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Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009

White House to host Jimmie Johnson Aug 19th: White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House has been rescheduled for Wednesday, August 19th: "Today's previously scheduled event to honor NASCAR champion had to be rescheduled because the race yesterday was rained out. That event will now be August 19, here at the White House."(Whitehouse.gov)

Impressive crowd at Pocono: Attendance was impressive for a Monday. The grandstand, which is said to seat 60,000, was about two-thirds full. With the infield population down to perhaps one-third of its usual collection of RVs and fans, an estimated 50,000 fans total were present. (Philadelphia Daily News)

Mike Wallace black flagged for having no crew: Despite the voices in their helmets, drivers may feel alone during a four-plus hour race at Pocono. Aside from a few mechanics in the garage area, Mike Wallace was actually alone out there on Monday. Wallace received a black flag from NASCAR officials for not having a pit crew. His No. 64 Air Combat USA/Fred's Toyota completed just 13 laps before returning to the garage area, where he packed up and left. Wallace has been racing in the Sprint Cup since 1991, but has only participated in more than 20 races in one season five times.(Pocono Record)

Montoya optimistic about making the Chase: With Watkins Glenn coming up this week, Juan Pablo Montoya's chances of making the Chase are starting to look pretty good. "If we get a top five out of (Watkins Glen), the points for the Chase would be huge," Montoya said. "Let's get into the Chase and then let's have some fun. I think we got fast racecars. I think if we make it, we might have a shot at this." (Kingsport Times-News)

For some Cup drivers Pocono reminded them of Talladega: With race cars frequently three-wide on the track, the situation reminded some observers of racing at Talladega. Explaining a couple of late-race multicar wrecks, Jeff Gordon, who finished eighth, said: "I can't explain to you how insane it was out there. I mean it was just nuts. I saw so many guys rubbing, banging, smokin' sideways, three-wide, four-wide, and I was right in the middle of it at times." (Philadelphia Daily News)

Monday, Aug. 3, 2009

Kasey Kahne to Michael Waltrip Racing? Motorsports reporter Mike Mulhern was reporting that despite winning at Sonoma on June 21, Kahne could end up in a Toyota before the end of the season. Petty has been coy as to whether that rumor will bear out. However even if Kahne doesn't end up in a Toyota this season, he may very well be in one next season ... with Michael Waltrip Racing. If RPM is unable to get its finances in order, they may just have to cut Kahne loose. But if that's the case, you could expect more suitors for Kahne's services other than MWR.  (CBSSports.com - NASCAR Silly Season)

Carpentier in for Waltrip at Watkins Glen: Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) announced that Patrick Carpentier will return to the driver's seat of the No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota for driver Michael Waltrip at the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Watkins Glen International. Earlier this season, the Canadian driver produced an 11th-place finish for Waltrip at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. "Patrick is being rewarded for perserverence," said Waltrip, who has 22 starts that equate to one top-five, four top-10 and 14 top-20 finishes at the 2.45-mile road course. "At Sonoma, he drove for me and started out with a car he wasn't happy with. He worked with my crew chief Bootie (Barker) and my NAPA boys to get an 11th-place finish. We also had a little deal on the side. If he was able to finish solidly at Infineon Raceway and he deemed the experience of working with my team as fun and wanted to do again, then he and I would ask NAPA to allow him to drive again. We all agreed so Patrick will drive the No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota for NAPA and me at Watkins Glen." The NAPA Auto Parts team prepared for the upcoming event by testing with Carpentier at Virginia International Raceway on July 22nd.(Michael Waltrip Racing)

JTG Daugherty Racing reups with MWR: Tad Geschickter, owner of the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota that Marcos Ambrose drives in the Sprint Cup Series, has agreed in principle to extend his partnership with Michael Waltrip Racing into 2010. An announcement is expected next week along with additional sponsorship for the car. Ambrose originally signed a five-year deal with Geschickter which runs until 2011, but given the driver's accelerated learning curve, don't be surprised if that contract isn't extended as well.(FoxSports)

Richard Petty Motorsports Shakeup? The Nos. 43 and 44 teams at Richard Petty Motorsports will change crew chiefs and crews following the race at Watkins Glen. According to team sources, drivers Reed Sorenson and AJ Allmendinger will remain with their respective car numbers and sponsors. However, Mike Shiplett will now oversee the No. 44 Dodge with Allmendinger and Sammy Johns will be the crew chief for Sorenson and the No. 43 squad. The cars and equipment will remain with the crew chiefs.(FOXSports.com)

Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009

Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway has been posted poned till Monday due to rain.

Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009

Jimmie Johnson set to meet President Barack Obama: Reigning Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is finally going to get his White House visit for winning the 2009 title but he’s going to have company. The White House press secretary’s office announced late Friday that President Barack Obama will host a gathering Monday afternoon on the South Portico of the White House with Johnson, all the members of last year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup field as well as some former series champions, including Dale Jarrett and Darrell Waltrip. Also on hand for the 4:30 p.m. meeting will be one of Johnson’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets. “It’s a big honor for our sport to go to the White House. With the way things have changed in the automotive industry, I think it will be good to go up and be face-to-face with the president and let him see the personalities and understand that we’re real people and a real sport,” said Johnson. (ThatsRacin.com)

Stewart wrecks in Saturday AM practice: Tony Stewart, scheduled to start first in the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday after qualifying was rained out, wrecked just a few minutes into Saturday's first practice. Stewart got loose between turn 2 and 3, hit the wall and spun around, doing serious damage to the right side and rear end of the No. 14 Old Spice Swagger Chevy. The team pulled out the backup car and Stewart will have to fall to the rear of the field before the green flag on Sunday. Stewart had the same problem at Pocono back in June. Qualifying was rained out, so Stewart started first as the points leader. Stewart wrecked in practice and went to a back, started at the rear of the field and won the race. (PR)

Friday, July 31, 2009

John Andretti set to make 500th start in big league racing: John Andretti will make his 500th start in Sunday’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500.  It’s a roundabout tally, though. Andretti, whose uncle (Mario Andretti) was once World Driving Champion, has competed in 376 Cup, 37 Nationwide, six Truck, 73 CART/ChampCar and seven IndyCar/IRL races. The Pocono 500 will thus be Cup race No. 377 and No. 500 overall. (Shelby Star)

Richard Petty Motorsports denies dropping to three cars: A Richard Petty Motorsports spokesman Friday emphatically denied rumors that would be replacing Reed Sorenson in the No. 43 Dodge this season. Allmendinger's No. 44 has been struggling to find full sponsorship all year, fueling speculation that if RPM needed to downsize, Sorenson would be the odd man out. Sorenson, whose only top-10 finish this season came in the season-opening Daytona 500, is 26th in the Sprint Cup standings, while Allmendinger is 27th. A note on Ford Racing's Web site earlier this week mentioned the possibility that Petty would shut down the No. 44 when its current sponsorship commitments end after Richmond. "We'll be running four cars all year," RPM director of media relations Drew Brown said. (Yahoo! Sports)

Humpy Wheeler: Too many drivers are points racing: Wheeler advises NASCAR to look beyond the battered economy as a major reason for the decline in attendance. "When a sport creates a lot of new fans, the most difficult thing to do is keep them," he said. "What happens on the race track has more to do with it than anything. If you have dull baseball games, sooner or later people will lose interest. "Too many guys are racing for points. I've never seen a fan buy a ticket to a points race. You need a points race, but you need to gear it to leading and winning. "Double-file restarts will help, but when races run 3 hours you need excitement the whole time. If movies weren't exciting or entertaining from start to finish theaters would die." (Philadelphia Daily News)

Pocono Raceway plans to create solar power project: Pocono Raceway, which hosts two Nascar Sprint Cup races each year, plans to construct the world's largest solar energy project at a sports facility. Track officials said they would announce the project with a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, two days before the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at the track in Long Pond, Pa. (New York Times)

Johnson surpised by his own consistency: Even in a sport that handsomely rewards consistency, even Jimmie Johnson finds it hard to believe that he's been able to perform so well for so long. "In some ways I am shocked and surprised," said Johnson, who is second in the standings heading into Sunday's Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. "I know all the work that goes into it. On that front, we work very hard to be competitive. But it still surprises me." (Pocono Record)

Hornish looking to stay in stock car racing: While fans, sponsors and team owners wait for Danica Patrick to weigh her options - remain in IndyCar or test the waters with NASCAR - Sam Hornish Jr. is resolute in his career choice. That's why Hornish, despite struggling to find traction in his second full Sprint Cup Series campaign, will be at Pocono Raceway today preparing the No. 77 Dodge for Sunday's Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. "I'm waiting for the 'When are you going back to IndyCar?' questions to end," Hornish said with a sigh. "I do know that the better we do over here, the less of those questions that I get. I came to [NASCAR] to finish out my career being a stock car driver." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Lowe's to end sponsorship of speedway: Lowe’s has decided not to renew its naming-rights deal at Lowe’s Motor Speedway after this year, ending an 11-year relationship that began as the first racetrack naming-rights sponsorship. After more than a year of renewal talks, the home improvement retailer informed Speedway Motorsports Inc., the track’s parent company, of its decision within the last two weeks, industry sources said. The initial 10-year, $35 million deal ran through 2008 and last year the two sides agreed on a one-year extension through 2009 when they could not finalize a long-term deal. Talks continued this year, but the two sides have not been able to reach an agreement. Sources said it’s not inconceivable for Lowe’s to change its mind, given that five months remain on the current deal and the unpredictable nature of the economy, but such a change of heart is considered unlikely. (Sports Busines Journal)

Patrick taking time to decide future: Danica Patrick is in no hurry to make a decision about her racing future. The IndyCar star is in the final year of her contract with the Andretti-Green Racing team. She has been considering a jump to stock cars and recently toured several NASCAR shops in North Carolina. Chip Ganassi owns NASCAR and IndyCar teams. He said last week Patrick should stay in the open-wheel series because she's close to making the last step toward a championship. Patrick says she's not surprised by Ganassi's position, but that won't affect her decision. (Associated Press)

DLP on the No. 96 at Pocono: The No. 96 Ford of Bobby Labonte will sport the black DLP paint scheme this weekend at Pocono Raceway. The No. 96 DLP Ford Fusion team will bring chassis RK-609 to Pocono this weekend. This is the same Ford that Labonte raced at Pocono earlier this year.(RYR Racing)

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Tony Stewart to host Chamber Day at Kansas Speedway: Kansas Speedway will play host to its seventh annual Office Depot Chamber Day on Oct. 2, and this year's event will feature NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader Tony Stewart. The event, an opportunity to network with business leaders from more than 30 Kansas City-area chambers of commerce, will take place during Qualifying Day for the Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods. The Chamber Day event is particularly meaningful for Stewart, a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion who has taken on the role of driver/team owner with Stewart-Haas Racing and is sponsored by Office Depot. “I know how challenging it is to build a successful business and how much hard work it takes,” said Stewart, who won the 2006 Cup race at Kansas Speedway. (KC Star)

Darlington Raceway to cut ticket prices: Darlington Raceway has trimmed ticket prices on more than half of its seats for its 2010 NASCAR race in light of continuing tough economic times. Darlington president Chris Browning told The Associated Press on Thursday that the track "Too Tough To Tame" would offer reduced prices on about 35,000 seats for next year's Southern 500. Add that to the 9,000 or so seats reduced by $10 for last May's event, and 44,000 of the track's 62,000 would cost less than they did in 2008. Darlington came within 3,000 tickets of a fifth straight sellout this spring, a strong showing in a region afflicted with 12 percent unemployment. But Browning said officials didn't want to just hold the line and pray more prosperous times were ahead by May. "We kicked around a whole lot of different scenarios," he said by phone, "and at the end of the day, we felt like this was the right thing to do." (USA Today)

Jimmie Johnson's NYC condo listed at 4.34 million: Celebrity Nascar driver Jimmie Johnson, a three-time champion of the Sprint Cup series, is asking $4.34 million for his New York condominium. In 2007, Mr. Johnson paid $3.98 million for the 3,200-square foot loft. In New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, the three-bedroom apartment has 3.5 baths and an open-plan living and dining room. The doorman building has a private gym. (Wall Street Journal)

NASCAR has no issue with Delaware sports betting: While the majority of the major US sports leagues go into a frenzy over pending sports betting in Delaware, officials at NASCAR say the potential of gambling corruption is minimal, and they aren't worried about the new law affecting their sport in any way. Unlike the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, and the money-making top division of the NCAA, NASCAR does actually conduct business in Delaware. The auto racing circuit runs twice a year in Dover, but confesses no concern over the implications of legal sports betting. "NASCAR has no issue with Delaware's proposed law for sports betting," NASCAR Managing Director of Corporate Communications Ramsey Poston told Full Throttle Autos Online. (Online Casino Advisory)

NASCAR vs Kentucky Speedway heads to trial: The former owners of the Kentucky Speedway are asking a federal appeals court for a green flag to pursue their antitrust claim against NASCAR. "They were squeezed out," attorney Stan Chesley, who helped file the lawsuit in 2005, said after arguments Thursday in front of a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A lower-court judge last year rejected the speedway's claim that the racing body and a sister company that operates tracks and promotes races have conspired to monopolize control over who gets the top stock car events. The Kentucky track, some 40 miles south of Cincinnati, has new ownership that wants the case ended to help its chances of gaining a coveted NASCAR Sprint Cup race. But Chesley said there are important issues for a trial, and that the former owners also want hundreds of millions in damages. "People have the right to have their case heard in court," Chesley said. NASCAR attorney David Boies said the lawsuit against the racing body and its International Speedway Corp. represented impatience by the Kentucky Speedway to get a Sprint Cup race. "They want one. Everyone wants one," Boies told the judges. Rule said the new Kentucky Speedway owners, Speedway Motorsports Inc., were co-conspirators. Boies told the judges there was no evidence of that claim. "Like other sports - the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA - NASCAR has the right to create its schedule and host events where it wants to," said NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston.(Associated Press)

Edwards: Hendrick Motorsports has closed the gap: Hendrick Motorsports is batting .400, having won eight of the 20 Sprint Cup races this season. That already matches the organization's number of wins in 2008 and has rival teams scrambling to close the gap before the Chase begins. "There are no big gaps anymore," said Carl Edwards, who won a series-most nine races last year but is still looking for his first 2009 win for Roush-Fenway Racing. "But whatever gap (Hendrick) has is just enough to be pretty strong." Though Tony Stewart, of his newly formed Stewart-Haas Racing, leads the standings heading into Sunday's Pennsylvania 500, Hendrick drivers Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are running second and third. (KC Star)

Mayfield sued by stepmother: Lisa Mayfield is seeking damages against her stepson, suspended Sprint Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield, for public comments he made in regard to his civil case against NASCAR, according to court documents. Lisa Mayfield is seeking compensatory damages in excess of $10,000, punitive damages in excess of $10,000 and any other "relief as the court may deem just and proper." The complaint was filed Wednesday in the Iredell County Civil court in Statesville.( ESPN.com)

Kyle Busch the NASCAR team owner? Kyle Busch discussed his interest in being a team owner in one of NASCAR's top series "down the road." From what we are hearing, "down the road" might mean 2010. There have been rumors in the past about Kyle Busch either buying out current Truck Series owner Billy Ballew or starting his own team from scratch. Busch has been driving trucks for Ballew since the 2005 season, and it is widely known that he is not paid by BBM and takes none of the winnings. Now it appears that Busch could be competing against Ballew next season.(NASCAR Insiders)

Jack Daniels leaving RCR after season? Jack Daniel's, sponsor of the No. 07 Chevy that Casey Mears drives, has until Sept. 1 to inform Richard Childress Racing of its status for 2010. Some people in the NASCAR marketing circle say that Jack Daniel's will not be coming back full-time next year, so do they become an associate sponsor on the other RCR cars or go elsewhere? That decision will determine if there will be a fourth team at RCR next year. Certainly expanding to four teams has depleted the organization as a whole because Mears' team was a testing team last year. Childress needs to decide if he wants to field four teams or have three Cup teams and one testing team.(FOXSports.com)

Dale Earnhardt Jr retains popularity: Each year the NASCAR National Motorsports Press Association sponsors the MPDA, which is voted on by fans. This week the top vote getters were released and, as usual, Earnhardt Jr. is at the top of the heap. The remainder of the top 10 consists of Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Michael Waltrip, Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson. Exact totals weren't released, but it's a pretty safe bet that Earnhardt Jr. has a substantial lead. And it's a pretty safe bet he'll still have a substantial lead when the voting ends Nov. 23. (Independent Mail)

Pocono Raceway preps for Sprint Cup race weekend: The excitement of the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 on August 2nd at Pocono Raceway is fast approaching. Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and Saturday's ARCA RE/MAX Series race, the Pennsylvania 200, will showcase the greatest race car drivers and race teams in the nation. The atmosphere, drama and excitement of major league stock car racing are unparalleled in sports. NASCAR fans are the most loyal and passionate fans in the world of sports and taking care of our fans is a top priority at Pocono Raceway. Listed below is information that will help our fans while at the Raceway. The weekend schedule of racing activities is also included. Grandstand gates open at 8:00am Friday and Saturday, 9:00am Sunday. Grandstand parking lots open at 5:00am Sunday. If fans need assistance at any time during their visit, simply contact Fan Assistance at (570) 643-7184, help@poconoraceway.com or text SOS then "your message" to 84444. Remember that Pocono Raceway fans may stay in all camping areas and the grandstand parking lots until noon on Monday at no additional charge. For Pocono Raceway ticket information, call toll free 1-800-RACEWAY or visit poconoraceway.com and choose the convenient print at home option.

Kurt Busch: Different start times hurt track attendance: Like his brother, Kurt Busch believes the confusion around starting times has contributed to declining attendance and television ratings. The NFL is the clear leader in sports ratings, and it's done it with consistent starting times. If it's good for professional football, it should be good for racing, too, he said. "If we had a consistent time for our day races and a consistent time for our night races, that would be better for our fans, and I think that that would create more viewership, knowing that they knew when to find the race," Kurt Busch said.(Augusta Chronicle)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Sorenson out at Richard Petty Motorsports? An internet report claiming that Reed Sorenson will be released by Richard Petty Motorsports as part of a downsizing of the team's Sprint Cup roster appears to be premature. The Ford Racing website reported on rumors that Sorenson will be replaced by former Champ Car star A.J. Allmendinger when Allmendinger's No. 44 Dodge is mothballed within the next few weeks. However, a source close to the team - speaking on the condition of anonymity - said today that while the move is being discussed, Sorenson's release is not yet a done deal. "No one is sure that it's going to happen," said the source, "but it's definitely being talked about. The team is working on the details right now." If RPM does indeed decide to trim its roster from four cars to three, Allmendinger's current sponsors would transfer to the No. 43 Dodge. Calls to Richard Petty Motorsports seeking comment were not immediately returned.(Sirius Speedway)

Mayfield vs. NASCAR trial date set for Sept. 2010: Jeremy Mayfield's lawsuit against NASCAR has been set to be heard in a trial jury beginning on Sept. 13, 2010, according to court documents filed on Tuesday. The date was ordered by U.S. District Judge Graham Mullen. Mayfield was suspended by NASCAR on May 9 after testing positive for methamphetamines, a violation of the substance abuse policy. The suspension was lifted by Mullen in June, but reinstated by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals last week. Mayfield contends he did not take methamphetamines and is seeking to be fully reinstated. He also is seeking damages. In its most recent filing seeking that the suspension be permanent as long as the case is pending, NASCAR said it has several witnesses willing to testify that Mayfield took methamphetamines. Attorneys already have filed an affidavit from Mayfield's stepmother saying Mayfield has taken amphetamines since 1998.(ESPN.com)

Sadler to run new Dodge engine at Pocono: Elliott Sadler will run the new Dodge R6P8 engine for the second time in 2009. Sadler finished 40th last week at Indianapolis due to mechanical problems early in the race. Sadler is tied with Tony Stewart for the longest active DNF streak (43 races) of drivers that have competed in every race. Regan Smith is at 52 races, but has not competed in every race during that span. Sadler has the longest all-time and active streak of races at Pocono without a DNF (21). Sadler has never recorded a DNF in his career at Pocono Raceway.(RPM PR)

Crown Royal to sponsor Kenseth in 2010: Roush Fenway Racing announced Tuesday that Diageo, parent company of Crown Royal, has renewed its multi-year sponsorship. Crown Royal will serve as the primary sponsor for Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 Sprint Cup team at 18 Cup events in 2010. "I'm excited about teaming up with Crown Royal," said Kenseth, one of only five drivers in NASCAR history to win the Sprint Cup rookie of the year award, a Sprint Cup Championship and the Daytona 500. "I worked with Diageo's Smirnoff ICE brand back in 2003 and we developed a great relationship. They were a part of our championship season and we were able to take part in a lot of really cool promotions and events to promote messages associated with responsible drinking. I'm really looking forward to representing Crown Royal and continuing that great work." Diageo has been a partner of Roush Fenway Racing dating back to 2003 where Kenseth was first paired with the Smirnoff Ice Brand. In 2005, Crown Royal entered the sport as sponsor of the No. 97 team and in 2006 became sponsor of Jamie McMurray and the No. 26 team. "We will miss Jamie (McMurray) as he has been an amazing partner both on and off the track taking our 'Be a champion. Drink Responsibly,' campaign to new heights. We were lucky to have him as part of our team and whatever sponsor aligns with him will have a great person working on their behalf. We wish him well," said Dan Sanborn, Sr. Director, Corporate Relations for Diageo. "We are pleased that we found a suitable home within Roush Fenway Racing for one of the greatest brands in the world," said Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith. "With the conclusion of the contract arrangement with Crown Royal, Roush Fenway Racing's Sprint Cup driver lineup will see Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan joining Kenseth to round out our four approved entries. We are still hoping to be able to transfer the No. 26 team, intact, to Yates Racing in order to keep everyone employed and racing within the Ford community."(Roush Fenway Racing)

Sam Hornish's No. 77 to run special scheme at Pocono: Sam Hornish Jr. and the No. 77 team will run a special paint scheme this weekend at Pocono Raceway to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the relationship between PPG and Penske Racing. Over the years, PPG has become Penske Corporation's largest supplier of refinish coatings for its racing, truck leasing and automotive collision repair divisions. This weekend's race car will be painted with PPG's Envirobase High Performance waterborne paint and will feature decals for PPG's Automotive Refinish, Transitions Optical and the Architectural Coatings, Olympic Paint and Stain.(Penske Racing)

Shepard to be enshrined into Talladega Walk of Fame: The fans have spoken... and Morgan Shepherd and Jack Smith will be the next drivers enshrined to the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 31. Shepherd won the active driver nomination over Michael Waltrip and Kasey Kahne, while Smith won in the inactive driver category.(Talladega PR)

Chad Knaus named Wypall Crew Chief of the Race at Indy: Chad Knaus, crew chief for the No. 48 Lowe's Chevy driven by Jimmie Johnson, has been named the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race after Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Johnson and the No. 48 team started the race in 16th position going on to capture his third Brickyard victory in four years. In addition to the $1,000 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly wins will be honored as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at the season's end.(Wypall PR)

No. 16 Crew wins Tissot Pit Road Precision Award: Greg Biffle's No. 16 team won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award during the Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was the fourth victory of the season for the #16 pit crew, which took over sole possession of first place in the Tissot standings, breaking a three-win tie with Jeff Gordon's No. 24 crew. Biffle's No. 16 3M Ford Fusion spent the least amount of time on pit road during the Indy race  191.906 seconds. The pit crew effort helped Biffle to a strong fourth-place finish. The No. 16 over-the-wall crew at Indy consisted of: Todd Zeigler (front-tire changer), Colin Pasi (front-tire carrier), Kyle Power (rear-tire changer), Kevin McDowell (rear-tire carrier), Rodney Fetters (jackman), Billy Manchester (gasman), Shane Wood (catch can) and Chris Elliott (windshield). The team's crew chief is Greg Erwin and the pit crew coach is Andy Ward. Biffle's crew will collect $5,000 for the pit road win. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race Sprint Cup schedule will receive a $100,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the crew and driver.(Tissot PR)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Crown Royal to sponsor No. 17 up to 20 races in 2010: A week after DeWalt Tools announced they will not return as sponsor of Matt Kenseth's Roush-Fenway Racing Ford next season the team will announce this week that Crown Royal will take over as primary sponsor for up to 20 races in 2010 according to team sources and Jayski.com. Kenseth debuted in NASCAR's top tier series in 2000 with DeWalt and won the 2003 Series championship. DeWalt was the primary sponsor for Kenseth's entire Cup career to this point. "I've got a lot of great friends at the company," Kenseth said. "I'll continue to have a lot of great friends at the company, but certainly it's disappointing we couldn't figure out how to make all of that work and keep it all together somehow." The loss of the sponsorship wasn't a surprise to Kenseth. "DeWalt was looking to sell some of the races this year on a part-time basis and knew they needed help next year," Kenseth said. (NASCAR Examiner)

NASCAR says they have more Mayfield witnesses: NASCAR filed court documents Monday stating that the sanctioning body has several witnesses to Jeremy Mayfield's alleged drug use, but that they are hesitant to come forward after Mayfield's comments about his stepmother.(SceneDaily.com)

iRacing.com to sponsor Ambrose at Pocono: The JTG Daugherty Racing No. 47 Toyota Camry, driven by Australia's Marcos Ambrose, will race under iRacing.com colors in this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono International Raceway. The announcement of the single-event tie-up between the race team and the motorsport simulation company, which had been widely rumored, was made today by Steve Myers, iRacing's executive producer, and Tad Geschickter, co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing. In recognition of this sponsorship, from July 31 through August 4, 2009 iRacing is offering new members a half-price three-month subscription to the service. Included are all of the cars and tracks necessary to complete the rookie and advanced rookie series in both oval and road-racing categories, plus an additional $15.00 value, the Chevrolet Impala SS as raced in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Go to www.iracing.comand hit the "Special Offer" button at the bottom of the page.(JTG-Daugherty Racing PR )

Richard Petty Experience at Disney World plans marketing blitz: Mike Bartelli, chief marketing officer for the Richard Petty Driving Experience, had been in that job for less than a year when he came up with a plan that made him downright nervous. He was about to tell Richard Petty, the most famous NASCAR driver in history, something he was afraid The King didn't want to hear. "We were in the board meeting, and he was sitting there with his dark glasses on, and that big trademark hat with the feathers on it, and I told him that I thought it was time that we de-emphasize the biggest asset we have -- which is him -- in favor of something else." That "something else" was Walt Disney World, the busiest of the more than 20 locations where the Driving Experience operates its race cars. Bartelli thought that not enough was being made of the fact that the Orlando location was on Disney property -- at the Walt Disney World Speedway. (Orlando Sentinel)

LVMS hires former NFL executive: Mike Mossholder has been named vice president of sales and marketing for Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mossholder comes to LVMS from his post as vice president of sales and marketing for Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Prior to working at the famed horse-racing facility, Mossholder spent five years as director of marketing partnerships for the Miami Dolphins and Dolphin Stadium (now Landshark Stadium). While with the Dolphins, he was instrumental in securing corporate partnerships for the NFL team as well as for the 2007 and 2010 Super Bowls, the 2009 BCS Championship game and the Florida Marlins.(LVMS)

Despite success Hendrick is not resting easy: Rick Hendrick has a bad feeling. Actually, it's just not as good a feeling as he often has. And this was after his driver, Jimmie Johnson, won Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the third time in four years, beating another Hendrick driver, Mark Martin, and third-place finisher, Tony Stewart, who drives equipment provided by Hendrick Motorsports. "I never get comfortable," Hendrick says. That's why Hendrick Motorsports is NASCAR's premier organization. Look around, though, and no one is close to Hendrick Motorsports, not counting Stewart-Haas Racing, which gets chassis, engines and technical support from the same group working on the cars of Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Johnson and Martin. (Carroll County Times)

EGR denies merger: Statement from Chip Ganassi per the Speculation about Potential Merger with Other Race Teams: "There have been numerous incorrect reports in the media over the last few days about a possible merger of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and other race teams and I can tell you that we have never had any such conversation with any team, nor do we plan to. Furthermore, as I have said many times, we are currently a FIVE-car team, we just happen to compete over three different forms of racing. We fully expect to continue to be a two car NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team in 2010 and beyond and have no plans of merging or downsizing at all. We are a Chevrolet team and focused solely on making The Chase for the Sprint Cup."(EGR PR)

Allstate to leave as Brickyard title sponsor: Allstate and Indianapolis Motor Speedway are ending their five-year title sponsorship arrangement for naming rights to the NASCAR race at the track. It was run Sunday for the final time as the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Speedway spokesman Ron Green said it's unlikely a replacement will be sought and the race will return to its former name as the Brickyard 400. Allstate, in a statement, cited "stronger (results) in other properties" for not renewing its sponsorship.(Indy Star)