NASCAR Past News Dec 30, 04 - Jan 10, 2005

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January 10, 2005:

Kahne, Petty Unveil Dodge Charger: NASCAR great Richard Petty had a bit of advice Monday for Chrysler president and chief executive Dieter Zetsche as he helped the company unveil the revival of its historic Dodge Charger nameplate.  "If you want to be a part of the Dodge legend, you have to look the part," Petty told Zetsche and NASCAR rookie of the year Kasey Kahne, who will drive the NASCAR version of the car in Nextel Cup competition.  Zetsche and Kahne then joined Petty in donning cowboy hats and sunglasses, a Petty trademark.  Kahne drove a NACAR version of the Charger on stage at the North American International Auto Show. During the unveiling, its wheels were switched with street tires and its body removed to reveal the production car. (Mlive)

Charter to be a sponsor on the #16: Charter Communications announced an expansion of its NASCAR profile for the 2005 season with sponsorships in both the Nextel Cup Series and the Busch Series. Charter will once again sponsor a full Busch Series slate with the #60 Charter Ford Taurus. The Company will also serve as an associate sponsor for the #16 National Guard car in Nextel Cup Series races. Both sponsorships are in affiliation with Roush Racing, the team that's been home to the Nextel Cup Series Champion for the last two seasons. As an associate sponsor for the #16 National Guard Ford, to be driven again by Greg Biffle, Charter will have its logo prominently featured on the car and on driver and crew uniforms throughout the season. For a handful of races in key Charter markets, the #16 will feature a dedicated Charter paint scheme as Biffle looks to build on a successful 2004 campaign, in which he won two Nextel Cup Series races and became the first NASCAR driver to ever race full seasons in both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series in the same year. With Biffle cutting back on his Busch Series schedule in 2005, relative newcomer Carl Edwards will drive the #60 Charter Ford Taurus.  (Roush Racing PR)

DEI and Roush loses are Hendrick Gains: Walters, who worked with former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Gary DeHart on Terry Labonte's No. 5, will bring his expertise back to Hendrick and the No. 5, which will be driven by Kyle Busch. ... Ed Young, who was the shop foreman for Matt Kenseth's No. 17 team, has left Roush Racing for Joe Gibbs Racing. Justin Nottestad, who also is Kenseth's front tire changer, will take over Young's duties. ... Teams aren't thrilled with the new 4-and-10 rule for testing. The four refers to the driver, crew chief, car chief and owner, and 10 is the number of additional workers allowed to attend a test. In the past, teams took a variety of specialists, such as the lead engineer, engine builder or technical director, to gather data at tests. NASCAR has told teams that the change will allow them to save money, but there are other considerations. Some organizations had used tests to reward sponsors and court potential sponsors, but that won't be possible now. (FoxSports)

January 9, 2005:

Hines Wins Chili Bowl: Tracy Hines won the 19th annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl over Cory Kruseman. Some NASCAR drivers: P.J. Jones finished 7th, Tyler Walker finished 15th and on lap 12 of 50 Tony Stewart got together with another car and spun ans was out of the race on lap 15. (whowon.com)

January 8, 2005:

Johnson And Kahne to test Goodyear Tire: It may be January, but the 2005 NASCAR season is already revving up, beginning with a Goodyear Tire test scheduled for January 11-12 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Rookie of the Year Kasey Kahne and Hendrick Motorsports superstar Jimmie Johnson will test the brand new Goodyear compound at NASCAR's fastest track next week as they prepare for the March 18-20 Golden Corral 500 weekend. The test session will be closed to both the media and the public. Next week's test will be the first with the new Atlanta Goodyear tire, which is a different compound than any for any other speedway. Mark Keto, lead engineer for Goodyear's stock car tire development group, said the session will be used to gauge how well the new compound works with the 2005 NASCAR rule changes, such as the reduced spoiler height. NASCAR officials are expected to be on hand to analyze the results. Johnson won eight races last season, including the Oct. 31 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta, earned an amazing 20 top-5 finishes and dominated the series for most of the year. A string of poor finishes left him in second place in the final NEXTEL Cup standings, a mere eight points behind champion Kurt Busch. Kahne came tantalizingly close to his first NEXTEL Cup win last season as a rookie, garnering five second-place finishes. He finished the season 11th in points and is now poised for a phenomenal sophomore season with his Evernham Racing crew. Additional NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series teams are scheduled to test throughout February and March for the spring race weekend. (Atlanta Motor Speedway PR)

Rolex 24hr testing begins for Cup drivers: Several Nextel Cup drivers have invaded Daytona International Speedway this weekend as testing for the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series' season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona got under way.  Nine full-time Nextel Cup Series drivers -- and three others with close NASCAR connections -- are slated to drive Daytona Prototypes in the season-opening Rolex 24 on Feb. 3-6. Six of them were in action Friday as the three-day test began on the 3.56-mile Daytona road course. Reigning Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray and brothers Bobby and Terry Labonte will all drive top-of-the-line Daytona Prototypes in the 43rd running of North America's premier endurance race.  Busch, Kenseth, Biffle, Mears, McMurray and the Labonte brothers all got behind the wheel Friday, some strapping into a Daytona Prototype for the very first time.  Stewart -- who was within an hour of winning the 2004 Rolex 24 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. before a mechanical failure ruined their effort -- will miss testing this weekend while he competes in the Chili Bowl Midget race. (NASCAR)

Hispanic climbing NASCAR Ranks: Mexico's Michel Jourdain Jr., an open-wheel racing veteran, has signed a multi-year contract to drive in NASCAR's Busch Series starting in 2005, becoming the first Hispanic to do so. Jourdain, a nine-year veteran of the Champ Car World Series, will drive a Ford Taurus in the second-tier Busch Series for ppc Motorsports, a company that also fields a Ford for John Andretti in NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series and for Terry Cook in the Craftsman Truck Series. Jourdain will team with veteran NASCAR campaigner Kenny Wallace. (Florida Today)

Subway Back at Phoenix: Phoenix International Raceway President Bryan Sperber and officials from Subway Restaurants have reached agreement on a multiyear title sponsorship for the inaugural spring NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race scheduled April 23.  The formal name of the race is the Subway Fresh 500. The official race distance, however, is 312 miles, or 312 laps around the 1-mile oval. The reference to 500, which also is part of the November Checker Auto Parts 500 name, is for kilometers. "We're excited to be involved with a company like Subway," Sperber said. "They have a great reputation and have super people to work with." (Arizona Republic)

Ferrari in NASCAR? According to grandprix.com, High Performance Engineering, a company owned by Enzo Ferrari's son Piero, will be developing engines for one of the NASCAR manufacturers (Chevrolet, Dodge or Ford) in 2005. It is unknown at this time which team has made the move to use the Formula One giant's knowledge, but the most likely is Chevrolet as there are links between General Motors and Fiat (Ferrari's parent company). Though HPE is independent of FIAT, it works for both Ferrari and Maserati, doing high-performance engine development work. (The Sports Network)

January 7, 2005:

Dale Jarrett and Herbie: #88-Dale Jarrett will help promote the movie "Herbie: Fully Loaded" with a special paint scheme at Richmond in May. This is the same movie, which features Lindsay Lohan, Matt Dillon and Michael Keaton, that was filmed during the 2004 Pop Secret 500 weekend at California Speedway.(RacingOne)

Benson signs with Bill Davis Racing: Johnny Benson Jr. and Tim Steele will be ready to roll when the 2005 stock car racing season gets under way next month. The veteran area drivers have spent the offseason searching for rides, and on Thursday, both had good news to report. Bill Davis Racing announced that Benson will be returning to the team for a full season of competition in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Meanwhile, the ARCA Re/Max Series reported that Steele has landed a full-time gig in its series. Benson, a 41-year-old Grand Rapids native, ran 13 races with Davis in 2004 and posted five top-five finishes, including a second place at Texas Motor Speedway in October. Benson will pilot the No. 23 Toyota Tundra, while Greg Ely will serve as crew chief. The Davis team also will feature drivers Mike Skinner and Bill Lester. (Mlive.com)

Edwards to run full Cup, Busch Schedule: Roush Racing driver Carl Edwards will compete for championships in two of NASCAR's national touring series this season.  In addition to a full, 36-race Nextel Cup season in owner Jack Roush's No. 99 Ford Taurus, Edwards will also run the 35-race Busch Series schedule in Roush's No. 60 Charter Communications Ford. Roush plans to announce a sponsorship program for Edwards' Cup program next week, a team spokesman said. "It means the world to me," Edwards said of the opportunity. "I remember reading about Kevin Harvick when he first moved to Cup (in 2001) and ran all the Busch races and all but one of the Cup races. (NASCAR)

Petty Enterprises Changes: Petty Enterprises announced today a change in the leadership of the #45 Georgia Pacific/Brawny Dodge driven by Kyle Petty. The move was sparked by the departure of team engineer Adam Stevens to Joe Gibbs Racing, after which the team elected to part company with crew chief Bill Henderson. "When we made the change to put Adam and Bill in charge of the 45 team in August of last year, we looked at it as a combination effort," said Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. "When Adam came back from the Christmas holiday and told us of his intention to take an offer with Gibbs, we decided to reevaluate the leadership of the team." Petty is currently exploring options. "We have made a number of significant moves forward since the end of the season. Our relationship with Evernham Motorsports supplying our engines is the most public of those moves. We intend to have an experienced crew chief and team engineer in place when we leave for the first race in Daytona," Petty said. "I have a lot of faith in the 45 team, our engineering group and the rest of the team in Level Cross that we will be competitive right out of the box in 2005."(Williams Company PR)

2nd Texas Cup Race end under the lights? NASCAR and Texas Motor Speedway officials are talking to NBC about a late-afternoon start for the Nov. 6 Dickies 500 Nextel Cup race so the event would end under the lights. The race probably would start between 3 and 4 p.m. The last third of the event would be run in darkness and lead into NBC's prime-time Sunday night lineup. The 334-lap Cup races at TMS take about 3 ½ hours.(Dallas Morning News)

LVMS to offer "ringside" driver introduction seats: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is offering race fans who attend the March 13 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 a chance to see the pre-race festivities from "ringside." For the first time ever, LVMS has made a limited number of passes available for race fans to stand on the speedway surface - at the start-finish line -- during all pre-race activities, including driver introductions, prior to the annual NASCAR Nextel Cup Series event. "Each year, we look for ways to enhance the racing experience for our fans," said LVMS general manager Chris Powell. "These pre-race activities passes will allow fans to get within a few feet of all the NASCAR drivers and have the best seat in the house for all of the special presentations, driver introductions and VIP speeches." Due to space limitations, there will be a limited number of these passes available and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Cost for these passes is $75. LVMS also has a few tickets remaining in the Dale Earnhardt Terrace as well as turns 3 and 4 for the event weekend. To purchase your pre-race activities pass, please call the LVMS ticket services department at 1-800-644-4444 or log on to www.lvms.com.(LVMS PR)

January 6, 2005:

Burton RCR to Test in Mexico: Richard Childress Racing and Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and winner of 20 races in the NASCAR Busch Series, will be the test team.  The one-day test is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. in Mexico City (10:00 a.m. ET) on the 2.518-mile course. The "Mexico 200" will be an 80-lap event, and marks the NASCAR Busch Series' return to road course racing for the first time since 2001 at Watkins Glen. (FoxSports)

Wilburn leaves Penske Racing: Orleans Racing has hired veteran mechanic Billy Wilburn as crew chief for its second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entry, which will be driven by Brendan Gaughan.  Gaughan, who also is Orleans' interim general manager, is excited to be working again with Wilburn, who has nearly 25 years of industry experience. The two worked together last season at Penske Racing. "It's not often someone of Wilburn's caliber becomes available," Gaughan said. "And to be able to have him come to our race team is a real plus for our team. It will only make our team stronger than it's ever been. "Making the situation even better for us is my time with Billy at Penske Racing last year, which should help our program here at Orleans Racing gel that much quicker. This is really a giant boost for our race team." (NASCAR)

Darlington Spring Changes: It is the nature of every dedicated shopper to be on the lookout for what has become known as BOGO - buy one, get one. In May 2005, race fans attending the Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 weekend at Darlington Raceway can take advantage of a similar offer. A revised 2005 qualifying schedule will give fans double their normal dose of race action in a single day, as Bud pole qualifying for the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series are held on Friday afternoon, May 6. The day will not end there, however. After the respective race fields are set, the NASCAR Busch Series stars will return that evening to race under the lights at legendary Darlington Raceway, in the Diamond Hill Plywood 200. In previous years, qualifying and the Busch Series race were held on different days.(Catchfence)

January 5, 2005:

NASCAR on the 'West Wing' and NBC: Taking a page out of President Bush's campaign playbook, the fictional administration of "The West Wing" will visit the NASCAR Nation. Last February, Bush visited Daytona for the start of the racing season. On the Jan. 19 episode of "The West Wing," the First Lady visits a racetrack where she congratulates real-life driver Jamie McMurray in Victory Lane. Martin Sheen's President Bartlet can't make the trip because of a flareup of his multiple sclerosis. (New York Post)

Jeff Gordon on Jay Leno TONIGHT: Jeff Gordon will appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Wednesday, January 5th [11:35pm/et on NBC]. Gordon will discuss the upcoming NASCAR season as well as the premiere of the Racing Stripes movie. A portion of the opening weekend proceeds from the movie will benefit the Jeff Gordon Foundation. (Gordonline.com)

Teenage Charged Selling Fake NASCAR Tickets: A 16-year-old St. Louis boy arrested in September on multiple counts of forgery was charged Tuesday with selling fake NASCAR race tickets on the Internet. Police said the boy admitted that he didn't have the tickets when he advertised them on eBay, an Internet auction site. He also said that he used someone else's Missouri identification card and Social Security number to open a bank account into which he deposited $800 sent by a Wisconsin man who wanted to buy the tickets. Police say he also admitted to using the same account to deposit money from other fake sales. The boy is charged with identity theft and stealing more than $500 and is being held on $10,000 bond. (Kansas City Star)

Waltrip to host dinner: Driver Michael Waltrip and his wife, Buffy, will host a gala dinner at Rock Barn Golf and Spa in Conover on Jan. 15 in hopes of raising $1 million for the Victory Junction Gang and other charitable causes. The public is invited to the black-tie event known as `Michael Waltrip and Friends,' which will benefit Operation Marathon, a program the Waltrips developed in conjunction with the Victory Junction Gang. Musician Edwin McCain will perform at the gala. For more information, contact Jill Skowronek at (704) 604-4368.(Charlotte.com)

Engine Contest Starts: RCR will be hosting the first round of the 2005 Clevite Engine Builders Contest this Wednesday, Jan. 5, and Thursday, Jan. 6, at RCR. There will be four builds each day, at noon, 2:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. RCR's Lanny Barnes and Todd Hamm took top honors in last year's final round. They will begin the defense of their title Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Everything kicks off Wednesday at noon when RCR's Ron Liddell and Freddie Turza go up against RCR's Wes Adams and John Goodwin. 2002 runners-up Danny Lawrence and Greg Gunnell step into the ring Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. The six quickest competitors will move on to the second round. No word on if the public is allowed to attend.(RCR PR)

Washington Dinner to Bring NASCAR: A last-gasp fund-raiser to bring NASCAR to Snohomish County went on even without the cause last week. But the Dec. 27 event organized by business people who had supported plans for a local NASCAR track raised only about $1,200, most of which will be donated to a NASCAR-related charity. Now that the proposal to build a track between Marysville and Arlington has been withdrawn, there isn't much to raise money for. (Seattle Times)

NASCAR Hall Fame down to four cities: NASCAR wants to build a hall of fame in one of four cities. NASCAR licensing vice president Mark Dyer says Charlotte, Atlanta, Kansas City and Daytona Beach, Florida, will get letters from NASCAR this week asking them to pursue the chance to host it. They will have five months to respond. NASCAR, the private corporation that owns and operates the most popular U.S. auto-racing league, could select a site by the end of the year. Dyer says NASCAR's proposal will not include requirements about size and funding sources. But NASCAR wants something as large and as attractive as the baseball, basketball and football halls of fame, all in smaller Northern cities. (Mercury News)

Gordon Looking for Crew Members: Robby Gordon Motorsports is still looking for a few over the wall pit crew members to run the full Nextel Cup Series in 2005 and selected Busch races.  The team says it is only interested in crew members with previous Cup or Busch Series experience, and would prefer crewmen that also can fill a roll in the shop as mechanics or fabricators.  Anyone interested can fax or e-mail bio and contact information to 704-949-1259 or rharris@teamgordon.com.

NASCAR Fans Get a Sneak Peak at Daytona: The 2005 NASCAR Preseason Thunder FanFest at Daytona will sport a new and exciting backdrop this year as Daytona International Speedway will preview its massive, multi-million dollar, multi-faceted infield renovation project for the first time to fans who will experience the much anticipated kickoff to the NASCAR season. Bands, pit stop demonstrations and inquisitive fan forums with some of your favorite drivers as well as new, state-of-the-art infield amenities including new NASCAR Nextel Cup garages, new NASCAR Busch garages, a new Gatorade Victory Lane and a Fan Zone are just some of the exciting features fans will experience at the high-energy 2005 NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at historic Daytona International Speedway. (Catchfence)

Brian France Second Most Powerful in Sports: Power and stupidity are a frightening combination, and at this time a year ago, it appeared Brian France had summoned a bottomless reservoir of both in green-lighting the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup.  There could be no doubt France had the power to make the change. NASCAR is family-owned, so other than maybe a difficult time at reunions ("Could you pass the potato salad - and stop destroying our sport, please?"), France didn't face terrible internal pressure to stand pat. But being able to do something - and doing it - are two different things. If taking on the NFL - a major reason for the Chase - seemed to be an outrageous act of hubris, the method France chose seemed to be an outrageous act of dimwittedness. France saw the Chase as a way to inspire an electric points race, to ensure slam-bam racing right to the end of the season. The critics - fans, drivers, owners, crew chiefs, crew members, crew members' families, crew members' friends, friends of crew members' families - saw none of that. Split the season in two? Recast the points? Basically forget about 33 drivers? What a fool!  (Note: Paul Tagliabue was 1st, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig was 3d) NASCAR Noteables (Bill France Jr. 23rd) (Sporting News)

New Martinsville Policy: To help insure quicker and easier access into events, Martinsville Speedway will have a new policy for carry-in items beginning with the 2005 season. Fans may bring one soft side bag or cooler, no larger than 6 x 6 x12 into the venue. They may also bring in one clear plastic bag, no larger than 18 x 18 x 4. Binoculars, scanners, headsets and cameras, not placed in a bag, but worn separately over the neck or on the belt, and seat cushions carried separately are also allowed. "This is a move we think will help make entry to the grandstands smoother because now gate security will have much less to search, therefore speeding up the process," said Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell. "This policy has worked well at other ISC (International Speedway Corporation) tracks and we believe it will work well here, also." The new policy will go into effect with the Advance Auto Parts 500 weekend which is April 8-10. (Catchfence)

NASCAR on Animal Channel: To help NASCAR launch its 2005 season, Animal Planet will broadcast a one-hour programming special on NASCAR drivers and their family pets the week of the Daytona 500. NASCAR: ANIMAL CREW answers the question -- "What's with all the pets?" -- by bringing fans behind-the-scenes with NASCAR's tough competitors to reveal their soft sides.  NASCAR: ANIMAL CREW debuts on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. ET only on Animal Planet. Produced by Tomwil Entertainment for Animal Planet, NASCAR: ANIMAL CREW features footage shot at NASCAR events in Rockingham, North Carolina, Atlanta and Charlotte, as well as on location with drivers at home.  The family pets featured are big and little, ordinary and unusual, two- and four-legged, but all similar in that they provide comfort in a career of tough competition and normalcy to a life led on the road.(PRWire)

Schumacher Pledges help to Tsunami Victims: A bodyguard for seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher was among those killed in the tsunami disaster.  On Tuesday, Schumacher's manager said the German, who drives for Ferrari, pledged $10 million to victims of the Asian disaster. (MSNBC)

Gordon Denies being Fired: Despite published reports suggesting (Robby) Gordon was released from his job driving the No. 31 Chevrolet following the 2004 season, it was Gordon himself that told car owner Richard Childress in August of his plans to run a full NASCAR Nextel Cup Series program under his own banner. In fact, for several years it has been Gordon's goal to operate his own team, just as he has done before in the NASCAR Busch Series, the SCORE Off-Road Desert Series, the CART series, the Indy Racing League (Indy 500) and the former Winston Cup Series. "On the surface, leaving RCR was very difficult, and I told Richard in the middle of the season that I would never leave his organization to drive for a team other than one I owned," Gordon said. "RCR is one of the all-time greatest NASCAR teams, and having an opportunity to work for Richard is what prepared me properly to be a team owner. We talked long and hard about my plans for 2005, and Richard asked me to consider staying in one of his cars for next season and beyond. "I gave it a lot of thought, but in the end, when I realized that sponsorship would come together for our own program, I decided that venturing out on my own was what was in my own best interest."(robbygordon.com)

January 4, 2005:

Brazilian to attempt two Cup and two Busch races: Brazilian driver Carlos Bueno, the current runner-up in the Stock Car V8 championship - the country's version of NASCAR, tested one of Richard Childress' NASCAR cars at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, NC. Bueno's characteristic #0 was emblazoned in an orange Monte Carlo with his name and the Brazilian flag plastered on its skin. Two days and 520 laps around Caraway Speedway, the second Brazilian to ever steer a NASCAR car was ecstatic: his quickest time of 17.0 seconds topped 2004 team regular Ron Hornaday's best, who also tested on the same days, by 0.2sec. The Brazilian is committed to another season of Stock Car racing this year, but intends to attempt four NASCAR races in 2005: two Busch starts, "preferably on short ovals," and a step-up as a hired gun for the Nextel Cup's two road races [Sonoma and Watkins Glen]. His ambitious planning stretches way ahead, though: "My target is to be a full-time Cup driver in four years."(Speed Channel)

Hendrick to use field of drivers for Busch ride: Hendrick Motorsports will use a small army of drivers for its No. 5 NASCAR Busch Series team in 2005, with newcomers Blake Feese and Boston Reid getting most of the seat time, ThatsRacin.com has learned. The team, which won the 2003 Busch title with driver Brian Vickers and finished second in 2004 with Kyle Busch will run a full season in 2005, but with up to four different drivers. Feese and Reid will each drive in approximately 15 races, with Kyle Busch running up to three and another -- yet unnamed -- driver running the March 6 Busch race at Mexico City, sources said. Hendrick officials would not confirm the plan to use multiple drivers with the team, but said an official announcement of the organization's plans for the series would be forthcoming in a week or so.

DEI Sends Young Drivers for road testing: Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) is trying to stay a step ahead of the competition. With the 2005 racing season rapidly approaching and a new road race in Mexico City slated for the NASCAR Busch Series schedule, DEI recently enrolled members of its driver development program into the Advanced Road Racing two-day session at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving near Phoenix. The goal was to sharpen the drivers' road-race skills under the supervision of some serious road-course masters. The students included Shane Hmiel, who has shown great promise since joining the Busch Series at the end of 2001, and Ryan Moore, a 21-year-old upstart who only recently signed with DEI after earning Busch North Series rookie-of-the-year honors in 2003. Driver Paul Menard, another DEI hopeful, was also on hand for a day of instruction. To help accelerate the learning curve, GM Racing called upon veteran Corvette driver Ron Fellows. Fellows' role was to assist Bondurant's expert team in teaching advanced road-racing skills to the DEI drivers in both the classroom and on the track. Hmiel will run a full Busch schedule this year, and to be successful he will have to apply what he learned from Fellows and the Bondurant instructors..(Autoweek)

Triplett back in Motorsports: Kevin Triplett, former NASCAR executive and a veteran of the sport since 1987, has joined Corporate Racing Group, LLC, a motorsports media/public relations firm headquartered in Bristol, TN. Triplett left NASCAR in June 2003 to pursue a U.S. Congressional seat. Corporate Racing Group is a subsidiary of The Corporate Image, a media and public relations firm headquartered in Bristol, Tenn., with offices in Asheville, N.C., and Washington, D.C. Triplett began his NASCAR career in 1987 covering motorsports part-time for the Bristol Herald Courier in Bristol, Va., and in 1989 he became the full-time racing writer for the Gaston Gazette in Gastonia, N.C. In 1992, General Motors hired Triplett to direct media relations and marketing for GM Parts, Richard Childress Racing, Ken Schrader Racing and drivers Dale Earnhardt and Ken Schrader among many others. Triplett joined NASCAR's public relations department in 1994 and was promoted to manager of communications in 1996. During that time, NASCAR was featured in a number of "non-traditional" mainstream publications such as Sports Illustrated, Forbes and Fortune. In 1997, Triplett was named director of operations for NASCAR's competition department. (Corporate Racing Group PR)

January 3, 2005:

Gordon Takes Lead in Rally Again: NASCAR driver Robby Gordon retook the overall lead Monday in the Dakar Rally with his second stage victory. The American won the third leg of the two-continent road race, a 76-mile run from Rabat to Agadir, Morocco, in 1 hour, 14, minutes, 1 second in a Volkswagen. Defending champion Stephane Peterhansel of France was second in a Mitsubishi in a time of 1:14.54, followed by compatriot Bruno Saby in 1:15:09 in a VW.  Gordon, who won the opening stage Friday, is 59 seconds ahead of Peterhansel and 1:14 in front of Saby. (ThatsRacin)

Hutchens banned from NASCAR: Beginning this season, competitors in NASCAR's top three series -- Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Trucks -- will be required to wear the HANS (Head and Neck Support) device during practice, qualifying and race competition, NASCAR officials confirmed Monday. Hutchens failed to meet minimum standards from testing by SFI Foundation Inc., NASCAR spokesman Mike Zizzo said. Most Cup drivers use the HANS already, but some, such as Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart, have preferred the Hutchens which doesn't involve as much use with the driver's helmet. (ThatsRacin)

CMT Revs up with Dale Jr.: CMT presents a night of NASCAR with two thrilling premieres including CMT 40 GREATEST NASCAR MOMENTS on Friday, Jan. 28 at 8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT,* followed by DALE EARNHARDT JR. UNCUT: 60 MINUTES SPECIAL at 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT.*  DALE EARNHARDT JR. UNCUT: 60 MINUTES SPECIAL with Mike Wallace premieres exclusively on CMT with never-before-seen footage of one of NASCAR's elite, Dale Earnhardt Jr.  In the in-depth special, Earnhardt Jr. discusses everything from his fiery crash in Sonoma, Calif. to his legendary father, Dale, to Dating for Dummies.  Champion driver and friend Tony Stewart guests. Earnhardt Jr. crashed while practicing for a road race during a NASCAR off-week, suffering second-degree burns when his car was engulfed in flames. In the 14 seconds it took to get out of the car, it occurred to him that he might not make it out.

Stoddard Looking: Frank Stoddard was released from Bill Davis Racing [#22]. Expect Stoddard's trial period at MB/Sutton Motorsports to be just that. My guess is Stoddard has his eye on the #10 Valvoline Chevrolet, which is in need of an overhaul after finishing 29th in points. Scott Riggs is the driver for the #10, with Doug Randolph as the crew chief.(FoxSports/Sporting News)

Gordon Falls back in Third Stage: McRae, a former World Rally champion, completed the day's 10-kilometer (6-mile) stage outside Grenada in 7 minutes, 48 seconds, six seconds faster than defending champion Stephane Peterhansel of France, to climb atop the cars division with an overall time of 12:22.  American Robby Gordon, who won the first stage and held the overall lead, finished fifth in Sunday's stage in his Volkswagen, 15 seconds behind McRae, and slipped to No. 2 by one second. South Africa's Giniel De Villiers was third, two seconds back, with Peterhansel fourth, another five seconds back. Frenchman David Fretigne won the day's stage on his Yamaha and extended his lead atop the motorcycle division to 11 seconds, while Dutchman Hans Bekx led the truck category by 24 seconds. (FoxSports)

Office Depot and NASCAR Reups: Office Depot is taking care of business again.  The office supply retailer has reached back to refresh its long-time "Taking Care of Business" marketing tagline. At the same time, the company has announced it has dropped its Olympic sponsorship to launch a partnership with NASCAR. Executives hope the new deal will build a stronger affinity with business owners and female shoppers.  The "Taking Care of Business" theme will be used throughout the company and its marketing, from a new ad campaign that debuts today, to its Internet site, in-store signs and the training of its almost 40,000 employees worldwide. Executives hope the marketing program will refocus Office Depot on the business customer, representing more than 80 percent of the company's sales globally. The return to "Taking Care of Business" after a four-year hiatus acknowledges that the company's taglines haven't resonated effectively with customers over that time, said Chuck Rubin, executive vice president of marketing of the Delray Beach-based retailer. (Sun-Sentinel)

January 2, 2005:

Labonte's to Race in 24hrs Rolex race: Past Nextel Cup champions Bobby and Terry Labonte will be teaming with IRL IndyCar Series' star Bryan Herta of Andretti-Green Racing and former Formula One driver Jan Magnussen for the Feb. 5-6 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The four will be one of two team cars fielded by Doran Racing. "Bobby tested the car at Homestead the second week of December,' team owner Kevin Doran said of the 2000 Nextel Cup champ. "He put in a couple of 10-12 laps stints and he was completely comfortable with the car by the second stint.' While the upcoming Rolex 24-Hour will be Bobby Labonte's first such race, older brother Terry ran in five 24-hour races at Daytona in the early to mid-1980's. Indeed, the two time Cup champion Terry Labonte scored his first Cup championship in the same year in which he had earlier scored a GTO-class victory and a sixth-place overall finish in the classic twice-around-the clock race. Interestingly, in that Rolex 24 victory, Labonte teamed with his Cup car owner of that year, Billy Hagan. Gene Felton rounded out the driving team. Doran's second car will be driven by Italians Fabrizio Gollin, Matteo Bobbi and Doran Racing veteran Didier Theys. As a car owner, Doran won the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in 1998 and 2002 and Theys went on to win the Grand American Sports Racing Prototype championship in 2002.(Daytona Beach News Journal)

Gordon Wins First Stage of Ralley: NASCAR driver Robby Gordon won the opening leg of the Dakar Rally on Friday, the first American to capture a stage in the car division of the world's most grueling road race. Gordon, driving a Volkswagen in his first Dakar Rally, covered a 4-mile sprint along a beach outside Barcelona in 4 minutes, 20 seconds. He was two seconds ahead of Hiroshi Masuoka of Japan, and Giniel De Villiers of South Africa was third, another second behind. Defending champion Stephane Peterhansel of France was ninth. Gordon often competes in various racing events outside NASCAR, from the Indianapolis 500 to the annual Baja 1,000 off-road race in Mexico. He was fired from Richard Childress Racing at the end of the season and will field his own car next year. The 5,553-mile road race begins in earnest Saturday with a 570-mile leg from Barcelona to Granada. It ends Jan. 16 in Dakar, Senegal, completing a course that also runs through Morocco, Mauritania and Mali. A record total of 696 vehicles -- cars, motorbikes and trucks -- took part Friday and 39 nations were represented. (AP/CBS SportsLine)

January 1, 2005:

DW one more race? Then retire in 2006?: Darrell Waltrip plans to run the Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway in the spring. That's a make-up race. Qualifying got rained out in October, and DW didn't get to race at Martinsville. DW has a brand new truck. The Toyota Racing Development crew took it home, covered it up the one DW was to run at the Oct Martinsville race  and will bring it back out in April. DW says that more than likely, it will be his last race. So DW will probably run that Martinsville spring race and unless he happens to win that race, that will probably be his last one.(FoxSport's All Waltrip)

December 31, 2004:

Nadeau at Wake Forrest Baptist Fitness 500: Jerry Nadeau joins the slate of drivers scheduled to appear at the Wake Forest Baptist Fitness 500 on January 8 at the LJVM Coliseum. NASCAR drivers and personalities scheduled to appear that day include: Rusty Wallace, Carl Edwards, Mike Helton, Bobby Allison, Ray Evernham, Chocolate Meyers, Ron Hornaday and Teri MacDonald. Ann Schrader, wife of Kenny Schrader, is scheduled to compete on the Women's Auxiliary of Motorsports (WAM) team. "We have had some changes in the drivers' commitments, such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth, as holiday schedules are cemented and sponsors make their final requests of the drivers for the year," said. J. Kevin Bokeno, vice president of marketing and public relations at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. (Catchfence)

December 30, 2004:

Dodge Charger Unveiled and Daytona Preseason Testing: Reigning NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, four-time series champ Jeff Gordon and defending Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be among the featured drivers during the first session of NASCAR Preseason Thunder scheduled for Jan. 11-13 at Daytona International Speedway. The first of two Nextel Cup Preseason Thunder sessions consists of the drivers whose owners finished in the odd-numbered positions of their respective championship standings. Some drivers, however, have switched sessions with NASCAR's approval. Each test day runs from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.The opening session of NASCAR Preseason Thunder kicks off Tuesday, Jan. 11, with the official unveiling of the new Dodge Charger that will compete in the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. (FoxSports)

Tony Stewart Wins, 60 lap dash: Tony Stewart fought off the advances of Dave Darland Wednesday night to win the Midget feature event in the "Rumble in Fort Wayne" at the Fort Wayne, Indiana - Memorial Coliseum Expo Center. Stewart started second in the 60 lap race, took the lead on the 14th lap and never looked back. The top-ten finishers were: 1. Tony Stewart, 2. Dave Darland, 3. Rich Corson, 4. Tony Elliott, 5. Mel Kenyon (Insider Racing News)

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