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!!
Not much news going on this week. I think everyone is frozen and waiting on Tony Stewart to give out another hint on his future plans. The only thing noteworthy for the weekend is don’t forget to put your channell on SPEED and leave it since ESPN2 wants to show Fuckin’ NBA.
Nation Wide Series: Tonight on SPEED @ 6pm.
Cup Series: Tomorrow Night @6 on Fox, Both @ Richmond.
No Truck Series till the 16th…
News as always stolen from Jayski’s dot COM, the NASCAR Mother-Ship!!!
Nationwide TV Coverage Change: Friday night’s ESPN production of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race from Richmond International Raceway has been moved to ESPN Classic and also will be simulcast on ESPN360.com and SPEED. The telecast begins at 7pm/et with NASCAR Countdown. The change was made to accommodate NBA playoff game six between Washington and Cleveland. Additionally, for fans without ESPN Classic, a special encore presentation of the race from start to finish will air that evening following the NBA game beginning at approximately 9:30pm on ESPN2
Edwards re-signs with Roush: Carl Edwards, driver of the #99 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing has signed a multi-year stay with the team on Thursday. His old contract was thru the end of 2008.(PRN’s Garage Pass)
UPDATE: Carl Edwards said Friday he signed a multiple-year contract extension to continue driving the #99 Ford, a decision that takes NASCAR’s most sought-after free agent off the market. “I’m staying with Roush,” Edwards said. “I looked at everything and I talked to everybody and, for me, the number one thing is looking into the future and saying, ‘Where can I win the most races and have the most success?’ I just feel like for me, personally, this is where I want to be for the near future.” He negotiated the contract himself with Geoff Smith, president of Roush. “It took us about a week and a half of going back and forth with just little things and I feel like the luckiest guy in the world for the contract I got,” he said. “If I was dealing with someone that I didn’t trust or that I felt like I couldn’t just kind of air everything out with, then I’d probably have to have an agent, but dealing with Geoff from day one has been very easy at Roush for me, so it was really pretty simple. Besides, I feel like I know what I need more than anyone else. I know what I want to make me happy and this is cool.” It’s not clear if sponsor Office Depot will remain on the car. A spokeswoman for the company said only they are continuing their negotiations with Roush.(ESPN.com/AP)(5-2-2008)
DEI picks up option on Truex, good thru 2009 UPDATE not yet: 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.”(PRN’s Garage Pass Radio Show)(4-28-2008)
UPDATE: Dale Earnhardt Inc. holds an option on Truex that it wants to exercise, but Truex has to agree to the terms under the language of his existing deal.(ESPN.com/AP)(5-2-2008) Comment here
Biffle plans to re-sign with Roush, not talking to other teams: #16-Greg Biffle says he isn’t interested in entertaining offers from other Sprint Cup organizations outside of Roush Fenway Racing, much less signing with them. Biffle said on Friday at Richmond International Raceway that “my 100% intent” is to work an extension with Roush Fenway, adding he’s not curious to see what other opportunities might be out there. “There are a lot of great teams and great opportunities out there,” said Biffle, whose contract expires at the end of this season. “I am making my decision kind of how [Dale] Earnhardt Jr. did, and it’s about winning races and championships and contending for the title and having good equipment. There are a lot of teams that have that, but I feel comfortable where I’m at with Roush Fenway.”(ESPN.com)(5-2-2008) Comment here
Childress talking to 3-4 drivers for 4th team: Richard Childress Racing owner Richard Childress said he’s talking to three or four drivers for the fourth team he will start next season with General Mills as the primary sponsor. Childress would not identify the drivers, but said all currently compete in the Sprint Cup Series. “We hope to have something to announce in the next three or four months,” he said.(ESPN.com)(5-2-2008) Comment here
New Crew Chief for Robby: #7-Robby Gordon Motorsports and crew chief Frank Kerr have parted ways, Waltrer Giles is Gordon’s new crew chief.(RGM)(5-2-2008) Comment here
More on the Nationwide COT: “We are working very hard on the COT,” [Nationwide Series Director Joe] Balash explains. “We’ll utilize the NASCAR 110-inch wheelbase certified chassis, and it will be interchangeable between the Sprint Cup and Nationwide garages. [But] we’re going to do something unique with the bodies to give the Series its own look as opposed to the past.” The last point is a reminder of the dangers posed by creating a Nationwide car too much like their Sprint Cup cousins; and when you talk to Balash, you sense his focus at ensuring the next generation of Nationwide vehicles create a unique driving style all their own. “We want [the new car] to drive somewhere between a Truck and Cup car,” he says. “And we’ve been working with drag and downforce to be somewhere in between. We want the car to drive a little easier than a Sprint Cup car; [and while] there are some components of the body that are the same, we’ve relocated them. For example, we’ve moved the rear deck lid forward, and the same distance we moved it forward, we’ve moved the front of the body forward, helping the car turn just a little bit better in the corner. It’s been great to see from concept to the car in the wind tunnel.” When that concept becomes reality, the timeframe is still very much TBD. “My hope is to introduce the new car next year,” says the series director. “We’re looking at an August timeframe based on the conversations we’ve had with owners and others in the garage.”(Frontstretch.com)(5-2-2008) Comment here
Stewart tests at New Smyrna: Joe Gibbs Racing development driver Joey Logano was down to test two days including Wednesday at New Smyrna Speedway [FL]. #20-Tony Stewart arrived Wednesday morning and spent most of the day in his ride testing various setups and parts as the team prepared for Saturday night’s 400-mile race at Richmond International Speedway. “Since they paved it we can come down and run 40, 50, 60 laps, and it doesn’t seem like the sun affects it that much,” said Greg Zipadelli, Stewart’s longtime crew chief. “We just come down to put new parts on the car, run them, trying to get some driver feedback and some data. You look for a place that doesn’t change a lot with the sun and the temperature. We’ve got a good short-track tire that we race at Richmond and with that it seems like it works pretty good on the surface here. We feel like we get decent data back.” Logano, who will drive in the ARCA Series race for Billy Venturini this weekend at Rockingham, turned 130 laps on Tuesday, but turned the ride over to Stewart on Wednesday. The 17-year-old Logano has been biding his time until he turns 18 on May 24, so he can make his first of 18 NASCAR Nationwide starts this year May 31 at Dover.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(5-2-2008)
What is up with Jerry Nadeau? Pictures, posters and other keepsakes adorn a wall in Jerry Nadeau’s office. Helmets, diecast cars and T-shirts sit on shelves, untouched except by dust. Among this montage of memories, two framed items stand out. One is a photo of Nadeau’s car beside runner-up Dale Earnhardt’s black #3 moments after Nadeau had won the 2000 season finale at Atlanta. Earnhardt’s left hand juts out of his car, his index finger saluting Nadeau on his first and only NASCAR Winston Cup victory. “That is the ultimate picture,” Nadeau says with a widening grin. A head injury suffered five years ago today in a crash at Richmond International Raceway turned Nadeau’s ultra-focused life into tumult. Racing defined Nadeau, and even today, he still struggles to accept that he’ll never compete in NASCAR’s top series again. See full story Roanoke Times by Dustin Long on my Article Links page.(5-2-2008) Comment here
Testing Sessions Set for NASCAR at LMS: Testing sessions for NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series teams have been scheduled at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in preparation for the track’s calendar of May races, including the May 17 Sprint All-Star Race and the May 25 Coca-Cola 600. Each division will participate in a two-day testing session with a third day reserved in case of rain.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series May 5-6; May 7 Rain Date
7:00 a.m. Garage Opens
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. On-Track Testing
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch Break
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. On-Track Testing
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Dinner Break
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. On-Track Testing
9:30 p.m. Garage Closes
During each testing session, Lowe’s Motor Speedway’s frontstretch grandstand will be open free of charge and fans should enter through Gate 5A, located next to the main ticket office.(LMS)(5-2-2008)
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)
