NASCAR News June 29 - July 3 2005

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July 3, 2005

• Zipadelli wins WYPALL Crew Chief of the race award: No one came close to topping Tony Stewart this weekend at the Pepsi 400. Stewart led the parade for a record breaking 151 laps of the 160 lap event. Despite the field ganging up on the #20 Chevrolet, Stewart easily held on to the top spot to pick up his second consecutive win. Stewart's dominant night made his crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, the easy pick for the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. The panel of voters; including Buddy Shacklette of the Daytona Beach News-Journal, a Wypall Wipers representative and Robbie Reiser; all agreed that Zipadelli unquestionably deserved Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race honors. "They (#20 team) came here with the right stuff," said Shacklette. "They were fast off the truck. I don't think Greg (Zipadelli) had to make very many changes all night. Obviously he did his homework. They were solid here in February and were solid here again. Greg is definitely the man of the hour." "That was one of the best cars that I've ever seen at Daytona," said Reiser. "No one stood a chance against it. Everyone is going to have to raise the bar on their superspeedway program before we go to Talladega or Tony (Stewart) will have another day like this. Greg (Zipadelli) had an awesome day and no one deserved to be Crew Chief of the Race more than him." Doug Richert leads the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year standings with five wins. Alan Gustafson and Robbie Loomis are tied for second place with two wins. Tommy Baldwin, Scott Miller, Bob Osborne, Fatback McSwain, Greg Zipadelli and Pete Rondeau are in a tie for third place, each with one win. At the end of the season, the crew chief with the most weekly wins will receive $20,000. Fans can also vote for their choice at wypall.com. (SMC 500)

• Ford wants women in Cup victory lane: Ford executives have put a new twist on the female side of the NASCAR diversity program, by declaring it a battle now to become the first Detroit automaker to put a woman into victory lane at a Nextel Cup race. That considerably ups the stakes in the Ford-vs.-Dodge-vs.-Chevrolet campaign among women drivers. Dodge's Erin Crocker, set to make her Busch tour debut at Richmond in September, appears to have the upper hand at the moment. (Salem-Journal)

• Marlin hopes to know soon: Columbia's Sterling Marlin, who will start 37th in tonight's Nextel Cup Pepsi 400, said no decision has been made about his racing plans next year. "There's still some discussions going on and hopefully I'll know something before long," Marlin said. Marlin has been notified that his driving contract will not be renewed next season with Chip Ganassi Racing, but he has been offered a "consulting" job with the team. He also has an offer to drive a limited Busch Series schedule for FitzBradshaw Racing, but indicated he would prefer a full-time Nextel Cup ride if he can land with a "competitive" team. Marlin said he has talked to "two or three owners," believed to include Richard Chidress and Jack Roush, and originally thought a decision might come this weekend. Yesterday he said it "will probably be later next month" before a decision is finalized. (Tennessean)

• College Football's top two coaches in Daytona: South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier and Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops were among the VIPs at the Pepsi 400. The NASCAR race was the first for Spurrier, the former coach at the University of Florida and for the NFL's Washington Redskins. It was the second race for Stoops, but his first in about eight years. Spurrier, who rode a few laps around the track in one of the pace cars, said drivers might be the best athletes of all. "You don't see many fat drivers out there," he said. He also compared racing to golf, where dozens of individuals vie for victory each week. "In football, we've got two teams, and one of is going to win," he said. "If it's an even game, you've got a 50 percent chance. So this is a much tougher sport, when you have just one winner out of so many competitors." (ESPN)

• DEI to renew NAPA and Waltrip: Now that Dale Earnhardt, Inc. has signed Martin Truex, Jr. to a three-year contract extension, the next order of business is to renew the deals for driver Michael Waltrip and his sponsor, NAPA, DEI Director of Motorsports Richie Gilmore said Saturday night. "Michael's been a great driver for us and a great cheerleader for us this year and a great teammate," Gilmore said. "I think in the next couple of weeks, we'll have it all worked out. The Martin (Truex, Jr.) deal just took up a lot more time than we thought, but everybody's happy with how it worked out." As for Waltrip's contract extension - something of a surprise to some, as his job was rumored to be in jeopardy - Gilmore said, "We're still working out the details on it. We think we can get it done in the next couple of weeks. We got a lot done today with NAPA and Michael and we feel like we can definitely get it done." (SPEED)

• Both Eury's missed Daytona drivers Meeting: Eyebrows were raised when both Tony Eury, Sr., director of competition for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and son Tony Jr., crew chief for Michael Waltrip's DEI Chevrolet, both skipped the pre-race driver's meeting. Although many rumors flew, the truth was a lot more simple, according to Richie Gilmore, who oversees DEI racing operations. The elder Eury had flown home to prepare for a NASCAR Busch Series test at Loudon, N.H., on Tuesday with DEI development driver Ryan Moore, while Eury, Jr., simply lost track of time while prepping Waltrip's car for the race. (SPEED)

• NBC Ebersol thanks NASCAR Community: NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol thanked the "NASCAR community" Saturday for supporting him through what has been a difficult time. Ebersol's 14-year-old son, Teddy, was killed in a plane crash in November in Colorado. The pilot and a flight attendant also were killed. Dick Ebersol, Charlie Ebersol and co-pilot Eric Wicksell were injured. "I wanted to tell you all from the bottom of my heart, 'Thank you,'" Ebersol said, holding back tears. "This community more than any other in sports has been there for my family and for me through all of this." NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and team owner Rick Hendrick also have lost sons, and Ebersol said both reached out to him. "To Kyle and to Rick, who belong to the same club that none of you I hope will ever have to belong to, I owe so much," said Ebersol, who spoke during the pre-race drivers meeting and received a standing ovation. "You don't ever want to lose a child, but if you do, you want to have your faith in humanity renewed by the love and good works of the people around you trying to help you."  (ESPN)

• 2006 Schedule to be releases on Labor Day weekend: NASCAR's 2006 Nextel Cup schedule should be released around its normal Labor Day announcement date. Expect no major changes of dates or venues in any of NASCAR's top-three series for next year, sources said. (SPEED)

• Wallace and Martin receive honor:  Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace were honored Saturday night before their final race at Daytona International Speedway. The retiring NASCAR stars were given framed photos of the first cars they drove at Daytona in 1982 and greeted with a standing ovation during the drivers meeting before the Pepsi 400. The photos also contained head shots that Martin said reminded him of "Starsky and Hutch." "You got me beat with the mustache, but I've got the hair," Wallace said. (ESPN)

• Stewart wins the very late early morning Pepsi 400: Tony Stewart climbed from his car, started scaling the fence and didn't stop until he reached the top. The unusual celebration capped an extraordinary night at Daytona International Speedway. Stewart knew it, all his rivals did, and so did anyone else who stayed up to watch one of the most dominating NASCAR performances in recent years. He was never challenged in Saturday night's rain-delayed Pepsi 400, which ended almost six hours after its scheduled start. Stewart led all but nine of the 160 laps a race record that not even an Earnhardt has been able to top. (ABC News - Results - Points)

July 2, 2005

• Martin Truex signs with DEI: Martin Truex Jr.'s drive toward a second consecutive NASCAR Busch Series championship officially went over the halfway mark Friday night at Daytona International Speedway, where his future at Dale Earnhardt Inc. also was secured. Truex sweated out a 27-minute, 58-second red flag stoppage prompted by a 16-car crash and then held off pole sitter Kevin Harvick en route to a victory in the Winn-Dixie 250. The victory was Truex's first at Daytona, his series-leading fourth this season and served as the punctuation mark for the New Jersey native, who signed a three-year contact extension with DEI that will take him to the Nextel Cup Series full time beginning in 2006. "We sat down an hour before the race and got it done, and I signed a contract," said Truex, whose margin of victory after the green-white-checkered flag finish was 0.131 seconds. "We can focus on racing. [I] had a big meeting with my team before the race, and we talked about all the rumors and the reasons I stayed. It's real simple -- the friends I've made and the way these guys have stayed behind me the last 21/2 years. I'm glad to be back for the next three years. We're going to win this championship and be strong in the Cup Series next year." Truex will run a full Cup schedule in 2006, as well as selected Busch Series events. (DFW)

• Truex on standby for Earnhardt, Jr.: Martin Truex Jr. won Friday night's NASCAR Busch Series race at Daytona International Speedway and agreed to re-sign at Dale Earnhardt Inc., but his work this weekend may still not be complete. Truex has been asked to remain at Daytona to stand by should driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. need a relief driver in Saturday night's Pepsi 400 Nextel Cup race, team officials said. Earnhardt Jr. has been battling flu-like symptoms the past two weeks and as of Friday had already made at least one trip to the infield care center this weekend for intravenous fluids. (ThatsRacin)

• Toyota misses Deadline: Friday was the deadline for manufacturers to submit new cars or new parts to NASCAR for next season. Chevrolet submitted a new Monte Carlo. Ford submitted a new car to replace the Taurus. Toyota, rumored that it would present a car for the Busch series, did not present anything. The highest level in NASCAR that Toyota competes is the Craftsman Truck series. "We had never expected anything from Toyota,'' said Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president. (Roanoke)

• Stewart track incident with fan:  NASCAR bad boy Tony Stewart had another run-in at the track. This one, though, didn't include a fellow driver or a photographer. Stewart allegedly yelled and cursed at a fan Wednesday night after she slowed him up entering a tunnel to Daytona International Speedway. Stewart told a different version of the story. Pamela Williams, of Hobe Sound, said Stewart was flashing his headlights behind her as they entered the track infield. "'I stuck my hand out and made a motion to slow down and this guy raced around me and slammed on his brakes,'' Williams told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. ''He jumps out and started walking toward me -- angry and irritated -- like road rage.'' Several track workers corroborated Williams' story. Stewart, meanwhile, offered conflicting details. Stewart told the News-Journal the woman gestured for him to pass her and then waved her middle finger at him as he drove by. ''I say, 'By God, I'm going to find out what this girl's problem is.' So I back up, go to where she stops, get out and walk up to her window,'' Stewart explained. ''I go, 'What's your problem.' She says, 'I think I know who you are.' I said, 'It doesn't matter who I am. What's your problem?' She wouldn't tell us. And that was it.'' (Jacksonville.com)

• Extra Daytona Security:  Anyone planning to enter the Daytona International Speedway infield today should expect delays. With Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld serving as grand marshal, each car will be checked for weapons and bombs as they enter through both tunnels. The shakedown includes bomb-sniffing dogs. Fans will have all bags checked as they enter the grandstands. "It is only fitting to have Secretary Rumsfeld serve as grand marshal for an Independence Day weekend tradition like the 47th Pepsi 400," said speedway president Robin Braig. (Jacksonville.com)

• Hmiel fires back at doubters: Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s normally soft-spoken crew chief blasted critics of the struggling No. 8 team and the Dale Earnhardt Inc. organization Friday afternoon. But Steve Hmiel saved his harshest remarks for those NASCAR observers who believe that as "interim" crew chief, he is not equipped to help Junior save his season. "It ain't about Steve Hmiel, it's about the whole company," Hmiel said at Daytona International Speedway. "Everybody wants DEI to go up in flames. Well, it ain't going to happen. There's a lot going on here. And to dismiss anybody on this team as losers -- or to dismiss their interim crew chief as 'just a spotter' -- is a huge mistake on anybody's part in this garage. Because we're going to whip their butts before it's over with." During this time, Hmiel -- DEI's technical director -- also was serving as Junior's race-day spotter. At Junior's request, Hmiel took on the job of interim crew chief before the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 29. "A lot of people know me as Junior's spotter," said Hmiel, 51, who has posted 32 victories as a crew chief in a NASCAR career dating to 1975. "Yeah, I'm a technical director -- the crew chiefs work for me. I go to every wind-tunnel test. I design the chassis. The engineers work for me. You know, I haven't been sitting at home on the porch. And I don't give a hoot what anybody says -- a race car is just a race car. And I guess there's a lot of really smart people in this garage that weren't here 10 years ago, when we used to whip the hell out of 'em. Well, we're going to whip the hell out of 'em again." (Star-Telegram)

• Stewart wins Pepsi 400 Pole:  It was supposed to be easier for Kasey Kahne after he won his first Nextel Cup race at Richmond International Raceway on May 14. But in the five races following that win, Kahne has endured a historically frustrating stretch that blunted any momentum his Evernham Motorsports team might have gathered. Kahne tries to turn things around Saturday night in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway, where on Friday Tony Stewart won the pole with a lap at 185.582 mph. Stewart, coming off his victory last week on the road course at Infineon Raceway, got his first career Daytona pole and his first pole anywhere since July 11, 2003, at Chicagoland by outrunning three Chevrolets owned by MB2/MBV Motorsports. (ThatsRacin) Top 10 Starters: 1st) Tony Stewart - 185.582, 2nd) Scott Riggs - 185.418, 3rd) Jimmie Johnson - 185.273, 4th) Boris Said - 185.204, 5th) Joe Nemechek - 184.904, 6th) Elliott Sadler - 184.468, 7th) Kevin Harvick - 184.468, 8th) Jason Leffler - 184.426, 9th) Rusty Wallace - 184.377, and 10th) Kerry Earnhardt - 184.238 Full lineup at NASCAR.com

July 1, 2005

• Bliss fastest in Happy Hour: Nextel Cup teams finally made it onto the track on Friday as a break in the weather allowed for a full practice for the Pepsi 400. Teams will qualify on Friday at 4:40 p.m. ET. Friday's practice was run without incident as teams worked on both race setups and qualifying setups. Cars were also able to get in extensive drafting runs.  During one of those drafting runs, Mike Bliss set the fastest lap of the session with a lap of 189.434 mph. Kevin Harvick was second-quick at 189.366 mph. "Mine really didn't feel that good," said Harvick. "Just caught a lucky draft." Harvick still sounded frustrated about Sonoma, where he finished 37th after experiencing transmission and motor problems during the race weekend.  DEI teammates Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were way down the speed chart -- they were 37th- and 30th-best, respectively. (NASCAR.com)

• Top 10: 1st) Mike Bliss - 189.434, 2nd) Kevin Harvick - 189.366, 3rd) Travis Kvapil - 189.111, 4th) Jeff Burton - 188.644, 5th) Dale Jarrett - 188.115, 6th) Kasey Kahne - 188.005, 7th) Tony Stewart - 187.895, 8th) Scott Riggs - 187.884, 9th) Jeff Gordon - 187.825, and 10th) Ricky Rudd - 187.813

• Evernham and Valvoline make it official: Evernham Motorsports on Friday announced that it has agreed in principle to form a partnership with Valvoline to create Valvoline Evernham Racing LLC, which will campaign the No. 10 Valvoline Dodge Charger for the 2006 season.  Under the arrangement, Valvoline will be the primary sponsor on the No. 10 Valvoline Dodge Charger for a majority of the races and will be a major associate sponsor on the No. 10 Dodge Charger for the remaining races in the season. A driver and crew chief for the team will be announced at a later date. Much of the team personnel will transfer to the No. 10 team from Evernham Motorsports' No. 91 team. "This is the next step in our quest for a championship," said Ray Evernham, president and CEO of Evernham Motorsports. "In today's competitive environment, you need a multiple-car team to win races and championships. When you have more race teams, it speeds your development and learning tremendously. With this expansion, we can compete more effectively against other multiple-car organizations.  "Having Valvoline as a partner -- not just a sponsor -- makes this an incredible program," Evernham said. "They have been a tremendous supporter of mine for many years, and our relationship has now grown into joint ownership of a team. Valvoline has a great history in this sport, and a deep understanding of what it takes to be successful. I look forward to winning championships with them." The third team will be housed out of the new third facility at Evernham Motorsports headquarters in Statesville, NC. It will lease engines and shop space from Evernham Motorsports and have full access to Evernham R&D. The team expansion allows Evernham Motorsports to continue to grow and advance its operations. The expanded stable also allows Evernham Motorsports to accelerate its R&D efforts, increase its test dates, enhance its ability to collect and analyze data, and make improvements more quickly and efficiently. (More at NASCAR.com)

• Stremme to make Cup debut at Chicagoland: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in an alliance with FitzBradshaw Racing announced today that David Stremme will make his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series debut in the Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on July 10th, 2005, with the United States Navy serving as primary sponsor on the No. 39 Dodge Charger. The United States Navy will also serve as the primary sponsor for Stremme in the NEXTEL Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway on September 10th. The upcoming NEXTEL Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway will mark the first foray into NEXTEL Cup Racing for the United States Navy. FitzBradshaw Racing co-owner Armando Fitz noted, "The sponsorship of David by the Navy in a Cup car further exemplifies the relationship between FitzBradshaw Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. We're thrilled that the Navy has helped David further his racing career by sponsoring his first-ever Cup race." Stremme is currently eighth in the NASCAR Busch Series point standings, driving the No. 14 Navy "Accelerate Your Life" Dodge. He has posted four top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 2005, to date. (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates)

• Don't attempt handicap in Daytona: About 20 people were caught trying to sneak into handicapped parking sections during a crackdown on people looking for the best parking spots at the Daytona International Speedway, according to FLORIDA TODAY news partner WKMG Local 6 News. This year, the Florida Highway Patrol and NASCAR are cracking down on scams to illegally use handicapped parking spaces at the speedway during July 4 holiday races that end with Saturday night's Pepsi 400, Local 6 News reported. Thursday, racing fans were caught faking that they were handicapped by using another person's car sticker and even making homemade handicap signs to fool officials, Local 6 News reported. (Florida Today)

• ABC looks to get back in, NBC putting its money in NFL: The Fox and NBC deals run out after next season. NASCAR has opted not to exercise its two-year option to extend the Fox half of the deal. That opens the way for a profitable (for NASCAR) bidding war among ABC/ESPN, Fox, and NBC. Even Viacom (CBS) could get involved to boost its male-oriented Spike TV (the old Nashville Network) cable channel. "'We love the partnership with NASCAR and hope it continues," said NBC spokesman Mike McCarley, ''but NBC also has a track record under Dick Ebersol of being prudent financially."   In the past, NBC has eschewed overpaying for properties, and it may find NASCAR's price too rich to continue. However, it will reap the benefits of NASCAR-NFL doubleheaders next year. NASCAR races on Sunday afternoons, including the season-ending Chase to the Nextel Cup series, which will be NBC's lead-in to its inaugural season of ''Sunday Night Football." ABC and ESPN want back in, and Fox Sports president Ed Goren said last week on a national conference call that ''five years ago, NASCAR decided to move to broadcast TV at the time the NBA went from a predominantly network sport to a predominantly cable sport. We were believers when we got into this. We're confident we can work out a new deal. We continue to talk. That's always healthy." (Boston Globe)

• Oregon promoters remain optimistic: Promoters of putting a NASCAR racetrack in this Eastern Oregon town remain optimistic, despite the recent announcement by International Speedway Corp. that a Northwest track will be built in Bremerton, Wash. "The ISC announcement was so generic and filled with lots of ifs," Jim Schilling, a member of a group trying to bring NASCAR to Boardman, told The East Oregonian. "It's subject to legislative approval, the permitting process, and they have no funding." Plans for the Bremerton track call for 80,000 seats, to be built on 950 acres south of the city's airport. (OrgeonLive)

• Andretti calls for free tires: In promising to refund the cost of tickets to U.S. Grand Prix ticket holders and offering to buy 20,000 tickets to next year's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Michelin knows it will spend at least $12 million. But the tire manufacturer might end up paying much more, the sport's sanctioning body president told reporters in Paris this week. NASCAR driver John Andretti, a self-described F-1 fanatic, said the only way for Michelin to dig itself out of the public relations disaster is to offer ticket holders free tires, too. (Indy Star)

• Drivers not worried about Daytona Practice: Nextel Cup drivers and teams weren't worried at all that rain washed out their scheduled practice sessions Thursday for Saturday night's Pepsi 400.  "There's not a lot we can do as drivers in those situations," said points leader Greg Biffle, who won this race two years ago. NASCAR rescheduled practice for 9:10-10:30 a.m. today, and qualifying remains scheduled for 4:40 p.m. today. If rain interferes again, and "if we get no practice before the race," said Jeff Burton, "you could get by with it here easier than you could anywhere else with the exception of Talladega [in Alabama, the other restrictor-plate track on the tour]." Ditto, says Robbie Loomis. "I feel comfortable as long as I know we don't have tire rubs," said Loomis, crew chief for Jeff Gordon, who is defending champion of this race and won the Daytona 500 this past February. "If we had an hour of practice and lined them up by points [rather than qualifying], it would be fine with me." (Sun-Sentinel)

• Eury suggest swap was mistake: The director of competition for Dale Earnhardt Inc. became the first team executive to suggest the switching of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s and Michael Waltrip's teams this offseason was "a bad move." Earnhardt has slumped from a six-time winner and fifth in points last season to well out of the Chase for the Championship field. Waltrip has improved from 20th in points to within reach of the 400-points-from-the-leader line but has not won and DEI appears adrift. "When you've got something good, I guess you should leave it alone, you know," said Eury, Earnhardt's uncle and crew chief from the beginning of his NASCAR career until 2004. "We won six races with him last year. Maybe it should have been left alone. I don't know."  Earnhardt and Waltrip's entire fleet of cars were swapped, with Earnhardt's former car chief, Tony Eury Jr., becoming Waltrip's crew chief. Pete Rondeau replaced Eury Sr. as crew chief for Earnhardt but was fired after 11 races. Eury Sr. said he bears as much responsibility for Earnhardt's poor start as anyone, including overestimating the quality of the No.8 Chevrolet fleet. That said, Eury Sr. suggested Earnhardt's team was probably "led wrong a little while" and suggested Rondeau, who served as Waltrip's crew chief when "Slugger" Labbe left late last year, hurt the program. "In our place, we let the crew chiefs build their cars. They're responsible for them," Eury Sr. said. "When Slugger left in the middle of the year last year, it went down from there and we never recovered from it." (St. Petersburg Times)

• Foyt test with Evernham: A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of legendary NASCAR and open-wheel star A.J. Foyt, recently tested in an Automobile Racing Club of America car with Evernham Motorsports, and could figure in the organization's driver development plan soon. "A.J. was very fast in the car and we were very impressed with him. He's probably going to run some Busch races for us later this year and we'll do some further testing," team owner Ray Evernham said. Foyt, 21, is in his third season in IRL's IndyCar series. His career-best start is sixth and career-best finish ninth. (ThatsRacin)

• Rumsfeld named Pepsi 400 Grand Marshall: U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld has been named Grand Marshal for the 47th running of the Pepsi 400 on Saturday, July 2. Mr. Rumsfeld will give the command "Drivers, start your engines" in NASCAR's star-spangled holiday weekend event set to begin under the lights at 8 p.m. at the "World Center of Racing." His Grand Marshal duties also include leading the 43-car field in the pace laps from the Grand Marshal pace car. "It is only fitting to have Secretary Rumsfeld serve as Grand Marshal for an Independence Day weekend tradition like the 47th Pepsi 400," said DIS President Robin Braig. "We are honored and privileged that Mr. Rumsfeld will be on hand to witness one of NASCAR's grandest nighttime spectacles." Secretary Rumsfeld was sworn in as the 21st Secretary of Defense on January 20, 2001. Before assuming his present post, the former Navy pilot had also served as the 13th Secretary of Defense, White House Chief of Staff, U.S. Ambassador to NATO, U.S. Congressman and chief executive officer of two Fortune 500 companies. Secretary Rumsfeld highlights the Holiday Weekend full of side-by-side racing, thrills and excitement culminating with a 10-minute fireworks extravaganza. (Daytona International Speedway)

• Earnhardt, Jr and #3 Childress? If Junior is gonna drive the No. 3 car someday, could it happen under the DEI roof? If so, Childress would have to give up ownership of the number -- and all the potential business opportunities that accompany it. "He's always said, ever since his daddy got killed, one of these days he's gonna drive a 3 car," Eury said of Junior. "Just a remark he made a long time ago. Someday Richard might give us the number and we'll run it out of DEI. Depends on how long Richard wants to keep doing it, you know." Richard? Any chance of giving up the No. 3? "No." "As far as the 3, it's registered," Childress elaborated. "It's one of those deals . . . we're gonna keep doing what we've been doing, what Dale and I talked about years ago. We knew it was our number, and we had plans of doing things with it after he retired. We're gonna put those plans in effect soon." (News-Journal)

• NBC to use "Pit Window":  With NBC planning a closer look at the performances of the pit crews, (Alan) Bestwick will have a chance to shine. "I'm expecting to have fun," Bestwick said. The timing is certainly good. While NBC didn't announce any grand overhaul of coverage, it did say it will treat pit stops like a fourth-down play in football, putting Bestwick in a crucial position. "After a pit stop happens, we'll go back and do a replay, just like you go back and do a replay at the end of a fourth-down play, and figure out what went wrong at the line of scrimmage - or what went right," Flood said. "Three-tenths of a second can move a car from fifth to first getting off of pit road, and they can hold that lead and win the race. It can really determine the winner of a race, and ultimately the championship." NBC will use a "Pit Window," showing the pit stop in slow motion while continuing to focus on live racing. Flood's plan is to break down pit stops like never before, from a dropped lugnut to the speed of a crew member getting over the wall while carrying a tire, with analysts Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach breaking it down, often with a telestrator. (St. Petersburg Times)

• Dover hopes to keep MBNA Sponsor: MBNA's presence is all over the sports landscape in Delaware, which is why those who run sporting events here are hopeful that those relationships will continue now that Bank of America purchased MBNA on Thursday. That includes the NASCAR races at Dover International Speedway, which draws an estimated 250,000 fans to each of its two weekends of racing. MBNA is the title sponsor for the three races in the spring -- the Nextel Cup, the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series -- and the Nextel Cup race in September. Denis McGlynn, the president and CEO of Dover International Speedway, said he's optimistic that Bank of America will continue the 10-year naming rights relationship that MBNA had with the track after the current deal expires. McGlynn, citing confidentiality laws, wouldn't say when it expires or how much the deal is worth, only that it's a multi-year deal. But he said he was encouraged that Bank of America is getting involved with NASCAR. (Delaware Online)

• Pennzoil and Edwards at Daytona: Carl Edwards will sports a Pennzoil Platinum paint schemes on the #99 Roush Racing Ford for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 2nd. Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic motor oil is the most advanced product that Pennzoil has ever produced and is the latest product from the category leader. Pennzoil Platinum's ultimate-protection formulation is designed to stand up to today's most demanding engines. This new full synthetic motor oil combines a highly-refined base oil with a proprietary additive package to create a ground-breaking formulation to keep engines running at their full potential. (Coyne PR)

• Colin Edwards in Daytona with Gordon: Colin Edwards II will be at the Pepsi 400 at Daytona this weekend, invited by NASCAR driver and MotoGP fan Jeff Gordon. Gordon had his bacon saved by Edwards at the Race of Champions several years ago and has been an Edwards fan ever since. After the car race Edwards is back in Texas on Sunday to greet his entire MotoGP team who will visit his home in Conroe and do some go-kart racing (Edwards owns a cool dozen shifter karts) and ride dirt bikes. The team leaves for NASA for a visit the next day, then Edwards is off to southern California for some PR, then Yamaha is flyinghe and his family up to Monterey via private jet. (Superbike Planet)

• Brickyard testing: Preparations for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard begin Tuesday with the first of six days of NASCAR testing at IMS.  The majority of teams have signed up to test either immediately before or after the July 10 Nextel Cup event at Chicagoland Speedway. The first session is Tuesday and Wednesday -- only a half-dozen drivers will participate, according to Speedway officials -- and the second is July 11-12. A couple of teams have requested testing time for July 18-19. The Aug. 7 race will feature defending champion Gordon's attempt to become the Speedway's first five-time winner. (Indy Star)

• BofA NASCAR NBC Pre-race show: Bank of America's agreement with Turner Sports to be the presenting sponsor of the NBC and TNT pre-race show "Countdown to Green" will commence on July 3, prior to the start of The Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. According to Trish Frohman, senior vice president of Turner Sports Ad Sales and Marketing, the partnership with Bank of America is an example of Turner Sports' strategy to reach advertisers beyond traditional NASCAR categories. "Our partnership with Bank of America is a great example of NASCAR's continued appeal within the marketplace and we are pleased to bring this new advertiser and category to our NASCAR coverage," said Frohman. "This is an exciting new partnership and exemplifies the value to our clients of integrating the Turner Sports portfolio and NASCAR as marketing vehicles to boost brand affinity with racing fans." Elements of the sponsorship include a Bank of America Countdown to Green set design, inclusion in TNT's weekly NASCAR national print advertisement in USA Today, on-air spots in the pre-race show and weekly race, a pre-produced enhancement segment in each pre-race show and event marketing. (LMS PR)

• Truex and DEI: Martin Truex Jr. hasn't said why he hasn't yet signed a contract to remain with Dale Earnhardt Inc., but he did say Thursday at Daytona that he is trying to seal a deal. "It's not done yet, and we are trying to get it done," said Truex.  At least two top-level Nextel Cup teams have immediate openings for the 2006 season. Truex Jr. is in the final year of his contract with DEI, and as reigning Busch Series champion, it is natural that he has found himself in the rumor mill. For his part, Truex has been mum on his talks with DEI, which are being led by his father. About the time Truex' name popped into the rumor mill, his performances in the Busch Series dramatically improved. Since finishing 35th at Texas in April, Truex has been on a tear, scoring top-10 finishes in eight of his past nine races. (NASCAR.com)

• Leffler two more races, more with #32? Nextel Cup driver Jason Leffler could end up driving most of the remaining Busch Series races this season for Braun Racing in its No. 32 Chevrolet. Leffler is scheduled to drive the car this weekend at Daytona and next weekend at Chicagoland. Shane Hmiel was the team's driver before he was suspended by NASCAR after failing a second substance-abuse test. "We talked about doing more, but we need to get through this week and next week and see how things go. I'm sure if it's going well, we'll keep going," said Leffler, who drives the No. 11 Chevys in Cup for Joe Gibbs Racing. (ThatsRacin)

• France on F1: The U.S. Grand Prix: While unwilling to criticize Formula One officials directly for the 14-car pullout of the June 19 race, France said it reflected poorly on everyone in the racing business. "I don't comment too much on other people's policies," he said, "but I will say we would have handled it very differently. We would have found a solution. It does have repercussions. We're all in the same industry." (Indy Star)

• Kurt Busch and Smirnoff at Daytona: Reigning NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch and his sponsor, Smirnoff ICE, helped some of the 200,000 fans traveling to Daytona International Speedway (DIS) arrive safely for this weekend's Pepsi 400 race. Smirnoff ICE, with Busch and his 'pit crew,' partnered with the Repair One® Automotive of Daytona Beach to provide free automobile safety tests during the heavily-traveled summer months. Busch and his 'pit crew' checked tire pressure, headlights, fluid levels, belts, among other tests performed. The initiative was to further promote Smirnoff ICE's "Be Smart, Drink Responsibly" campaign. Smirnoff ICE will serve as primary sponsor of Busch's No. 97 racecar at the Pepsi 400. In his last race at DIS in February, Busch finished second in the season-opening Daytona 500. (Alan Taylor Communications)

June 30, 2005

• Valvoline & Evernham Sponsorship Announcement Friday: Valvoline, which announced Wednesday it would end its partnership with MB2 Motorsports, is expected to move to Evernham Motorsports to sponsor a new Nextel Cup team in 2006, sources confirmed. Thatsracin.com and The Charlotte Observer first reported MB2 and Valvoline's decision to end their partnership earlier this month. That deal ends after this season. Valvoline will sell its 50 percent share in the team to MB2 principals Nelson Bowers and Jay Frye, and will no longer be primary sponsor of the team's No. 10 Chevrolets. Of Valvoline's NASCAR plans beyond 2005, senior vice president Jim Rocco said, "We will have something to announce soon." (Charlotte Observer)

• MB2 Racing Ownership Changes: MB2 Motorsports says Robert Sutton has expanded his ownership role in the company by becoming an equal partner with current and founding owner Nelson Bowers. Jay Frye, MB2's general manager and CEO since 1996, will continue with a minority ownership of the company, which fields three Chevrolet teams in the Nextel Cup Series: the No. 01 of Joe Nemechek, the No. 10 of Scott Riggs and the No. 36 driven by Boris Said in a partial schedule. (NASCAR Scene Plus)

• Hermie lands Daytona Sponsor: Front Row Motorsports says Taco Bell will sponsor its No. 92 Chevrolet for Hermie Sadler for Saturday's Pepsi 400 Nextel Cup race at Daytona International Speedway. Financial terms were not announced. (NASCAR Scene Plus)

• Bank of America Sponsorship worth 2.5 annually: After being a Bank of America Corp. customer for 30 years, Speedway Motorsports Inc. thought it was about time for the bank to give some money back. And it's a lot of money, says SMI President H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler.  Bank of America's agreement to serve as title sponsor of the October NEXTEL Cup race at SMI's Concord track is the most lucrative sponsorship, based on average annual value, that SMI has ever signed, he said.  Neither Charlotte-based Bank of America nor Concord-based SMI would disclose the deal's value, but estimates peg it at about $2.5 million annually.  It's the latest addition to SMI's sponsorship revenue, one of the company's fastest-growing streams. An improving economy has loosened more companies' budgets, officials say. And companies previously dismissive of NASCAR are taking a new look. (Charlotte Observer)

• Earnhardt trail planned: Get ready for the Dale Trail in the hometown of the late stock-car driver Dale Earnhardt. The self-guided tour will highlight such locales as the streets Earnhardt cruised in his youth and the restaurant where fans can order his favorite sandwich: sliced tomato on white bread, sometimes with lettuce and Miracle Whip.  "We're quite excited about the project," said Ann Sternal, executive director of the Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Leaders in Cabarrus see the trail as another way to emphasize the county's racing ties while luring more visitors. Since Earnhardt died in a crash during the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, thousands of race fans have continued to visit the region to connect with his legacy.  Tourism officials have worked on the trail for months now, Sternal said, and hope to unveil it before October's NASCAR race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord. (USA Today)

• Daytona Proposed Hall Features 3 story video wall: The central showpiece of the city's proposed NASCAR hall of fame is designed to make visitors feel like they're standing in the infield at Daytona International Speedway.  A three-story curved wall that encircles the room will feature video screens with the likes of Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Richard Petty zooming by at speeds close to 200 miles per hour. A rendering of the 10,000-square-foot exhibit, which is being called "NASCAR's Heritage Walk Gallery," was released by officials Wednesday in an effort to capitalize on the crowds in town for Saturday's Pepsi 400. Daytona Beach has been criticized for being too secretive about its bid in the past, but organizers said that was done on purpose and the city has begun to release details of the hall. The site has not been announced, but organizers have said the $70 million facility will be on or adjacent to Daytona International Speedway. (Orlando Sentinel)

• NASCAR Sonoma Ratings Record and more: NASCAR concluded its first half of the season on Fox on June 26, with its race from Sonoma, Calif., producing a 5.7 national household rating, up 21 percent over the same race last year. The figure assures a new record household rating --a 6.0-- for this year's 13 races on Fox and a record average number of viewers, at 9.6 million.   In announcing the Nielsen Media Research data results, Fox crowed that its broadcast of NASCAR is the first major professional sports TV package to post a regular season household ratings record since Monday Night Football on ABC in 1981. The ratings gains were not perfect, however, with some of the younger demos on the Nascar telecasts down in the single-digits. (MediaWeek)

• Rusty not racing at Newton track: Rusty Wallace says he won't take part in the first race at the Iowa Speedway when it opens next summer. The legendary NASCAR driver is retiring from the Nextel Cup Series at the end of the season and designed the track which broke ground last week in Newton. Wallace says he will drive some laps at the track with his car to check the smoothness of the track and to "I'll drive the laps at the new track to make sure the consistency is right the racing's right on it before I sign off on it," Wallace says.Wallace says there are enough super speedways out there and the track of 7/8ths mile will fill a need. He says he believes it'll be "the most awesome speedway in the entire world that I've everworked on."Sanctioning bodies like ARCA and USAC are expected to hold events at the track and Wallace says down the road NASCAR events are a possibility. He says NASCAR "is totally in the loop" for everything they're doing at the Newton track. (RadioIowa)

• Petty Enterprises Changes in 2006, GP no longer primary sponsor: Petty Enterprises has announced plans to restructure its primary sponsorship of the #45 Dodge driven by Kyle Petty in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series beginning in 2006. The change is part of a broader initiative that will be announced in more detail in the coming months and will involve multiple corporate partners. "We're excited with the possibilities of working with new sponsors and structuring our program to allow for our partners to share the assets of the #45 car throughout the season," said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. "Although they will no longer be our primary sponsor, Georgia-Pacific and its Brawny brand has been a great partner for Petty Enterprises and for me personally. They have been supporting us since the mid '90s with our Craftsman Series truck program, and have been a valuable part of not only the racing team but the Charity Ride Across America and the Victory Junction Gang Camp as well."  In the course of discussing the coming years and evaluating the long-term objectives of the racing team, Petty Enterprises envisions a different kind of sponsorship model. In elaborating on the plans for 2006 and beyond, Petty stated that ". next year our program will provide us with the opportunity to leverage several promotional tie-ins and other marketing elements with a select group of complementary partners working together to do some pretty cool stuff. Because we will have multiple partners, the entry point dollar-wise for this program is significantly below what companies are paying to be full-time primary sponsors. We've had great reaction to this program already and we think it is an exciting way to be involved in our racing platform. We look forward to presenting this strategic marketing platform to potential partners/sponsors who are interested in being involved in a unique Nextel Cup marketing program." (Williams Company)