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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

NASCAR Day to highlight community service: The NASCAR Foundation announced Wednesday five community service projects that will take place across the country during NASCAR Day on May 21. NASCAR Day is an annual charitable celebration of the NASCAR spirit that enables fans and corporate partners to join together to make a difference in the lives of children. Since it began in 2004, NASCAR Day has raised nearly $8 million for charity. This year marks the first time that the Foundation has taken on multiple national service projects of this magnitude, creating awareness for children's causes through the NASCAR Day platform. Fans can help support these initiatives by making a $5 donation for the 2010 NASCAR Day collectible lapel pin or by registering to volunteer at one of the service projects.

Details of "The Big Five" projects:

• Atlanta, Ga. -- Aflac and The NASCAR Foundation have partnered to renovate a room at the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. The renovation includes a face-lift with a racing theme. Recognized as one of the top childhood cancer centers in the country by U.S. News & World Report, the Aflac Cancer Center treats more than 370 new cancer patients each year and follows more than 2,500 patients with sickle cell disease, hemophilia and other blood disorders.

• Daytona Beach, Fla. -- Bank of America and The NASCAR Foundation will work together in Daytona to raise awareness for the critical role math and science play in the sport of NASCAR by bringing more than 100 middle school students to Daytona International Speedway. The event is part of the "Students at the Speedway" program, the bank's signature program designed to showcase NASCAR as a strong career path for students who are eager to learn in the areas of math, science and technology.

• Fontana, Calif. -- The NASCAR Foundation has partnered with Auto Club Speedway to host a youth initiative at the track.

• Kansas City, Mo. -- With the help of Sprint and volunteers, The NASCAR Foundation will build a brand new playground at the Ronald McDonald House of Kansas City. The playground will be dedicated in memory of Tom Murphy, a former Sprint executive and NASCAR Foundation board member who passed away last year.

• Charlotte, N.C. -- A community service project at A Place for Hope. APFH is committed to providing material resources, hands-on educational training and job development programs for the residents of Blackmon Road. The Blackmon Road Community is one of the poorest communities in South Carolina. The residents of Blackmon Road live without indoor plumbing, trash pick-up, paved roads or street lights.

In addition to the five service projects, the contributions raised through NASCAR Day will help a variety of other organizations with an emphasis on children's health and education. One lucky fan will also win a trip to the Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas including airfare, hotel and two tickets to the ceremony through the NASCAR Day Sweepstakes.(NASCAR PR)

Jason Witten named honorary starter for Food City 500 at Bristol: Dallas Cowboy standout Jason Witten has been named the Honorary Starter for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway Sunday, March 21, 2010. The 6-foot-5, 263-pound Witten, a six-time Pro Bowl selection at tight end, is originally from Elizabethton, Tenn., just 15 minutes away from the World’s Fastest Half-Mile. Witten, always excited about making a trip home, is looking forward to taking part in the Food City 500. “This is really going to be so much fun; I’m really excited about it,” said Witten. “It’s great to be coming home and I really can’t wait to get out to the Speedway. The races in Bristol have always been a big deal and now for me to be able to go back there and be asked to wave the green flag for the Food City 500, that really means a lot.” The 27-year-old Witten was a standout at Elizabethton High School and was the USA Today Player of the Year in Tennessee in 2000 before signing with the University of Tennessee where he starred for three years. In 2001, Witten was drafted in the third round by the Dallas Cowboys and became an instant star. One of the premier tight ends in the NFL, Witten finished the 2009 season with 94 catches and 1,030 yards. (BMS PR)

Speedway Motorsports Inc. shares sink after 4Q earning results: While NASCAR fans might enjoy reduced ticket prices, recession specials are weighing on the top and bottom lines for Speedway Motorsports. On Wednesday the Concord, N.C.-based speedway owner and operator said it lost $15.2 million, or 36 cents per share, in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared to a loss of $4.9 million, or 11 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. Sales for the period ending Dec. 31 dropped 30.7% to $90.5 million, down from $130.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. According to the company, sales were impacted by the scheduling change of the Atlanta Motor Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, which took place in the fourth quarter in 2008 but in the third quarter of 2009. But it wasn't just the scheduling changes that lead to Speedway's wider losses. The company cited reduced admission revenues resulting from special promotions and a decline in consumer and corporate spending as other culprits for its rocky quarter. (Forbes)

Jack Roush's statement regarding Carl Edwards' penalty: “We are satisfied that NASCAR fairly considered all the circumstances in its decision to discipline Carl (Edwards). We look forward to meeting with NASCAR, Roger (Penske) and Brad (Keselowski) in Bristol next weekend and it is our hope to put this behind us at that time. Missed in all of this was a really strong performance by Roush Fenway - and the Ford teams in general - at Atlanta last weekend and we are eager to continue to build on that moving forward.” (RFR)

Drivers pleased with Goodyear after Darlington test: Elliott Sadler had no complaints for Goodyear, only for those drivers griping about the manufacturer. When asked what it meant that at least a dozen competitors faced tire trouble at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sadler was quick with a response: "Yeah, but there were 37 others that didn't," he said Tuesday at Darlington Raceway. Sadler and fellow Sprint Cup racers Marcos Ambrose and Clint Bowyer came to the track "Too Tough To Tame" to shake out the dormant raceway and give Goodyear some insight about which tire to bring to the Southern 500 in May. (USA Today)

Keyed-Up Motorsports announces sponsorship: Keyed-Up Motorsports, in conjunction with ADFAST Marketing, named 75000000.com as an associate sponsorship of its #90 Chevrolet Impala and driver Casey Mears for the 2010 Sprint Cup Series Schedule. 75000000.com is an innovative site that track the millions of fans of NASCAR and donates to the program Race 4 Pets, a pet adoption program that helps homeless pets find homes. The site also gives members the opportunity to win monthly prizes such as gift certificates, race tickets, pit passes, cars and cruises. "We are pleased to be partnered up with Keyed-Up Motorsports,“ ADFAST Marketing President Gene Pittman stated today. “We researched NASCAR as an outlet to gain awareness for this program and when we found out that 65% of NASCAR fans are pet owners, we knew immediately that this (NASCAR) was where we wanted to unleash this program.” (PR)

Joey Logano donates sleds to U.S. Paralympic hockey team: NASCAR driver Joey Logano has teamed up with a local ice skating rink to help fund the U.S. Paralympic sled hockey team. The team's sleds were in rough shape. So, Logano's charity, along with the Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail, developed new, state-of-the-art sleds. "It's just like a racecar, you know. You're at the shop trying to build the best equipment you can take to the track and that's the same thing we tried for them -- build them the best sled we can get out there for them," Logano said. (WCNC.com)

Michael Waltrip in No. 55 at Talladega: In celebration of its 55th year, Aaron's, Inc. will sponsor PRISM Motorsports' No. 55 with driver Michael Waltrip in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway April 25. Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 champion and former winner at Talladega, will return to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing with a long-time sponsor in Aaron's and a long-time friend in PRISM co-owner Phil Parsons.(Aarons PR)

Mayfield's ex brother-in-law suspended for violating substance abuse policy: NASCAR has suspended two crewmen for violating its substance abuse policy, including the former brother-in-law of Jeremy Mayfield. William David Keith, a spotter for David Gilliland in the Sprint Cup Series, is one of the two crewmen and was suspended Tuesday. Keith gave a deposition in Mayfield's legal battle with NASCAR, claiming he witnessed Mayfield using methamphetamines several times. Mayfield became the first driver last May to be suspended under NASCAR's toughened drug policy.(ESPN.com)

Helton: Airborne car NASCAR’s top concern: NASCAR president Mike Helton confirmed Tuesday that there was far more effort at NASCAR’s research center and competition hub in Concord, N.C., to understand why Brad Keselowski’s car took flight after the deployment of roof flaps designed to keep it on the ground. “I want to separate the issue of the 99 and 12 and the fact that the 12 went airborne,” Helton said in a conference call with the news media. “We’re going to study very closely and figure out things we can do to prevent it in the future. That was a very serious issue, and we’ll take a look at it quickly.” (Florida Today)

NASCAR drivers lend hand to build park: NASCAR drivers David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil are scheduled to join other volunteers this morning to begin work on Hope Park, a 20,000-square-foot, motorsports-themed community playground at Lowe’s YMCA. The park will be for all Lake Norman area families and will be fully accessible to children and adults of all ages and abilities.(Charlotte Observer)

Cowboys owner passed on chance at NASCAR: “I once had a very attractive proposition to get into NASCAR,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recalled. “Then I looked around the people sitting at my table, and I saw that nobody had grease under their fingernails. I knew immediately that if we went into racing, we’d get our butts beat.” (Dallas Morning News)

Kyle Petty upset with NASCAR’s punishment of Carl Edwards: Kyle Petty, whose son Adam was killed at Loudon in 2000, had called on national TV for Carl Edwards’ suspension: “I am deeply saddened by the decision NASCAR made…I love this business, will always support it, but not this.” (MikeMulhern.net)

Roush to be honored with Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award: On Friday, March 12 Jack Roush will receive the highest compliment in the hot rod world as he will be presented with the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award. The ceremony takes place during the grand opening breakfast of the 12th Annual HotRod & Restoration Trade Show in front of nearly one thousand attendees at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. "Being named a recipient of the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award is obviously a tremendous distinction and something completely unexpected," Roush said. "I remember Robert (Petersen) always being a great ambassador for the auto industry and hot rods. It is an honor to be mentioned among the many legendary names who have received this award in the past." The Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented annually since 2002. Previous recipients include Wally Parks (NHRA), Carroll Shelby, George Barris, Vic Edelbrock, the Ford family, Alex Xydias (So-Cal Speed Shop), and "Speedy" Bill Smith (Speedway Motors).(Roush Fenway)

NASCAR cuts payout in developmental series: With economy woes continuing to hit motorsports hard, in January it was learned that NASCAR would be cutting purses in 2010 by about 10 percent for its three national divisions, the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. And NASCAR's developmental touring divisions, which include the & Whelen Modified Tour and K&N Pro Series East, won't be immune to the measures, though cuts will come in a different form. NASCAR has decided to cut by 25 percent the amount of teams that will get paid in each division's end of the season points fund, which is the money paid out to teams based on their standings finish. Teams on the Whelen Modified Tour received notification last week that the top-15 teams in 2010 will receive points fund money, down from the top-20 in 2009. Payouts for the top-15 teams this season in the divisions affected are expected to remain the same as last year.(Hartford Courant)

Humphrey promoted at ISC; Lynch named Chairman of Talladega Superspeedway: International Speedway Corporation announced it has named Rick Humphrey as Managing Director of Business Operations. Humphrey accepts the role from his most recent position as president of Talladega Superspeedway. W. Grant Lynch Jr., Chairman of Talladega Superspeedway and Vice President of Strategic Projects for ISC, will assume the responsibilities for day to day operation of the facility. Humphrey, 41, is a 16-year veteran in the motorsports industry, serving most recently as president of Talladega Superspeedway since July 2007. As president, he worked closely with the facility's more than 50 employees to secure, maintain and operate the 2.66-mile, 3,000-plus acre complex, and presided over a significant number of upgrades and enhancements to the legendary race track. In his new role, Humphrey will be primarily responsible for driving operational excellence across all ISC racetracks through benchmarking, innovation and best practice sharing. In addition, he will provide leadership for ISC's Green initiatives. (PR)

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Jeremy Mayfield's stepmother seeks deposition from ESPN reporter: Lisa Mayfield’s attorney wants to take a deposition from ESPN.com reporter David Newton in her defamation lawsuit against her estranged stepson, NASCAR driver and former team owner Jeremy Mayfield. Lisa Mayfield had to ask the court for approval to take the deposition out of state in the case, which was filed last July in North Carolina Superior Court. “ESPN reporter David Newton and ESPN are essential and material witnesses to the facts and circumstances involved in this cause of action,” Lisa Mayfield’s attorney wrote in the request to take the deposition in Connecticut, where ESPN is based. An ESPN spokesman said the network has not been served with a subpoena in the case and therefore had no comment. (SpeedTv.com)

Carl Edwards placed on 3-week probation following incident: Carl Edwards has been placed on three weeks' probation by NASCAR for intentionally wrecking Brad Keselowski's car during last weekend's race at Atlanta. NASCAR president Mike Helton said Tuesday there are two separate issues: the wreck itself, and the fact that Keselowski's car went airborne. He says NASCAR is reviewing why the car left the track, and adds that NASCAR will meet with both drivers and their car owners to "clean the slate."(AP)

Jeff Gordon feels fans may see more ‘sparks fly’ during Food City 500: Jeff Gordon thinks Bristol fans may see a bit more on-track action come race day. “I guess so, if they are hoping for more crashing, then maybe,” he said. “I mean I think the racing has been spectacular. I love the fact we are able to get three wide there now. We are certainly racing side-by-side. “It is just that there is a little bit more room to race on. You see more side-by-racing, I don’t think that is a bad thing. But if you want to see sparks fly and this might be the thing that does that.” (TriCitiesSports.com)

Montoya not surprised at pay back to Keselowski: Juan Pablo Montoya said Brad Keselowski should bring extra cars to the track since several have vowed to pay him back, especially after NASCAR said it would allow the garage area to police itself. “I said it last year because he wrecks a lot of people,” Montoya said. “I’m sure a lot of people wanted to pay him back. Looking at the TV, somebody did.” (Florida Times-Union)

$107 million in nongaming economic impact expected for Las Vegas NASCAR race: The NASCAR cup race on Feb. 28 likely matched or exceeded the nearly $107 million in nongaming economic impact of last year’s event, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority spokesman Jeremy Handel said. The convention authority’s initial attendance numbers from the LVMS are close to 150,000, he added. “As a one-day event, Sunday’s NASCAR race is up there with New Year’s Eve,” Handel said. The dollars from NASCAR are not limited to the speedway. Powell said he wouldn’t be surprised if some 300,000 people came to town for the NASCAR weekend, and the dirt-track event the Thursday before. (Las Vegas Business Press)

Danica Patrick helps NASCAR TV ratings go up 17%: Danica Patrick, who raced three times on the Nationwide Series, will now compete for four months on the Indy Racing League circuit. In the three NASCAR Nationwide Series races Patrick ran averaged a 2.1 TV rating on ESPN2, which was up 17% over last year’s three races (1.8 rating), with all of the increase coming because of the Daytona race. Patrick finished 35th, 31st and 36th in her Nationwide races. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Petty, Rutledge takes part in Ricky Carmichael University at Daytona: NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty has raced stock cars and sports cars at Daytona International Speedway. On Monday he added motorcycles to that list after taking lessons from Supercross legend Ricky Carmichael. Petty, along with his SPEED Channel co-host Rutledge Wood, took part in the inaugural Ricky Carmichael University where the five-time Daytona Supercross By Honda champion and his team of experts shared tips and techniques with Supercross racers of all ages in the one-day only camp. "There are kids here that are five or six-years-old that just worship the ground he walks on," Petty said. "He's like Jeff Gordon, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. all rolled into one when it comes to motocross. To be able to come and learn from someone like that is incredible." Petty, who has always enjoyed motorcycles but did not have any previous Supercross experience, equated participating in the event to a kid being able to take a lap around Daytona International Speedway the day after the Daytona 500. Carmichael, who is retired from Supercross competition and now pursuing a stock car career with Turner Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, was impressed with the performance of both Petty and Wood. "Kyle is doing fantastic," Carmichael said. "Rutledge is doing amazing. Racers are racers. When I explained stuff to Kyle, he would go out and execute it. You could see the light bulb click on, if you will. It's neat to see at their level, guys who are doing it for the first time. It's so fun to see the progression." While Carmichael had fun with Petty and Wood, he also enjoyed working with some of the future Supercross stars.(DIS)

Ryan Newman would like to see drivers fight with fists: Ryan Newman drove through the melee. He would like to see drivers use their fists, not their race cars, when they have a problem. “I think it would have been a whole lot better if they’d go back and got to fight it out a little bit,” he said. “That would be a lot more interesting than getting black-flagged. Either way they’ve made their call and it is what it is.” (Florida Times-Union)

Most brand appearances in Daytona 500 telecast history: The 2010 Daytona 500 will long be remembered for two lengthy pothole repairs, which extended the live Fox broadcast to seven hours and also enabled 348 sponsoring brandsthe most ever monitored during a Daytona 500 telecastto obtain valuable television exposure. According to research conducted by Joyce Julius & Associates, Inc.  which has monitored every NASCAR race telecast since the mid-1980s  this year's number of brands marked a 16% increase in sponsors compared to the 300 appearing during the 2009 race telecast. The additional broadcast time created by the two track repair delays was filled by several driver interviews. These lengthy interview segments saw 175 different brands appear on the drivers' uniforms, compared to 149 brands in 2009. Overall, total on-screen time for all sponsors was up 55% compared to the 2009 broadcast (17:19:40 to 11:12:28), while verbal sponsor mentions rose a whopping 64% (386 to 236). When comparing the in-broadcast visual and verbal exposure to the estimated cost of a national commercial during the Daytona 500 telecast, and then applying Joyce Julius Recognition Gradingwhich takes into account such factors as size and placement of the image on screen, as well as brand "clutter"the sponsors combined for $319 million of Recognition Grade exposure value. More info and stats at joycejulius.com.(Joyce Julius & Associates)

RPM to test car with new spoiler: Tests with the new spoiler on the Sprint Cup car would seem to be important, but Richard Petty Motorsports has opted to focus on tests other than the NASCAR test March 16 at Talladega Superspeedway. Richard Petty Motorsports won't send three of its teams to the one-day Talladega test, with Paul Menard going and Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and AJ Allmendinger staying at home or going to a test somewhere else. It is expected that some of the other multicar organizations won't have all of its teams at the test, which NASCAR will use to set the size of the restrictor plate for the April race weekend at the track. RPM's competition director Robbie Loomis said that with four or five Fords at the test, RPM will be able to get all of the info it needs. Instead of going to Talladega, Kahne will be testing that week at Road Atlanta and the organization also has a test scheduled for Little Rock at Rockingham.(SceneDaily)

Truex's No. 56 crew wins Tissot Pit Road Precision Award: The over-the-wall crew for Martin Truex Jr. claimed another victory, earning the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The No. 56 crew's performance places the team in first place in the Tissot standings with back-to-back wins (Las Vegas, Atlanta) after four races in the 2010 season. Truex's NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, out of the Michael Waltrip Racing stable, spent the least amount of time on pit road - 349.623 seconds - during the overtime race, which was extended from 325 laps to 341. Race winner Kurt Busch's no. 2 Dodge was second (352.887) and Paul Menard's No. 98 Ford was third (353.488).(Tissot/DMF Communications)

Crew members suspended following failed drug test: Matthew Huffstetler, a crew member for the No. 01 team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and William Keith, a crew member for the no. 38 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, have been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body's substance abuse policy. On March 5, both were found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the 2010 NASCAR rule book.(NASCAR PR)  

Monday, March 8, 2010

NASCAR at Atlanta overnight ratings up over '09: Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 from Atlanta drew a 4.8 overnight rating on FOX, up 2% from last year (4.7), but down 14% from 2008 (5.6). Compared to last week's Shelby American (4.1), Sunday's race was up 17%. This marks the first time this season that overnight ratings have increased for a NASCAR race. Excluding '06, when the race was postponed to Monday due to rain, the 4.8 overnight is the 4th-lowest for the Kobalt Tools 500 since '99 -- ahead of the '00, '07 and '09 races, each of which drew a 4.7. Sunday's race drew the highest overnight of any sporting event on broadcast over the weekend. (SportsMediaWatch)

Engines taken for inspection: Following Sunday's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR announced that the engines of race winner Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Brian Vickers (random) and Michael McDowell (start-and-park) would be taken to the NASCAR R&D center and torn down for observation. Busch and seventh-place finisher Vickers' chassis will also be taken to the NASCAR R&D center for observation.(Racin' Today)

U.S. Census Bureau spends $1.2 million on NASCAR sponsorship: Greg Biffle’s No. 16 Ford carried sponsorship from the U.S. Census Bureau at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the first of a three-race, $1.2 million sponsorship with Roush Fenway Racing. The Census, which will adorn the car in the next two races at Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway, aired an ad during the Super Bowl and is making a push in the NCAA tournament to promote the census forms, which will be mailed out this month. In 2000, 72% returned the forms. Census director Robert Groves says every 1% who return forms save $85 million. (USA Today)

Carl Edwards defends on-track antics on his Facebook page: On Sunday and having met with NASCAR officials at the track after being parked, Carl Edwards later wrote on his Facebook page explaining the reasoning behind his on-track antics at Atlanta. “My options,” he wrote. “Considering that Brad wrecks me with no regard for anyone’s safety or hard work, should I: A) Keep letting him wreck me? B) Confront him after the race? C) Wait till Bristol and collect other cars? or D) Take care of it now? “I want to be clear that I was surprised at his flight and very relieved when he walked away. Every person has to decide what code they want to live by and hopefully this explains mine.” (Autosport.com)

Pemberton: NASCAR unlikely to suspend Carl Edwards: NASCAR’s first take on the latest round in the long-lingering Brad Keselowski-Carl Edwards feud? And feud apparently isn’t too strong a term here, considering the carnage involved. Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s competition director, said it will take a few days to ponder just what is going on here. “It looked like it could have been a payback,” Pemberton said of Edward’s final clip. “We talked with Carl after the race, and we have an understanding about it, and we will talk internally again as a group Monday or Tuesday this week, and make any decision if there will be any other actions we will take.” What options are at hand? Suspension, perhaps, though that has rarely been used at the Cup level, particularly when a major star like Edwards is at stake. “I’m not going to speculate at this time,” Pemberton replied. (MikeMulhern.net)

NASCAR to announce any additional penalties against Edwards on Tuesday: Brad Keselowski called for fellow Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards to be suspended for at least one race after Edwards wrecked him Sunday in the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. But Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition for NASCAR, said the governing body would take its time in examining all the facts before deciding what to do with Edwards, whose No. 99 Roush Fenway Ford was ordered to the garage after wrecking the No. 12 of Keselowski and sending it airborne on the frontstretch on Lap 323 of what was a scheduled 325-lap event. Pemberton and other NASCAR officials, including president Mike Helton, met with Edwards following Sunday's race -- but Pemberton said they would discuss the incident further "internally" on Monday and Tuesday before announcing any additional penalties for Edwards by late Tuesday afternoon. "It looked like it could have been a payback from the No. 99 on the No. 12," Pemberton said. The two drivers got together earlier during Sunday's race when they bumped on Lap 41 and Edwards ended up getting shoved into the No. 20 Toyota of Joey Logano, effectively ruining both of their days. Keselowski, meanwhile, drove away from that incident and went on to put together a solid run for the day while Edwards spent much of the afternoon having his car repaired in the garage. Edwards returned to the track on Lap 190 after spending 150 laps in the garage, and appeared to purposely wreck Keselowski when Keselowski appeared headed for a top-five finish. "To come back and intentionally wreck someone, that's not cool," Keselowski said. "You could have killed someone in the grandstands. I know that it's a little ironic that it's me saying that, but at least I didn't do it intentionally [when it happened at Talladega]. It will be interesting to see how NASCAR reacts to it. They have the ball. If they're going to allow people to intentionally wreck each other at tracks this fast, we will hurt someone either in the cars or in the grandstands. It's not cool to wreck someone at 195 mph." Pemberton indicated that Edwards more or less admitted in the post-race meeting with NASCAR officials that he intended to wreck Keselowski, but that he did not mean to send him airborne. Keselowski's car ended up landing upside down, nearly crushing in the driver's side of the roof, and was completely destroyed in the aftermath. Keselowski was shaken up after the wreck and needed assistance getting removed from the car, but eventually was cleared at the AMS infield care center. "Carl said he got into him; he said he didn't expect the result," Pemberton said. Earlier, Edwards spoke briefly with the media and attempted to explain his thinking. "Brad knows the deal between him and I," Edwards said. "The scary part was his car went airborne, which was not at all what I expected. At the end of the day, we're out here to race and people have to have respect for one another and I have a lot of respect for people's safety. I wish it wouldn't have gone like it did, but I'm glad he's OK and we'll just go on and race some more and maybe him and I won't get in any more incidents together. That would be the best thing." Keselowski told reporters that he believed Edwards took "three swipes" at him before connecting, and that Edwards deserves to be suspended for at least one race. He also defended what had occurred during their first incident Sunday. "He cut down on me on a restart and I lifted; I couldn't lift fast enough for him," Keselowski said. "I lifted for him to let him in, but I was there. I don't know what more you can do. "[Keep the] car low, that's what they say. So I was underneath him, tried to cut him a break. It was too late, though; he turned down. I apologized to him, but there was nothing that I could do in that situation."(NASCAR.com)

SMI extends deal with Coca-Cola: Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Coca-Cola North America are extending their long-term partnership through 2015, ensuring NASCAR fans who visit premier speedways in locations such as Charlotte, Atlanta and Las Vegas can open a Coke and Open Happiness as they cheer on their favorite drivers. (Business Wire)

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "We're just running into some bad luck": For balance, we give you Dale Earnhardt Jr. He lost again. He started first and ran in the 30s much of the day. He finished 15th, the benefit of late caution flags. Earnhardt’s not in a slump anymore. He passed slump about 37 excuses ago. He has failed to win in 61 straight races. He has won once in the last 138 starts. The big problem with this is the Sprint Cup circuit is devoid of a great rivalry. Earnhardt, one of the sport’s biggest personalities, could provide that, if only he could remember how to drive. He started on the pole Sunday. He never led a lap. I’m no racing expert, but how do you win the pole and never lead a lap? I’ve seen dudes with road rage on 285 who have better passing instincts. “We’re just running into some bad luck,” Earnhardt maintained. “We’re just not getting it done. We’ll get it done. When it happens, it happens. We’re just not the best team right now.” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

More question arise about Goodyear's tires: Goodyear is facing more questions about the quality of its tires. At least a dozen drivers were affected by tire problems during Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, stirring up complaints that Goodyear supplied a compound that was good for speed but low on durability at the high-banked track. "When they come here and test, you expect them to build a tire that we can abuse and that we can race hard with," said Jeff Gordon, one of those affected. "That obviously wasn't the case. There is a good chance we were too aggressive, but until we go back and analyze everything it's hard to say." Ryan Newman also chimed in. "Goodyear's got some work to do," he said. "It's a safety situation. We popped one. There are a lot of guys who popped one." Race winner Kurt Busch didn't have any problems. He was conscious of protecting his tires after Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified for the pole with the fastest speed of the Car of Tomorrow era. "When you have that happen, that means the tires are really grabbing hold of the racetrack," Busch said. "That means you're going to have speed. And when you have speed on a track that's very abrasive, yeah, you're going to be worried about tires, whether it's blistering of the right front, blistering the right rear. You have to find that right combination." Goodyear racing chief Stu Grant defended the quality of the tire. "It's a tire the guys are happy to run on," he said. "They're comfortable and they're fast if the setup is good. The leaders are running great. If you look at (Kasey Kahne) and (Busch), their tires have looked great all day." Kahne finished fourth.(Associated Press/ESPN)

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Kyle Busch not heppy with Said: Kyle Busch walked away from a banged-up car shaking his head, clearly miffed about a scrape in the final practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Busch tangled with Boris Said coming onto the back straightaway and was forced to park his Toyota after getting in 37 practice laps. While the damage around the right rear tire was mainly cosmetic, that didn't improve Busch's mood. "You've got guys who don't belong out there," he said. "He's off the pace at every track we've been to. But he keeps getting in on owner points." Said drives for Latitude 43 Motorsports, a new venture started by a Vermont businessman who bought the No. 26 team from Roush Fenway Racing, inheriting its points from a year ago. Since that team finished 22nd in the Cup standings, Said is guaranteed entry into the first five races of 2010. "I'm out there minding my own business, running my car at the bottom of the track," Busch said. "He's at the top, then all of a sudden he wants to run in the middle on the straightaway. Usually if you're running at the top, you stay up there." Said, who's gotten into the last three races based on his owner points, managed only two laps in his final tuneup for the race. He was next-to-last on the speed chart, beating out rookie Kevin Conway.(ESPN.com)

Tire trouble at Atlanta? The big question mark for most drivers heading into this weekend's Kobalt Tools 500 remains the tires. After repeated complaints about tire wear in Atlanta, Goodyear has brought another combination for Sunday's race. "Goodyear's hardest job is to figure out what makes the best race," Burton said. "When you have 40 drivers, you have 40 opinions. For me, I like a tire that makes good grip and keeps a fair amount of grip during the run." Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr. and Sam Hornish spent two January days testing for Goodyear at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and all of them agreed that the new tire should offer better grip  and in turn, much better racing  than in recent memory. "Goodyear brought a tire that will be an improvement over what we had last fall," Martin said Friday. "The cool weather is going to be favorable for the cars' handling, and this multi-groove race track makes for a lot of fun."(AMS PR)

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Keyed Up Motorsports severes ties with Key Motorsports: As of this past Monday, Raymond Key's No. 90 Keyed Up team officially severed ties with the more-established Key Motorsports one that has run in the Nationwide and Truck Series, owned by brother Curtis Key. This upheaval has forced Keyed Up to move to Tommy Baldwin Racing's old shop, meaning less time was spent this past week on refining equipment the team already had to try and get their No. 90 Chevys up to speed... despite the mvoe, Keyed Up Motorsports' future itself remains a bit uncertain. Without funding, the team eventually will not be able to run each week. One source within the organization says if funding and performance do not soon turn a corner, the No. 90 may find its schedule trimmed back to around a dozen races.(Frontstretch.com)

NASCAR to honor Wendell Scott: NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series vehicles will carry a special commemorative decal honoring Wendell Scott's first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start on March 4, 1961. Wendell was a racing pioneer, becoming the first African-American to win a race in NASCAR's premier series on Dec. 1, 1963."This is enormous for our family in so many ways," Sybil Scott said. "(My father) would want the young drivers coming up today to be inspired." Ryan Gifford, one of the Drive for Diversity participants, visited with Scott's family earlier this year for the reality show Changing Lanes, and he said the experience humbled him. "It really showed me what he went through to open the door for someone like myself," Scott said. "I couldn't be more grateful." And that's what Sybil Scott hopes her father's true legacy is: creating opportunities for future minority drivers. "Daddy's legacy is through the diversity program," Sybil Scott said. "The doors are open pretty wide right now, I feel very strongly. "I can only look at these drivers and think of how my dad would be their greatest fan. He would be out there encouraging them and would want others to be supportive. That's how to keep Daddy's legacy alive."(AMS)

Braun Racing to debut in Cup series at Texas: The No. 32 Dollar General team will make its next attempt at Sprint Cup racing at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) in April. Given the fact that NASCAR is doing away with the wing and returning to the spoiler on the NSCS car, team owner Todd Braun and crew chief, Trent Owens, both agreed that it made more sense to skip this weekend's Atlanta race and focus on the changing technology. The open test session at Charlotte Motor Speedway (March 23-24) will give the new NSCS team the chance to test for the April, 18 event at TMS.(Braun Racing)

The latest on rear spoiler: There are still many unknowns in the advent of the transition from wings to spoilers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but the pieces are coming together. Teams have received retro-fit pieces to adjust the template grids for the change from the wing to the spoiler which will measure four inches on intermediate and down force tracks and 4.5-inches at Talladega and Daytona. A two-inch "ear" will be at the ends of 64.5-inch spoiler for Talladega similar to the construction on the truck spoilers. All spoilers will mount on to the cars at exactly 70-degrees without adjustability, thereby preventing modification by individual teams. Although NASCAR is preparing for the roll out of the new spoilers at Martinsville Speedway on March 26, teams will be responsible for manufacturing their own spoilers for the test scheduled on March 16th at Talladega Speedway. NASCAR template guru Billy Berkheimer anticipates each team having at least two spoilers by the time NASCAR rolls into Charlotte Motor Speedway for the test following Bristol on March 22nd. Spoilers will be distributed to teams at the same time so one team does not gain an advantage over another. Following the initial distribution, teams will be able to place orders for additional spoilers. Despite initial wind tunnel reports of the spoiler providing more downforce than the wing on the new car, Berkheimer said, "If this works the way I expect it will, the downforce numbers will the same with the spoiler and the wing." Most of the top organizations have tested cars with spoilers at tracks such as Walt Disney World Speedway (1 mile), Rockingham Speedway (1.017 mile) and Little Rock (0.526 mile).(FOXSports)