NASCAR Current News

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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Dale Earnhardt Jr. not tweeting: Where other drivers and race teams have started to use social networking sites such as Twitter, MySpace and Facebook as a way to stay in touch with their fans, Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to buck the trend. "I don't have anything on Twitter as far as I know of," Earnhardt said. "There's tons of imposters out there. I don't have a MySpace, a Twitter or none of that crap. There's a bunch of imposters out there, though, that you have to beware of. "I really would never get into social networking -- it's just a dangerous area to be involved in, especially if you're high profile, so I think it's smart for me to stay in the regular social networks -- the ones I can see, you know." (Superior Telegram)

Robby Gordon unhappy with Waltrip: Robby Gordon wasn't pleased with Michael Waltrip after contact with the No. 55 Toyota sent Gordon into the wall. "I'm really looking forward to having a new driver in the 55 next year," Gordon grumbled. Waltrip owns his car, but said before the start of the season that he'll retire at the end of the year if he's not competitive. "I don't know what Michael was doing," Gordon said, "but he just ran us over." (Charleston Daily Mail)

Which NASCAR rookie drivers are testing? Joey Logano spent Tuesday testing in Rockingham, N.C., after about six hours at Virginia International Raceway on Monday. Any extra time at tracks that resemble Cup tracks helps. He’s also tested at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida. A testing overhaul isn’t Red Bull Racing’s strategy. Scott Speed spent Tuesday hanging out at Sea World in Orlando, getting spit at by a Beluga whale. The No. 82 Red Bull Toyota team, he said, hasn’t done any testing at non-NASCAR sanctioned tracks, and doesn’t think that would help. The tracks, he said, are much too different. (Boston Herald)

Roush: No decision made on 2010 driver lineup: Team co-owner Jack Roush said Friday that no decision had been made regarding what his organization’s NASCAR Sprint Cup team lineup would look like in 2010. Jamie McMurray, currently one of five Roush Fenway Racing Cup drivers, has been mentioned in media reports as the likely choice to go elsewhere, most likely to join Yates Racing next season. “That is premature,” Roush said of one recent report which said McMurray’s team was expected to be dumped. “And if I had something to announce, there would be something written on the shelf back there [in the media center]. “We’re not thinking about next year yet, we’re thinking about this year. Certainly there was nothing that has happened in the last week that is noteworthy or newsworthy and I wouldn’t care to speculate.” (SceneDaily.com)

Saturday, April 18, 2009

MIS plans multi-million dollar upgrades : Michigan International Speedway plans a $17 million renovation of its terrace suites and media center. Demolition and construction will begin after the Sprint Cup race in mid-August, and officials say that the track will be ready for the 2010 season. The plan calls for 30 corporate suites on the second floor, including movable walls so the size of suites can be adjusted. The first floor will house a media, technology and meeting center and rooms for press conferences and team meetings. The project also calls for modifying pit road and the fire lane and moving the fueling station. (Winston-Salem Journal)

Earnhardt Jr. comments on No. 8: Per-General Motors PR.. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. offers his comments the No. 8.

IS IT SAD THAT THERE IS NO NUMBER EIGHT AT THE TRACK THIS WEEKEND? “I’m pretty sad, but I don’t think it will be gone for long. I read a lot of the input that you guys (media) had all week and sort of got the temperature of what the press was thinking and what the fans were thinking. The one thing that I kept thinking about when I was reading those articles was how glad I was that Robert (Yates) and Doug (Yates) and everybody at Yates -- that they were willing to work with me on the 88 because I don’t have any malice about what Teresa’s (Earnhardt) decision was on keeping that number.

“If I was in her shoes I probably would have done the exact same thing and that has been the case with every other owner in the past. That’s what the understanding is that the number belongs to them and I understood that. I really wasn’t as upset about it as a lot of people probably thought I was and it wasn’t as ugly of a situation as a lot of people felt like it was. I was glad that I found Robert (Yates) and the guys willing to talk about the 88 because that was a number with a ton of history and something that I could really wrap my hands around and get excited about. The eight will be back and someone else will add to it and do something great with it and hopefully it’s Ganassi and Teresa (Earnhardt). Hopefully they can get it back on the race track and I wouldn’t ever count them out. It’s a tough economy. I just wish them all the success and I wish that they will get that car funded to where Aric (Almirola) can get back on the race track, he’s a super guy and needs to be out on the race track with us and I think it’s small pieces to the puzzle really. I don’t think it’s something that’s going to be permanent, hopefully.”

DO YOU THINK YOUR GRANDMA (MARTHA EARNHARDT) IS UPSET ABOUT THE NUMBER NOT BEING HERE? “No, not at all. She especially, we have been around this sport for a long time and you have to get used to change and I’ve worked with a lot of different people. Some I wish today I was still working with, but circumstances prevented that and you have to be able to let go of that and move on and try to do the best you can. That’s the same way in every situation in this sport. Yes I wish I would have never had to have changed numbers -- I had to under the circumstances and I am happy to have the opportunity to use the 88 and I hope I do a good job with it for all the guys that have used it in the past. That’s really the only thing that I think about right now. Having that number there’s a little bit of responsibility with it because it was pretty historic so I must concentrate on that, you know?”(GM PR)

Motorsports agent, Helio Castroneves acquitted: Brazilian race car driver and "Dancing With The Stars" champ Helio Castroneves was acquitted Friday of most charges that he worked with his sister and lawyer to evade more than $2.3 million in U.S. income taxes. A federal jury acquitted Castroneves on six counts of tax evasion but was hung on one count of conspiracy. When the sentence was read, Castroneves broke into sobs and leaned against his attorneys for support. "I just want to thank God and my fans, and all of the people who prayed for me," he said outside the courtroom in his native Portuguese, still fingering a rosary. The jury also acquitted Katiucia Castroneves, 35, who is her 33-year-old brother's business manager, on the tax evasion counts but also hung on the conspiracy charge. Michigan motorsports attorney Alan Miller, 71, was acquitted on all three counts of tax evasion and one count of conspiracy. The deliberations took six days after a six-week trial. (Associated Press/ESPN.com)

Friday, April 17, 2009

Official: RPM exercises option to keep Allmendinger through 2010: Richard Petty Motorsports announced today AJ Allmendinger will race for the team in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. “This was an easy decision for Richard Petty Motorsports,” said Tom Reddin, the team’s chief executive officer. “AJ has done a superb job, both on and off the track in 2009. We want to let everyone know that he’s going to be a vital part of Richard Petty Motorsports for what we believe will be a long-term, winning relationship.” The Petty team signed Allmendinger before the start of the 2009 season with plans to run the Bud Shootout and the first eight point races. Allmendinger finished fifth in the preseason Bud Shootout, and posted a third-place finish in the Daytona 500 and a ninth-place finish at Martinsville. He was the only driver without a guaranteed starting spot to qualify for all of the races in 2009. Sponsorship from Dodge, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Valvoline, Harrah’s, Super 8, the Paralyzed Veterans of America and Charter Communications extended Allmendinger’s schedule through the Sept. 12 Richmond race. Reddin said he is confident the team will secure the sponsorship needed to extend the number of races the 27-year-old Californian will run in 2009 for the full season. Allmendinger is 20th in points but only 104 points out of the 12th and final “Chase” position. “I’m thrilled about this,” Allmendinger said. “Racers are no different than anyone else. We like to know we have a job. I’m very thankful to be where I am and I expect we will keep running better and better each weekend. I think I have found a long-term home at Richard Petty Motorsports.”(RPM PR)

Ky. Busch upset with team performance: Kyle Busch is critical of himself when he assesses his season to this point. "We were terrible at Martinsville and Atlanta, so we know that we have more work to do," Busch said. "This year seems as if a guy hits it, he really, really hits it. Say, in Atlanta, Kurt (Busch) led the most laps and he really hit it there. He was really good. We hit it at Bristol, we were really good. … It looked like Jimmie (Johnson), Denny (Hamlin) and Jeff (Gordon) really had it at Martinsville. When you look at things, there are a lot of guys who are competitive week in and week out, but it seems like it's the same guys who are the top five week in and week out. It's hard for me at Martinsville, for some reason, to run well. We struggled there." (USA Today)

Burton may only race 3 or 4 more years: Jeff Burton, who scored the first of his career 21 Cup victories at TMS in Fort Worth in April 1997, will turn 42 at the end of June. But anyone looking to label Burton as an "aging rock star" had better reconsider. "One thing that I found, I've always been concerned as I get older, what does that mean to my competitive drive, because I've had people tell me all my life when you get older, you're not as competitive, you can't have the success," Burton said. "I find the exact opposite. When I look at my career, it's very clear to me that I have way less ahead of me than I had behind me. I don't know how many times I'm going to go to Phoenix. I may only go to Phoenix for three or four more years. I don't know. I want to go for 10 more years, but I don't know if I'll be able to." (RacinToday.com)

J.D. Gibbs gives Logano vote of confidence: Rumors earlier this month that Joe Gibbs Racing considered replacing Joey Logano with Martin Truex Jr. didn't reach Logano until Joe Gibbs told the rookie they weren't true. "I like this saying: the brighter the spotlight on you, the more bugs it attracts," Logano said. "The more people are going to talk about you, the more all that's going to happen. ... If people want to make stuff up that's fine." Since then, the organization has emphasized its confidence in the 18-year-old's future. "Watching everything he's done up to this point, he's really gifted," said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. "He's the guy; we feel like he's the guy of the future." (Orlando Sentinel)

Hendrick not splitting up Earnhardt and Eury: Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 16th in points, with a best finish of eighth, so some fans have been calling for his cousin Tony Eury Jr. to be replaced as crew chief. Team owner Rick Hendrick says no. "Both of these guys have told me that if I thought they need to be split, that they understood," Hendrick explained. "That's my call, and I'm not ready to make that call, not even close . . . I'm convinced that they are better together." Earnhardt, with two Cup wins at PIR, has been defending Eury almost weekly. "Whether we are the perfect combination or not, that doesn't mean anything to me," he said. "I just like racing with him." (Arizona Republic)

RPM signs Allmendinger through 2010: Richard Petty Motorsports has picked up the option on AJ Allmendinger's contract, sources told FOXSports.com, locking up the driver through 2010. According to multiple sources, Joe Gibbs Racing had inquired about Allmendinger's status as they consider starting up a fourth team. RPM had an Aug. 15 deadline to pick up Allmendinger's option for 2010. (FOXSports.com)

MAPEI on No. 7 RGM at Phoenix: The No. 7 Toyota of Robby Gordon will display the familiar yellow and blue MAPEI / Menards colors for the first time this season at Phoenix International Raceway. Saturday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 will mark Gordon’s 14th start at the ultra-fast mile oval. He owns two top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and also has one win in the CART Series at PIR. “We are also excited to have MAPEI return as a primary sponsor for Robby Gordon Motorsports this year. We expect good things from this car and our team for their 2009 debut this weekend,” commented Robby Gordon.(RGM PR)

Fan gets Ford test drive with Matt Kenseth : As part of Ford Racing’s We Race. You Win. national sweepstakes, Chuck Fountain was visited at his home in suburban Minneapolis by Matt Kenseth, and the two spent Tuesday afternoon drivin’ around town. Now, Ol’ Steady Matty won the Daytona 500 this year and the series championship in 2003, so, obviously, he knows a little somethin’ about quality cars—and, especially, how to drive ’em. And, on that day, Matt and Chuck didn’t even need any snow tires. The weather could not have been better: 65 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Not a one. They drove in and around Chuck’s hometown in a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, and then stopped off at a nearby quarter-mile track to put a 2010 Ford Fusion Sport through its paces. They even had time to have lunch with the mayor. The We Race. You Win. sweepstakes is a pretty cool deal and is continuing’ throughout the season. Again, each time a Ford driver wins a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points event in 2009, one lucky fan and a guest will win an all-expenses paid trip to Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway from November 20th to the 22nd. During the race weekend, one of those fans will win the grand prize of a 2010 Ford Fusion. Fans can register online, and, in addition to the grand prize, will also be eligible for one of 10 random monthly drawings of Ford Racing themed prizes, including autographed helmets, apparel packs and more. So, additionally, Chuck has won one of those trips to Ford Championship Weekend, as of right now, he has a 50-50 chance of winnin’ the grand prize. Headin’ into this weekend’s race at Phoenix, where Kenseth won in 2002, Ford racers have won twice—both by Ol’ Steady Matty. (FordRacing.com)

Fans vote-in your favorite driver into All-Star race: Whoever receives the most votes will race in the All-Star Challenge on May 16th. Fans can also vote by texting the word "NASCAR" to "7777" on their Sprint Phones or by visiting a Sprint store. Voting begins April 14 and ends on May 16, 2009. Vote and more info at NASCAR.com or Sprint.com.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Danica Patrick considering NASCAR? Danica Patrick has hinted at possibly driving in NASCAR stock-car racing or some other form of motor sports. "It's my job as a race-car driver and a business and a brand to evaluate all of my options," Patrick said. "At the end of the day I'm going with my gut and heart and going to a place where I feel happy and I'm having fun." In any case, "it's always interesting and exciting when a contract year comes up," she added. "I'm not really afraid of change." (LA Times)

Johnson blames younger crew members for slow start: Jimmie Johnson got off to a slow start this season and was 13th after four races before a third place at Bristol, the win at Martinsville and second at Texas. Some changes to his No. 48 Chevy team contributed to the rocky start. “We have some new blood on the race team … young guys who really haven’t been in this environment on a Cup weekend dealing with the best teams and drivers in the business, and it just takes a little while,” Johnson said. “The guys are all very strong mentally and fundamentally with what they do, but there’s nothing like race situations. “We’ve made more mistakes at the start of the season this season than we did last year. Last year the (new) car held us up, and this year we’ve been holding ourselves up. I’ve been caught speeding on pit road like three times, we’ve had some different issues and pit strategy has gone the wrong way. Cautions have come out at the wrong time when we’re on pit road, so in that respect, we’ve made more mistakes, but I think we’re far better performance-wise than we were last year at this time.” (KC Star)

NASCAR doesn't see start-and-park teams as major issue: When it comes to start-and-park, the bottom line appears to be that it's not a major issue to NASCAR, which is usually keenly tuned to the public's perception of the sport. "NASCAR doesn't perceive this to be an issue," a statement released this week by the sanctioning body said. "It doesn't impact the quality of competition whatsoever. NASCAR has always been about teams having the opportunity to participate in our sport; some teams might not have the full complement of resources to compete at the same level as others, but it's all about having an opportunity." Virtually to a man, the owners who seem to be in the middle of the situation see it in the same way, as racers. And NASCAR said it has had no conversations with owners specific to what their intentions are once they qualify for races. Staying in line with its take that the situation is not one of concern, NASCAR said it would not monitor any closer the reasons teams give for the their cars' dropping out of races, which range from a variety of mechanical reasons such as "engine," "transmission" and "rear end" to more nebulous causes including "handling," "vibration" or "electrical." One thing NASCAR did dispel is the misconception that there is language in the current TV contracts for the three national tours that demands 43-car fields in Cup and Nationwide, and a 36-truck field in the Truck Series, with penalties resulting if full fields aren't provided. "It is NASCAR's responsibility to have a reasonable field of cars for each of its events," NASCAR said in a statement. "However, there is no language in the TV contracts that demands what the size of the fields must be."(NASCAR.com)

flipNbags.com to sponsor Cope at All-star event: Derrike Cope, Inc. and Cope/Keller Racing have found the "perfect demographic match" between the flipNbags.com products and NASCAR. flipNbags.com will sponsor Derrike Cope in five of his DCI Nationwide efforts and one Cup event. Cope and the team are eligible for the NASCAR All-Star race weekend to participate in the Showdown at Lowes Motor Speedway and flipNbags.com will be the primary sponsor. Entries into the Camping World Truck Series are also being considered. (PR)

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Stewart had no interest building Cup team from scratch: Stewart was fortunate in the sense the team he now runs was already off the drawing board by the time he took over. Had he started from the ground up, he might already be mentioned in the same breath as those that came before — and failed. “I can’t honestly imagine building an organization from scratch,” Stewart said. “With this opportunity with Haas Automation, the opportunity we’ve had there, if we had to start from scratch, I don’t think we would have tried to take that kind of a task on. But, you know, we got an opportunity to come into an organization that already had pieces in place. It was just a matter of getting the right people in the right places. And I think that made it to where it was a realistic option for us. “But to start from scratch, I don’t think I would have tried to take that on.” (Anderson Independent-Mail)

Craven signs with ESPN: Ricky Craven, who did some round table segments on NASCAR Now for ESPN2 last season, apparently impressed the ESPN brass and accepted a contract offer by the sports network for this season. “I’ll be spending roughly 50 days in Bristol,” said Craven, who has homes in North Carolina and Greenville. In addition to his NASCAR Now work, he will also handle some five-minute bits on ESPN News on race weekends. “It has been great. I’m really enjoying it,” said the 42-year-old Craven, who will be on every Monday night in May as part of his deal. “It has been challenging. It has been good for me. There’s a lot of opportunity if I work hard at it.” (Bangor Daily News)

Charlotte City Council approves companies to produce NASCAR HoF exhibits: Charlotte City Council unanimously approved  $17.7 million worth of contracts Monday night for four companies to produce exhibits for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The city owns the hall of fame under a licensing agreement with NASCAR, and all contracts must be approved by the council. The total exhibit budget is $31 million. The contracts, which were negotiated by executives in the city manager’s office and the hall, were approved without debate. Kubik Maltbie will be the primary fabricator and installer of all exhibits. Its contract, including $1 million in contingency fees, is $9,991,527. Kubik Maltbie’s original asking price was just over $11 million before negotiations with the city. The firm’s past work includes projects at the Smithsonian Institution and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Electrosonic Inc. will do all of the audio-visual components and provide an on-site technician for one year for $6,652,859, including contingency fees of $500,000. Electrosonic’s original bid was about $6 million but did not include $1 million for a video screen and sound on the building’s exterior. (SceneDaily.com)

One of Logano's favorite tracks is Phoenix: Joey Logano on racing at Phoenix "I love Phoenix. It could be one of my favorite tracks, if not my favorite. There's just something about it - I took to that place immediately. I ran the Camping World West race out there and won that. I should have won the Nationwide race out there last year so we have been fast every time we've been there. I got to do the tire test out there in The Home Depot Toyota and it's just a place that I seem to understand well. It's got two different ends - one is real sharp and you have to keep working on your forward drive off that one and the other is sweeping, more like a New Hampshire corner. It's cool and it wears out your tires quite a bit and you have to be smart out there with your tires." (JGR PR)

Andretti to compete in 34 of 36 Cup races: John Andretti wasn't sure how many Sprint Cup races he would enter when Front Row Racing offered him a ride for the Daytona 500. Turns out he will attempt all but two of 36. Andretti plans to miss only two races, the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. He?ll be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for both weekends, one for qualifying and the other for the Indianapolis 500. His replacement for those events hasn't been named.(ESPN.com Insider)

Todd Bodine in No. 64 at Phoenix; Geoff Bodine at Talladega: Just like it has every race weekend, the Gunselman Motorsports No. 64 Toyota team heads to the next event hoping to qualify for the sake of survival and opportunity to compete. The Gunselman Motorsports team has been prepping the all-white No. 64 Toyota for Phoenix the last two weeks to ready for the one-mile oval. Having made three of the seven Sprint Cup races this year, the team will work heavily on qualifying runs during practice on Friday. Then, when it's time to line up with the other "go or go-homers" later that day in qualifying, driver Todd Bodine will utilize his championship skills to make the race. The team will have Geoff Bodine driving the No. 64 Toyota at Talladega Superspeedway. (Gunselman Motorsports PR)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Dale Earnhardt Day set for Friday, May 15th; Preview event April 29: Jeff Steiner, executive vice president and general manager of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. announced plans for the company's eighth annual Dale Earnhardt Day, celebrating the life of seven-time NASCAR Champion Dale Earnhardt, for fans and friends. The celebration will be preceded with a special birthday commemoration on April 29, 2009 from 11:30 a.m, to 1:30 p.m., a preview event for the day-long fan celebration on Friday, May 15, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the day before the Sprint All Star Race at Lowes Motor Speedway. Behind-the-scenes tours, dining in Dale Earnhardt's private dining room - The Trophy Room as well as a unique First Look Dinner on May 14, are all part of this year's events. Festivities will be held at the company's headquarters in Mooresville, North Carolina. Follow plans on Twitter at www.twitter.com/daleday09. A complete schedule of events and additional information is available at: daleearnhardtinc.com(DEI PR)

Despite big losses Sonic Automotive CEO Bruton Smith pay jumps 60%: As chairman and chief executive of Sonic Automotive, Bruton Smith received more than $4.2 million in compensation last year, a nearly 60 percent increase over 2007. Most of that gain, however, was from nearly $2.4 million in exercised stock options, according to a company filing Thursday with federal regulators. Without that, Smith received about $1.8 million – about 30 percent less than in 2007, when he got a much bigger bonus but didn't exercise any options. The Observer counts salary, bonuses, stock awards, gains from exercised options and perks as total pay. A Charlotte-based Fortune 500 company, Sonic is one of the nation's largest auto dealers, with 164 franchises in 15 states. The company and its competitors have been battered in the recession, which has severely curbed vehicle purchases. Sonic last week reported a fourth-quarter loss of $685.6 million, compared with a $23 million profit a year earlier. (ThatsRacin.com)

Jim France steps down as International Speedway Corp. CEO: Jim France will step down as chief executive officer of International Speedway Corporation effective June 1 with Lesa Kennedy succeeding him in that role. Jim France is the son of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., brother of former NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. and uncle of current NASCAR chairman Brian France. Brian France is Lesa Kennedy’s brother. Jim France will retain his role as chairman of ISC’s board of directors. Lesa Kennedy will remain vice chair of the ISC board. “While I will miss being involved in the daily operations of ISC, I will continue to provide strategic oversight and support to Lesa and the rest of the ISC senior management team,” Jim France said in a memo to ISC employees. “Under Lesa’s outstanding leadership, the company’s Board of Directors has every confidence that ISC will remain a dynamic and successful company for many years to come.” (ThatsRacin.com)

Kentucky Speedway trial unlikely to affect 2010 schedule: The likelihood that Kentucky Speedway will be awarded a 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup race has become even more remote because an antitrust lawsuit by the track founders against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. now likely won’t be resolved until July at the earliest. The case, which is in U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, is not included in the hearing calendar finalized Monday for a two-week session beginning April 20. Although the court could still add the case to the schedule, that would be rare in a case such as this one. The next two-week hearing session begins June 8 – the Monday prior to the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the track. (SceneDaily.com)

Morgan-McClure Motorsports set to return to Cup series: Having not competed in Sprint Cup competition since the 2007 season finale, Morgan McClure Motorsports (MMM) will make a return to the circuit in two weeks as they attempt the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. The 2.66-mile speedway is home to four of their 14 Sprint Cup career victories. Nationwide Series regular Eric McClure, will join forces with MMM, piloting the famed No. 4 Chevy for the Aaron's 499 weekend. No stranger to MMM, the 30-year-old driver has competed in two Sprint Cup events and four Nationwide Series events for the organization, earning a best finish of 26th and 22nd respectively. The Hefty brand, featuring its Steel Sak waste bag, will serve as primary sponsor for the event and continue its relationship with McClure that began in 2006 and continues full-time in the Nationwide Series.(Eric McClure PR)

GoDaddy.com to be presenting sponsor of Southern 500: GoDaddy.com, the world's dominant Web hosting domain registrar, has signed on to become the presenting sponsor of the 2009 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, track president Chris Browning announced. The Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com will be run on May 9, 2009. Be a part of history when Darlington Raceway celebrates 60 years of racing in 2009. Tickets to the 2009 Southern 500® presented by GoDaddy.com, as well as the NASCAR Nationwide Series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 are on-sale now. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Darlington Raceway ticket office at 866-459-RACE or online at http://www.darlingtonraceway.com/tickets/.(Darlington Raceway PR)

Monday, April 13, 2009

High price for motor oil: The most advanced piece of technology in a Nascar vehicle these days isn't its engine, its suspension or anything made of carbon fiber. It's the motor oil. Joe Gibbs Racing, a team that owns three top-level Sprint Cup cars, has spent about $1 million a year over the past decade to perfect its motor oil. As a result, its engines have squeezed out an extra 10 horsepower, a roughly 2% increase that can be a serious advantage in Nascar races, where the typical margin of victory is about one second. With Nascar increasingly cracking down on the use of technology in the sport to cut costs, motor oil is one of the last places teams can innovate without restraint. Companies like Shell, Quaker State and Mobil also make special oils packed with synthetic lubricants, new polymers and experimental molecules for the teams they sponsor. Gibbs Racing says it makes up for some of its research costs by selling its own branded oil to amateur auto racers. The team's officials admit it's not the same oil the team's drivers use: Their formula is a secret combination of its retail brands. "I'm not going to give you the whole recipe," says Mr. Speed. (Wall Street Journal)

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Wallace may go Cup racing in 2010: NASCAR Nationwide Series car owner Rusty Wallace said he hopes to move his two-car team to the Sprint Cup Series in 2010. But the situation would have to be perfect. Rusty Wallace Racing fields two Chevrolets, for Brendan Gaughan and Rusty’s son, Steve, in the Nationwide Series. “Ideally, if all the moons lined up, I’d start in 2010,” Wallace said at Nashville Superspeedway, where the Nashville 300 will be held Saturday. “Two cars. I’d want Stephen and Brendan to go right in.” (SceneDaily.com)

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Roush Fenway Racing replaces crew member on No. 99: Roush Fenway Racing driver Carl Edwards said small changes made this week to his NASCAR Sprint Cup pit crew were designed to help his No. 99 team be able to compete for the Cup title this year. Edwards said Friday at Nashville Superspeedway, site of Saturday’s Nashville 300 Nationwide Series race, that one crew member was replaced, and a team spokesman said it was front tire changer Corey Quick. (SceneDaily.com)

Friday, April 10, 2009

Dale Earnhardt Inc. appoints new executives: Dale Earnhardt Inc. President and CEO Teresa Earnhardt announced the appointments of two executive leaders for the company on Thursday. Jeff Steiner was named executive vice president and general manager responsible for the oversight and management of DEI, the Dale Earnhardt Foundation and special initiatives relating to Earnhardt properties.  Steiner began his role at the company on April 1. Chad Warpula was appointed as executive vice president and general counsel for DEI. Warpula will oversee the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates NASCAR Sprint Cup team and handle all legal matters for DEI, EGR and Earnhardt-Childress Racing. Both executives will report to Teresa Earnhardt. (SceneDaily.com)

RPM gets "creative" to pay Allmendinger : How and when A.J. Allmendinger is getting paid by troubled Richard Petty Motorsports depends on how creative your definition of "creative" is. "I am definitely getting paid," Allmendinger said in response to garage-area rumors to the contrary. "But we've had to be creative about it, for sure." Is he plowing all his race winnings back into the financially strapped team? "No, no, definitely not," he said. "We've just got to be creative about it." Sponsorship for six more races was announced this week from Hunt Brothers Pizza, which Allmendinger called "awesome news" in that it assures he'll race through the Sept. 12 event at Richmond, Va. "We've all been kind of taking every week as it comes," said his business manager, Tara Ragan. "We're pretty organic. There isn't even a hard, fast rule [for compensation]." Bottom line, "I'd rather be on the race track running strong than sitting at home," he said. (ESPN.com)