports had apparently found a way to squeeze more power out of their engines, according to dyno numbers, but actually had to dial back some. Yet, it’s not Hendrick that has Cory DeMarco, front tire changer for Yates Racing. “Toyota has the most power out there right now,” DeMarco said during one of the several rain delays the NASCAR Sprint Cup series endured trying to get the Auto Club 500 concluded Sunday night at the newly renamed Auto Club Speedway of Southern California. “Especially now that they have Gibbs [Racing] on board; those guys are doing most of the engine development.” DeMarco is pleased with the strength being shown by the Roush-Yates engine program. “The engines are strong,” DiMarco said, especially when you look at what Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards were doing Sunday. “From and engineering standpoint, we’re just a little behind last year.” DeMarco pointed out that NASCAR has pretty much taken away much opportunity to change anything on the cars. “It’s all chassis development and suspension parts to get the cars to grip better,” he said. “The sport is going where it’s all engineering.”(Ford Racing)(2-25-2008 ) Comment here
    Dynos after 150’s show Toyota’s stronger: Judging from NASCAR’s post-150s chassis-dyno tests, which showed Toyota’s #20-Tony Stewart had at least a 15 horsepower edge at his rear wheels over Chevy’s #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Thursday’s twin races. And Richard Childress’ Chevy engines were about 30 horsepower off the Toyotas, which is some concern in both the Childress camp and with GM officials. NASCAR didn’t post any official numbers, but Stewart’s engine – built by Mark Cronquist, head of Joe Gibbs’ motor shop – pulled around 462 to 464 effective horsepower, according to those familiar with the results. That’s about 15 horsepower more than Earnhardt had and about 30 horsepower more than Chevy’s Kevin Harvick.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-16-2008)
    UPDATE: NASCAR tested about 10 different Sprint Cup engines following last Thursday’s Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying races. According to several officials from NASCAR, the manufacturers who race in the Sprint Cup Series and race teams, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity, all parties involved are satisfied that the engines from Toyota, General Motors, Dodge and Ford are competitive with each other in terms of horsepower. Most of the engines tested varied by less than 10 horsepower, multiple sources told SPEEDTV.com, with all but two of the engines within 7-8 horsepower of each other. And none of the four brands tested had a consistent advantage over the others. Media reports on Saturday that Toyotas had a 30-horsepower advantage over the Chevrolets were, to say the least, erroneous. Had that actually been the case, Chevrolet teams would have been raising a ruckus with NASCAR and complaining bitterly to the media about being at a competitive disadvantage. Nothing of the sort has happened.( SPEED)(    2-17-2008) Comment here
    BAM goes to a part time schedule; Schrader to #70?: Open letter from BAM Racing owner, Beth Ann Morgenthau: “Our recent switch toToyota is a strong testament to our focus andcommitment to become more competitive. Even though we were disappointed it became necessary to miss two races to complete the transition to Toyota. We were excited about the potential for the balance of the 2008 season. That excitement was abruptly interrupted this past week by news that a primary sponsorship deal once planned for the majority of the 2008 season had been reduced to a fraction of a season and that fraction will likely be in the fall. The private company has been in the process of raising funds in the equity market for working capital which included a portion going to a product launch using the #49 race car. Due to the uncertainty of the stock market raising the capital is taking longer than expected. With no other primary sponsor currently in place to fill the void the harsh reality of this most recent news is that we are forced to reduce our 2008 participation to a partial season. Our marketing groups are working hard to fill the sponsorship void so we can get back on the track sooner than later. When new primary sponsorship is secured you will be one of the first to know! It is of little consolation that we are not alone in this plight. The uncertain economic times affecting our sponsor are affecting sponsorships throughout NASCAR and are having a winnowing affect on the number of teams showing up each week to compete. We’re confident that with the decreasing numbers of teams, with the competitive cars we produce and with the horsepower  Toyota engines provide, we will be able to step back into competition effectively and successfully on short notice–and we are making every effort to make our sabbatical as short as possible.(BAM Racing)
    Schrader? hearing Ken Schrader may drive the #70 Haas CNC Racing Chevy at Talladega.(    4-15-2008)
    Robby Gordon and Central Europe Rally on DIRECTV’s The 101: Team Dakar USA announced the acquisition of the United Statesbroadcast 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. When terrorist threats cancelled the 2008 Dakar Rally in January, the Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) moved quickly to schedule the Central Europe Rally as a replacement event for all the teams, fans and sponsors of the legendary Dakar Rally. The Central Europe Rally was already in the works as part of the Dakar Series set to debut in 2009. Beginning in Budapest, Hungary, the varied and technical route covers 2,972 kilometers, about 1,846 miles, in seven days. The route includes a stint in Romania before concluding at  Balaton Lake in Hungary. 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 USAprogram 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.
    “Timing is everything with this event. First, I’m very grateful to the ASO for coming up with a solution for all the fans and sponsors. The schedule that they selected has made it possible for us to compete. I also have to thank Chris Long at DIRECTV for helping televise this event. He and The 101 team have mobilized quickly, and I think motorsports fans everywhere will have something to get excited about,” said Gordon. Team     Dakar USA fields two identically prepared purpose-built race Hummers in the Central Europe Rally. In the 2007 Dakar Rally, Gordon in his same Monster Energy/Toyo Tires Hummer H3 finished first in the open class, eighth overall and scored a stage win. It was Gordon’s third stage win in three years and allowed Hummer to become the first American manufacturer to win a Dakar Rally stage. 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)
    AND P.J. Jones will sub in Robby Gordon’s #7 Dodge during practice and qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway in two weeks. Gordon will be competing in the postponed Central Dakar Rally. Jones could race if Gordon’s return from     Hungary is delayed.(Arizona Republic)(4-13-2008

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