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)
