NASCAR April 20 - May 2 2005 News Rumors

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Talladega Night Racing in 2007? Talladega Superspeedway will become the 11th NASCAR race track to get lights and'Dega fans could see their first night race as early as the fall race of 2007, Talladega Superspeedway President Grant Lynch said Sunday. While repaving the track is in the works now, the installation of lights will begin once that project is finished, Lynch said. Daytona, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Bristol, Texas, Phoenix and Richmond have conducted Nextel Cup events under the lights. Darlington and Homestead have also added lights. Darlington will run its first night race on May 7 and the Nov. 20 event at Homestead - the final Nextel race of the 2005 season - will begin in the afternoon and finish under the lights. (Alabama Live)

Gordon Billboard in Times Square: Talladega Aaron's 499 winner Jeff Gordon hurried back after his win yesterday. Gordon and watchmaker Tag Heuer unveiled several new large billboards in Times Square in New York City. (Yahoo! Photos) (More on Tag Hueuer)

Internet Gambling Sponsorships? When NASCAR lifted the hard liquor sponsorship embargo, did it open a Pandora's box? The next wave of sponsors pushing to get into the garage are Internet gambling sites, which have approached several teams with big checks but have not yet gotten the green flag from NASCAR. (SportingNews)

Darlington Sellout: Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning had two reasons to celebrate Saturday. It was his birthday and he was assured that NASCAR's oldest superspeedway would have its first sellout before race day and only the second since the track expanded to 60,000 seats in 1997. Browning said 428 tickets remained for the May 7 Nextel Cup race when he left the track around noon Saturday to celebrate his birthday with his oldest daughter in Columbia. That's well under the range International Speedway Corporation requires for a sellout. (The State)

Car of the Future Delay? Under pressure from race teams, NASCAR might delay the debut of the "car of the future" until the end of 2007 and the "common" engine until 2008. Many engine builders fear teams could be crushed financially if they're left with large inventories of obsolete engines. But to even the playing field and prepare for Toyota's expected arrival in the Cup series, NASCAR is looking at controlling cars from the tires up. (SportingNews)

Burton Crewmen Injury: Josh Yost, the jack man for Jeff Burton's No. 31 Chevrolet, was treated at the infield care center for a fractured right lower leg and transported to a nearby hospital. (TimesDispatch)

NASCAR Looking at NW Sites: Grant Lynch, who runs Talladega Speedway and is heading NASCAR's Northwest search for land and political support for a new speedway, is putting a full-court press on in the Seattle-Portland area. "I've been out there 11 or 12 trips, and we're getting a warm reception from the political side," Lynch said. "The one thing I've learned is the tribes are a big part of their community, and they have a lot of land. We've looked at some tribal lands. (Salem-Journal)

Toyota looking at Big Names, and GM, Ford Worried: Toyota is also reported to be bidding for some big-name NASCAR teams for its Busch effort, the biggest name mentioned being Chevy kingpin Rick Hendrick. GM executives insist they've got firm contracts with Hendrick for the next several years. However the Hendrick-Toyota questions have persisted, in part perhaps because Hendrick is one of the country's biggest Lexus dealers. Adding fuel to the Toyota-NASCAR issue are reports that Toyota plans to drop its IRL support at the end of the season (the company is spending nearly $100 million this year on its Indy-car program) and that Honda executives have indicated to IRL boss Tony George they don't plan to stick it out either if Honda is to become the only engine supplier to that series. (Salem-Journal)

Speed Channel Does Not Renew Network President: Fox Cable Networks did not renew the contract of Speed Channel president Jim Liberatore, the group announced today, citing conflicting opinions on the future direction of the network. "There were some philisophical differences," explained Liberatore. "There was no issue of right or wrong, but with any emerging network, there is always a balancing act in how you re-invest in the network and how much you take out of it now." Liberatore will remain at the channel until June when his contract expires; a search for his replacement is in its early stages. (MediaWeek)

Crate Engine News: Detroit executives have proposed to NASCAR that the sanctioning body switch to crate engines at Daytona and Talladega as a cost-cutting measure for the Busch series. Crate engines would be formula engines built to identical standards, IROC-style; they could be mass produced for maybe $8,000 apiece, considerably less than $60,000-plus Daytona/Talladega Busch engines currently used. (Salem-Journal)

Gordon Wins Crash Marred Aaron's 499: Jeff Gordon proved again he is NASCAR's new king of restrictor-plate racing. Gordon fought off challenger after challenger Sunday and had to go to overtime to win the Aaron's 499 Nextel Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. It was Gordon's fourth victory in the last five races at Talladega and Daytona, the only tracks at which NASCAR requires the horsepower-sapping plates to slow the cars. The four-time Cup champion led a dominating 139 of the 194 laps on the 2.66-mile oval. He finally held off Tony Stewart and Michael Waltrip at the end of a two-lap shootout, which was set up by a six-car crash with one lap remaining in regulation that ended the chances of fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. (ABC News) (Points - Results)

Aaron's Reups Waltrip Sponsorships: Atlanta-based Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership, which is sponsoring Sunday's Nextel Cup race, extended its primary sponsorship of Michael Waltrip's Busch team through 2008. Waltrip's team will carry Aaron's colors in at least 22 Busch races each season through 2008, as well as four Nextel Cup races in a Waltrip-owned car driven by Kenny Wallace. Wallace failed to qualify for tomorrow's race, so Aaron's will sponsor Hermie Sadler, who will start the Aaron's 499 in 30th place. (SPEED)

Said Heading to Germany: Boris Said, heading to Germany immediately after today's race to run at the Nurburgring, said he's looking forward to that challenge: "The funny thing is there really is no difference in the fans. There's 250,000 fans there and they are just as crazy as the fans here. The only difference is they're speaking a different language and have different labels on their beer bottles." (Salem-Journal)

Shepherd Featured on ABC World News: Morgan Shepherd will be featured in a story on ABC World News Tonight With Peter Jennings, Monday evening, May 2. Shepherd is taping the interview concerning religion in professional sports this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Shepherd, a three time NASCAR Cup race winner and the oldest active driver on the circuit, is the most well known spokesman for Christianity and his faith in motorsports.

Kenny Wallace Major Penalty: Kenny Wallace's team could be in big trouble with NASCAR after inspectors confiscated a trick rear-end housing from the team, owned by Michael Waltrip. A fine is expected, and some speculate it'll be $50,000, because the design might be considered a safety issue. (Salem-Journal)

Michelin to NASCAR: Michelin, through its B.F. Goodrich subsidiary, has expressed official interest in becoming a tire provider for the major NASCAR series, but the ruling body's chief operating officer, George Pyne, said, "Nothing is imminent." Pyne said any change in tire providers would not occur within the next two years, stressing that NASCAR was "loyal to Goodyear." (Gaston Gazette)

NASCAR Banquets Set: NASCAR has officially set Friday, Dec. 2 as the date for this year's Nextel Cup awards ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, and has moved the Truck Series banquet away from the weekend of the season-ending races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Truck banquet will be held on Dec. 11, two days after the Busch Series ceremony, with both set for the Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando. (NASCAR PR)

Earnhardt Jr. no word on Waltrip: It's a contract year for Michael Waltrip, but don't ask Dale Earnhardt Jr. if Waltrip will be back at DEI in 2006. "I don't know what the plan is and what they want to do and what Michael wants to do," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We have not been talking about it at all. We'll just have to wait and see." (NASCAR)

Talladega AM Storms: Talladega Superspeedway President Grant Lynch said he is happy to report that there were no weather-related injuries to Talladega Superspeedway's thousands of race fans during the severe storms that cut through East Central Alabama early this morning. The worst portions of a system producing torrential rain and high winds moved through the area at approximately 5:30 a.m. "We are very happy and relieved to report that everyone seems to have weathered the storm successfully and we have no injuries to report," Lynch said. "We were very fortunate that we seemed to miss the worst of the storm line as it moved through. Storms can be especially volatile in this area, and we thank our fans for heeding our warning and taking precautions to protect themselves." (Talladega PR)

NASCAR held talks with Toyota: NASCAR Nextel Cup Director John Darby confirmed Friday that Toyota is participating in discussions with NASCAR about the new engine and so-called "Car of the Future," both of which are expected to be introduced in 2007. This is the strongest indication yet that the giant Japanese automaker likely will enter the Nextel Cup Series, probably in 2007, though publicly it has not committed to doing so - yet. But at the very least, Toyota seems committed to the Busch Series for '06, as Darby said. Toyota intends to submit a new car and engine to NASCAR by July 1, Darby said, the first steps necessary for Toyota to compete in the Busch Series next year. (SPEEDTV)

More on DEI, Waltrip and NAPA: Hanging over Michael Waltrip, again, is his future at Dale Earnhardt Inc., once more a topic of conversation, and sponsor NAPA may be the power that ultimately makes the call. NAPA executives like Waltrip, but NAPA is also a demanding sponsor. There is speculation if Waltrip leaves DEI that NAPA might take its money and follow him. Waltrip said he'd prefer to stay, and he figures he's making his case. (Salem-Journal)

Sirus to Take Over Sooner: NASCAR's new satellite network radio deal with Sirius may kick off sooner than originally planned, according to NASCAR sources who say Sirius may buy out the last year of XM Radio's contract and take over the exclusive NASCAR franchise.(Salem-Journal)

Florida Senate Unlikely to take up Sports Bill includes Daytona HOF: A day after the Florida House passed a bill spending millions of dollars to help professional sports franchises, Senate President Tom Lee said the measure has virtually no support among his members. Lee said about 30 of the 40 senators are opposed to a $60 million subsidy to help Miami officials build a new ballpark for the Florida Marlins, not to mention the millions more included for other sports projects. The House voted 90-26 Wednesday for a proposal to commit the $60 million to help the Marlins build a proposed $420 million retractable-roof stadium in Miami. However, that measure was loaded with money for other pro sports projects, including $60 million to refurbish the home arena for the NBA's Orlando Magic, $30 million to help Daytona Beach officials to lure a NASCAR Hall of Fame and $2 million to assist a handful of spring training sites. (News-Journal)

Don't Forget Free Track Pass: The NASCAR.com Web site is offering its Raceday Scanner application free during the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday. Raceday Scanner is a popular component of Nextel TrackPass that allows fans to listen to their favorite driver with live communications.

Nextel Invites RJR Employees to attend the All-Star Event: To honor the rich tradition and esteemed contribution that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company provided to the NASCAR community for 33 years, Nextel gave employees of R.J. Reynolds 1,500 tickets to attend the upcoming NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge under the lights at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The premier all-star event will take place Saturday, May 21 at 7:30pm/et. (Nextel PR)

Dover Emergency Preparedness Drill: There will be an abundance of emergency vehicles and workers at Dover International Speedway on Saturday. The track, in coordination with local, state and federal authorities, will be conducting a full-scale, simulated exercise to test emergency preparedness. The event will be closed to the public. The emergency exercise, which will begin at 9 a.m. and end at about 1 p.m., is anticipated to be one of the largest held in Delaware. (The Delaware News-Journal)

Brickyard 400 Gets Sponsor: The Brickyard 400 was one of a few NASCAR races without corporate sponsorship. Not anymore. Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced Thursday that the race in August will be renamed the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. The race had been called the Brickyard 400 since its inception in 1994. "When you think about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, you're talking about the Mecca of racing in the world," said Joe Tripodi, Allstate's chief marketing officer. "So this is extremely prestigious for Allstate to put its name on." Speedway president Joie Chitwood would not give specific details about the multiyear deal with Allstate, but called the insurance company's investment "significant," and said it took about a month to work out the deal. (NewsDay)

Alabama NASCAR Tags: For Talladega race fans, specialty NASCAR license plates are coming around again. The state Department of Motor Vehicles has approved 20 vehicle tags featuring 18 current NASCAR drivers as well as the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. and a special Alabama Gang tag. The tags are to help keep the financially plagued International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum in business. The hall will receive $30 per tag. The tags will cost $50 more than a normal car tag. They will be a special-order item and will take three to four weeks to produce. Hall of Fame director Jim Freeman said the tags can be ordered from the probate offices of county courthouses beginning about the middle of May. (Tuscaloosa News)

PR Wire: Checkout NASCAR Press Release Page includes, official team releases, news, and more. Including this weekends Aaron's 499 race weekend previews from NASCAR drivers. NASCAR Press Releases

Waltrip Inducted into HOF, calls it "great honor": Darrell Waltrip's impact on stock car racing can't be measured by columns of numbers in a record book or found in stacks of musty press clippings and faded photographs. ''Darrell's influence goes much deeper than just what he did on the track - as impressive as that was,'' says Mike Joy, a longtime Waltrip friend, confidant and current Fox Sports broadcasting partner. ''He always made racing fun and entertaining for the fans and for everybody around him. He was - and still is - a great spokesman and ambassador for a sport he dearly loves. In terms of what he's accomplished on and off the track, I'm not sure he has an equal. (Tennessean)

Richmond Testing: Elliott Sadler, who will be driving a Ford for Cup owner Robert Yates, will test the Busch car on May 3 at RIR. The session will include several Cup drivers, including Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle, Sterling Marlin, Scott Riggs, Jeff Green, McMurray and Kahne. Busch drivers scheduled to participate are series champion Martin Truex Jr., Reed Sorenson, Dave Blaney (moonlighting from the Nextel Cup series), Tim Fedewa, Clint Bowyer and Bobby East. Testing will run May 2-4, and the grandstands will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is free. (TimesDispatach)

Iowa Approves Money: The Iowa senate has approved a $12.5 million incentive plan to spur construction of the Newton Speedway. Under the plan, developers of the NASCAR style track would be able to keep the first $12.5 million in sales tax collected by the track. The measure now moves on to the house, where a similar measure has already been approved. Democratic Senator, Bill Dotzler, from waterloo, says the track is certain to be a big economic draw for Iowa. (WHOTV.com)

SMI Shares Fall 1Q: Racetrack operator Speedway Motorsports Inc. on Wednesday said first-quarter earnings fell, as some of the company's premiere events - which are scheduled for the current quarter this year - took place in the comparable period a year ago. Earnings fell 43 percent to $14 million, or 32 cents a share in the latest period, from $24.7 million, or 57 cents a share, a year ago, primary due to reporting NASCAR racing events at Bristol Motor Speedway in the first quarter of 2004 that will be reported in the second quarter of 2005. Revenue fell 22 percent to $95.3 million from $122.2 million last year, due to scheduling. (Forbes)

FL House Approves Daytona HOF Money: The Florida House overwhelmingly passed a bill today that would provide $30 million in subsidies to help Daytona Beach attract a NASCAR hall of fame. House members voted 90-26 to approve the bill, which also would set aside $120 million to help build or renovate stadiums for the Florida Marlins and Orlando Magic and rebate sales taxes collected at the Ocean Center and other convention centers. Supporters said the bill, which now goes to the Senate, would help boost economic development. "This will provide job opportunities for our folk in Volusia County and the state of Florida,'' said Rep. Joyce Cusack, D-DeLand. (NewsJournal)

Indy Testing Rained Out: Goodyear will attempt -- again -- to hold its NASCAR tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today after Tuesday's session was rained out. The tire manufacturer postponed a similar session earlier this month when the track's surface was being grinded. Today's test, which includes four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon, is closed to the public. (Indy Star)

Batman Sponsors Michigan Race: The June 19 Nextel Cup race will be named the Batman Begins 400 for the Warner Bros. movie that will be released that weekend. The race was called the DHL 400 last year. "I believe this is the first time a major movie has been the sponsor of a NASCAR Cup race," said MIS president Brett Shelton. "It's tremendous for the sport, and I think it's going to be a lot of fun for fans." So MIS has the name down, but it's not clear yet whether the Batmobile -- or Christian Bale, who plays Bruce Wayne and Batman in the film -- will be on hand. Word is that the Batmobile will pace the field of Chevrolets, Fords and Dodges. (Detroit Free Press)

Truex to Stay at DEI: Martin Truex says he was "flattered" by the attention he received regarding his uncertain status for next season. Dale Earnhardt Inc. has not yet signed Truex for 2006, leading to speculation he would leave the organization. His buddy, teammate and owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr., spoke with Truex last week and says he's "confident" Truex will drive DEI's No. 1 Chevrolet as a Nextel Cup rookie next season. (FoxSports/Sporting News Lee Spencer)

NASCAR Commission uphold penalty and adds FINE: Not only did car owner James Finch not win his appeal to the National Stock Car Racing Commission, but his penalty got worse. NASCAR disqualified Finch's No. 1 Dodge driven by Johnny Sauter from the Busch Series race at Texas for having an illegal carburetor and suspended crew chief Joe Shear for four races. After listening to Finch's appeal Monday afternoon, the Commission, in a 3-0 vote, upheld the current penalties and added a $25,000 fine. Finch was not immediately available for comment. He had contended a Busch Series official had OK'd the carburetor for use before his team put it on its car. Another official lost his job over the incident, as well. (Star-Telegram)

Gordon and Kenseth Indy Testing: Jeff Gordon is scheduled to begin preparations today for what could be a historic victory in August at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The four-time Brickyard 400 champion is representing Chevrolet in a closed two-day tire test at the Speedway. He'll be joined by Ryan Newman (Dodge) and Matt Kenseth (Ford) as Goodyear checks to see how its new, softer tire compounds fare on Indy's newly paved surface. (Indy Star)

Waltrip most likely to stay with DEI? Considering that the drivers who will be available after the 2006 season are far superior to those who will be available at the end of this year, it would be advantageous for DEI and NAPA, the No. 15's primary sponsor, to maintain the status quo. According to Gilmore, one driver who won't be jumping into the No. 15 any time soon, especially if NAPA remains on the car, is Shane Hmiel. Hmiel has close ties with DEI; the company must approve any deal for him to race with another team. Hmiel wouldn't suit NAPA (Sporting News)

NASCAR Not Happy with SPEED: It appears NASCAR is "punishing" Speed Channel by declining to make its officials accessible after a reporter had the audacity to ask a legitimate question over the weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. NASCAR's nose is out of joint because a reporter asked an on-camera question about the departure of a Busch Series official following inspection issues involving the No. 1 Dodge at Texas Motor Speedway the previous week. (ThatsRacin)

City Endorses HOF hotel tax hike: The Charlotte City Council endorsed a hotel tax hike and the use of city-owned land for a NASCAR Hall of Fame on Monday. The unanimous vote marked the latest step in the city's fast-moving bid for the tourism prize. "After this vote we're at Turn 1," said Mayor Pat McCrory, a Republican. "We've still got a ways to go." The tax hike, which requires approval from the state legislature, would increase the rate from 6 percent to 8 percent. That is expected to yield $65 million of the $137.5 million construction cost, and the plan already has the crucial backing of the local hotel industry. Council members took turns praising the idea and the opportunity that the hall of fame could bring. "The engine indeed has started for what will indeed be a huge economic impact for Charlotte and for the region," said Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon, a Democrat. (ThatsRacin)

GM to keep Racing: Despite General Motors' quarterly loss of $1.1 billion, the largest deficit since the first quarter of 1992, the newly appointed director of GM racing, Mark Kent, will defend the racing program to stockholders and is optimistic that Chevrolet will be able to compete with Toyota when Toyota enters Cup, which is expected in 2007. Insiders expect Toyota's technology to make it a strong contender immediately(Sporting News)

Yates Third Team? Robert Yates is cranking up plans for a third Ford team next season, and every top NASCAR crew chief worth his salt is looking at that opportunity - particularly if Yates can snare a hotshot driver. The top two drivers mentioned so far are Martin Truex Jr. and Reed Sorenson. Yates is expected to go after at least one of Chevrolet's top crew chiefs to run the team. Two men he has his eye on are Tony Eury Jr., at Dale Earnhardt Inc., and Todd Berrier at Richard Childress Racing. (Salem-Journal)

Safety and Engine of the future News: Jack Roush says that NASCAR should immediately incorporate all the new safety devices planned for Daytona's proposed "car of the future" into current Nextel Cup cars, rather than wait for the introduction of the car, which Roush says may not be ready until 2009. Roush also said that he and Ro-bert Yates have begun assembling a new engine-design team for Ford, to deal with NASCAR's proposed "'engine of the future." But Roush says that project will cost millions of dollars with no appreciable results that couldn't be achieved with cheaper, more modest technical efforts. NASCAR wants its engine of the future on the track in 2007. Roush says that Ford couldn't have such an engine ready until 2008 at the earliest. Doug Yates, who heads the Roush-Yates engine operation, says that bringing a new engine on line would cost his own two-car team at least $20 million, over and above actual developmental costs. (Salem-Journal)

Ford to Roll Off Last Taurus in 2006: The last Ford Taurus will roll off the assembly line in the first three months of 2006, ending a 21-year run that has racked up nearly 6.7 million total U.S. sales. The news was relayed to employees at Ford Motor Co.'s Atlanta plant in an April newsletter distributed by United Auto Workers Local 882. With its jellybean shape, the debut 1986 model helped revolutionize American car design and pull Ford out of a financial tailspin. By 1992, it was the country's best-selling car -- a title it held for five consecutive years. (Detroit News)

Johnson Wins SPEED Channel 1st quarter DOTY: Jimmie Johnson, who leads the NASCAR Nextel Cup Standings, continued to impress the voters, winning the Speed Channel DRIVER OF THE YEAR first quarter, 2005. "It's an honor to be a part of it. I came so close to winning the whole thing last year" said Johnson ".(winning) a few quarters. It's definitely an honor and something I'm proud of." Johnson, who drives the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, took the series points lead after the Golden Coral 500 in Atlanta on March 20th. In the seven races in the first quarter his worst finish was an eighth place. (Speedtv)

PIR Expansion Plans: As the West Valley track winds down from its first night races last weekend, track officials have announced a $24 million expansion that will add 14,000 new seats. The expansion marks the most expensive project in the track's history, and brings the amount PIR has invested in the facility to $75 million since 1998. As NASCAR continues to boom in popularity across the country, PIR and Arizona are running near the front of the field. PIR President Bryan Sperber said 14,000 new seats and about 25 new luxury suites will be installed at Turn 1 on the northwestern end of the track. The new seats will connect to an existing structure and similar seats at the west end of PIR. The project is expected to be completed in one year. (MSNBC)

Bill Davis Racing and Dodge Lawsuit: A decision in the DaimlerChrylser/Bill Davis Racing legal battle, now almost two years old, could be on the horizon. Federal district court judge George Steeth is currently scheduled May 9 to hear a motion by DaimlerChrylser for partial summary judgment and a motion by BDR for summary judgment. The case stems from DaimlerChrysler dropping its factory support of BDR's Dodge team in the Cup series. Chrysler sued BDR in Michigan state court May 2003, alleging breach of contract for helping Toyota with development of its NASCAR truck program. After getting the case moved to federal court, BDR counter sued, claiming DC had no basis for unilaterally voiding the contract, which was to have run through the 2006 season according to court documents. Chrysler alleges that BDR helping Toyota, which is not racing in the Cup series, violated a contract clause prohibiting teams from aiding a Dodge racing rival because the clause extends to any NASCAR series. In briefs filed for the upcoming hearing, DC alleges that BDR helped launch Toyota's truck development program in High Point in April 2002 and that employees from BDR's Dodge teams were active in the development work, including a BDR engineer garbed in a Toyota shirt at wind tunnel and track tests. DC also alleges that BDR supplied Toyota with Cup engine information which DC claims was to have been for a possible try at Cup racing in 2005. (The HighPoint Enterprise)

Stewart and NASCAR Drivers go Dirt: Eldora Speedway, owned by driver Tony Stewart, announced the Nextel Prelude to the Dream, set for Wed., June 8, which will welcome many of Stewart's Nextel Cup brethren for a round of dirt track competition, Late Model style. The unique event is sandwiched between the June 4 World of Outlaws race and the $100,000 to win Dirt Late Model Dream June 10-11. Stewart, a multi-time race winner at the legendary Eldora Speedway, will headline the list of entrants on June 8. Joining Stewart will be Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Petty, Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace and Dave Blaney, who compiled an impressive Eldora record in Winged Sprint Cars before heading south to NASCAR. (News-Journal)

Marketing NASCAR in the NW, with Biffle: Greg Biffle is suddenly one of NASCAR's hottest marketing tools - and Biffle is important to NASCAR in a particularly crucial respect: He's from the Northwest, one of NASCAR's key markets. Daytona has been using him to schmooze those local politicians who can make or break a deal as important as NASCAR's proposed new Richmond-type speedway in the Seattle-Portland-Vancouver area. "I've met with a few people, including some people from the Marysville (Washington) area that owned the airport, some people from the commissioner's deal, to get that going up there," Biffle said. (Salem-Journal)

PIR's Sperber looks to stay: PIR president Bryan Sperber has been helping oversee operations at California Speedway since January while officials at the Fontana, Calif., track search for a new president, but Sperber said he isn't interested in the permanent job. "I can't imagine leaving Phoenix to run any other track," he said. (East Valley Tribune)

Skinner and BDR: Mike Skinner and Bill Davis Racing will team up with Bad Boy Mowers, Inc., powered by Vanguard Big Block, to race the No. 23 BDR car in the May 1 Aaron's 499 NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. (News-Journal)

Mears Looking for Extension: Casey Mears said he still doesn't have a contract to remain with Ganassi Racing in 2006, but he's not worried about receiving an extension. "Right now all the indications are that's what we're going to do," he said. The team is expected to replace Mears' teammate, Sterling Marlin (East Valley Tribune)

Kurt Busch Recovers Nicely, Wins at Phoenix: Kurt Busch knew he had the best car Saturday night, but he had to keep coming from behind to prove it. "It's probably one of our best wins," Busch said after holding off a determined Michael Waltrip in the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. "You think you've got it put together, but something happens and you get behind. It says a lot for the team that we were able to overcome all the things that happened to put us behind," Busch added. The defending NASCAR Nextel Cup champion led 219 of 312 laps on the mile oval, emphatically putting behind him a streak of bad luck that included crashes at four consecutive events, including an IROC race a week ago at Texas Motor Speedway. (ABC News) (Points - Results)

Owner Finch Blast NASCAR: "I'm sure they're going to get somebody on their side," Finch said of the appeals committee, pointing out that the last time he appealed a NASCAR judgment, the committee doubled his penalty, from $5,000 to $10,000. "We asked NASCAR specifically two times to check that part, and they checked it, approved it, and sealed it," Finch said. "However, unknown to us, there was some concern among NASCAR officials that there was a big carburetor on our car. But they had a chance to rectify it two days before the race, and it wouldn't have been embarrassing to them or to me and my sponsors. Now they want to take my race and my points. (Salem-Journal)

Earnhardt, Jr. Leads most popular driver: With more than 1 million votes cast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. holds the lead in the yearlong Chex NMPA NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award. "I can remember the time when the spring was the time of year we were talking about reaching 500,000 votes," said Sean Foster, marketing manager for General Mills' Chex brand cereal. Actual numbers were not announced, but Earnhardt, who has won the award each of the past two years, is followed in the balloting at www.mostpopulardriver.com by Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip, Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin and series points leader Jimmie Johnson. The voting continues until Nov. 21, the day after the season-ending race at Homestead. (FoxSports)

Dyno Numbers: Results of NASCAR's most recent chassis dyno testing, at Atlanta, shows a few surprises. Jamie McMurray, who finished 11th, had the strongest engine (Elliott's), with 769 peak horsepower, winner Carl Edwards showed 754 horsepower. Runner-up Jimmie Johnson showed 759 horsepower. Others tested: Elliott Sadler, 764 horsepower; Ryan Newman, 763; Kasey Kahne, 758; Mark Martin, 756; Michael Waltrip, 752; Dave Blaney, 745 and Ken Schrader, 733. (Salem-Journal)

Darlington Hopes to Announce Sellout: Darlington Raceway officials hope to announce within the next two weeks their first sellout prior to race day since the track expanded to 60,000 seats in 1997. Only about 3,000 tickets remain for the first-ever night Nextel Cup race at Darlington on May 7. A sellout would enhance the track's position to keep its remaining Cup date and make a case for expansion. The only other sellout since expansion came two years ago at the final running of the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend. Track president Chris Browning is preparing a five-year plan that includes expansion for a presentation at the fall meeting of International Speedway Corporation board. (TheState)

Penske Offer to buy out Rusty: Wallace, driving his final full season in Nextel Cup, said Penske has offered to buy out his share of the team, as well as his longtime friend Miller's share. But Wallace said the ongoing fuss with Newman will not play a part in that decision, when he makes it. "Again, I want to stress I haven't made that decision,'' Wallace said. "I've got an offer to do that. I lay awake at nights wondering if that's what I should do.'' (ESPN)

Homestead-Miami Speedway Improvements: International Speedway Corp. is building two new capital projects at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway. Financial details of the projects were not disclosed. At Homestead-Miami, the new Turn One Tower will house 16 luxury suites and approximately 800 club seats. The project is scheduled for completion in time for the 2005 Ford Championship Weekend in November. In Phoenix, the Bobby Allison grandstand will be expanded to encompass the entire area behind Turn 1, adding approximately 14,000 grandstand seats and 25 to 28 luxury suites, and will replace a structure that currently houses 22 suites. The project also calls for the removal of temporary wooden bleachers of approximately 14,000 seats along the backstretch of the track and Turn 3. (OrlandoBizJournal)

Smith Close to Buying NHRA? A high-level source at Speedway Motorsports Inc. says that CEO Bruton Smith indeed has had an ongoing and very productive dialog with the National Hot Rod Association about purchasing the 50-plus year old racing organization. SMI may purchase the NHRA and have the rank and file of the sanctioning body run it, mirroring the current and successful relationship the rival International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) has with Clear Channel Communications. Currently, the Glendora, Calif.-based sanctioning body races at several of SMI's facilities - Las Vegas, Bristol and Sonoma - accounting for some of the most appealing venues on the NHRA schedule. Plus, with SMI's stock value somewhat stagnant and opportunities for expansion within NASCAR currently slim, the appeal of aligning with the nation's No. 2 motorsport is understandable. (Yahoo!)

NASCAR Releases Busch Official over incident: Johnny Sauter's race team is not alone in feeling the consequences from a rules violation in Saturday's O'Reilly 300 Busch Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. A NASCAR official has lost his job over the incident, in which an unapproved carburetor was found on the No. 1 Dodge in postrace inspection. The violation led to Sauter's disqualification from a 14th-place finish and a four-race suspension for crew chief Joe Shear Jr. While NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said Wednesday that he could make no comment on personnel issues, the Observer confirmed that Woody Neese is now no longer employed as a Busch Series official and that his departure stems from the incident. Neese declined requests for comment. (ThatsRacin)

Kahne Fastest in Infineon : Two eventful days of NASCAR testing at Infineon Raceway concluded on Wednesday with Kasey Kahne posting the fastest times and another racer, rookie Jose Luis Ramirez, being released from a local hospital following his Turn 4 crash late Tuesday. Kahne, one of three Nextel Cup series regulars at the test session, piloted his Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge through the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in 1 minute, 16.32 seconds, on Wednesday. Carl Edwards (Ford) had the second- fastest time at 1:17.10, while Travis Kvapil (Dodge) rounded out the field with a time of 1:20.00. "I really like coming out to the road courses and I think we'll have a better effort here than we did last year,'' said Kahne, who finished 31st in his first NASCAR road-course race, at Infineon in 2004. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Bowyer Making Cup Debut at PIR: Two years ago who would have believed Clint Bowyer, working in a body shop at a Ford dealership in Emporia, Kan., would end up on pit road preparing to make his NASCAR Nextel Cup debut Friday at Phoenix International Raceway? Not Bowyer. When team owner Richard Childress telephoned with a job offer, Bowyer nearly hung up."I remember everything about that call," Bowyer said. "It was a hot day and things weren't going too well at work. I had to do a job over, and then my phone rang. It was Richard Childress' secretary, but I thought my friends were just playing a prank call on me. "But she kept saying, 'Don't hang up, don't hang up. Richard wants to talk to you.' " (ArizonaCentral))

More Night Races in 2006? NBC's new contract to broadcast NFL games next year could affect NASCAR Nextel Cup racing. NBC officials announced Monday a six-year deal to broadcast Sunday night NFL games beginning in 2006. Next year also is the final year of NBC's contract to broadcast NASCAR Cup and Busch races. So next fall, NBC is scheduled to carry both stock-car racing and pro football on the same day. That could conflict with NASCAR's plan to start Cup races later to reach more fans. "The schedule is going to be interesting for 2006 because of this," said Humpy Wheeler, who is a member of NASCAR's TV committee and is president of Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I think there probably is going to be more pressure to run some Saturday night races that don't have them now." Wes Harris, spokesman for International Speedway Corp., which operates 12 tracks that host Cup races, said more Saturday night racing could be possible. "We'll look at it if it makes sense for the track as well as NASCAR and the broadcast partners," Harris said. "A lot of times you get better ratings on Sunday than Saturday for the same race." (Roanoke)

Racing will be in Daytona till 2032: Racing will continue here for a long time. International Speedway Corp. renewed a lease of the Daytona International Speedway grounds on Tuesday for another 25 years. Members of the Daytona Beach Racing and Recreational Facilities Commission unanimously agreed to renew the original 50-year lease signed in 1957, which expires in November 2007. The renewal extends the lease through 2032. As outlined in the original agreement, lease payments by the Speedway to the Daytona Beach Racing and Recreational Facilities District will double to $20,000 a year starting in November 2008. State officials set up the racing district in 1955 to serve as landlord for the public site where the racetrack was built. (News-Journal)

PR Wire: Ward Burton Celebrates Earth Day; Mexican Driver Looks to Make History; Crew Chief Fined

NBC Looks to Continue NASCAR relationship: On the heels of securing a lucrative, Sunday night broadcast package with the National Football League, NBC says broadcasting NASCAR is very much in its future plans. "We love our relationship with NASCAR," said Mike McCarley, vice president for sports communications at NBC. "We feel like we have a very strong relationship with NASCAR and we certainly want to keep that relationship going." NBC, TNT and FOX ponied up a total of $2.8 billion dollars in 2000 for the rights to broadcast Cup and Busch Series races beginning in 2001. NBC's portion of the deal ends at the end of the 2006 season, but McCarley hopes that isn't where their partnership with NASCAR ends. (NASCAR)

Not So Fast on Charlotte HOF Money: Several state lawmakers from Mecklenburg on Tuesday forecast smooth sailing for the plan to raise the hotel room tax as part of a $137.5 million bid to lure a NASCAR Hall of Fame to the region. Local officials unveiled a plan Monday that includes asking state permission to boost the tax from 6 percent to 8 percent. Some plan to lobby lawmakers today. Another part of the push, which seeks a state subsidy of as much as $35 million, will be a tougher sell in a tight budget year, the lawmakers say. That part of the proposal also could face a challenge from Greensboro, where lawmakers are seeking $20 million to help build an Atlantic Coast Conference Hall of Champions. (ThatsRacin)

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