NASCAR Mar. 23 - Mar 28, 2006

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March 28, 2006:

• Gordon Fined by NASCAR for shove: NASCAR announced today that Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet, has been fined $10,000 as a result of his involvement in an altercation on pit road after the completion of Sunday's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Gordon has also been placed on probation until Aug. 30, 2006. Gordon was in violation of Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) of the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup rule book. (NASCAR PR)

• Mississippi to honor Dale Earnhardt: The Mississippi House passed a resolution Tuesday designating April 29 each year as "Dale Earnhardt Day" in the state. The NASCAR star, also known as "the Intimidator" was born April 29, 1951, in North Carolina. He was killed in a crash at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2001.  Although there are no NASCAR races in Mississippi, the resolution says that Earnhardt "created a legacy in Mississippi (by) amassing so many wins." It also says Earnhardt "changed the sport of racing, bridging past, present and future generations of fans by upholding the finest NASCAR traditions while remaining a cutting-edge competitor throughout the entirety of his career." The resolution was sponsored by a diverse group of 55 House members -- Democrats and Republicans, blacks and whites, men and women. It now goes to the Senate. (AP/CNNSI)

• Spencer to race BAM Racing ride:  BAM Racing announced today that NASCAR Nextel Cup veteran Jimmy Spencer will drive the No. 49 Dodge Charger at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. Spencer will join BAM Racing as an advisor for the team and mentor for rookie driver Brent Sherman. Spencer may run several additional races with BAM Racing this season, either in the No. 49 Dodge or another car. "I enjoy working with young drivers as they progress through the ranks of NASCAR," said Spencer. "Brent has the determination and support it takes to compete at this level. I hope to be able to help him make a successful transition to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series." "The team has made this decision due to the fact that NASCAR will not allow rookie drivers any test sessions at Martinsville," commented team general manager Eddie Jones. "Brent has never been to Martinsville before and our hope is that Jimmy will be able to provide him with the guidance it takes to compete at short tracks." Sherman will return to driving duties for the No. 49 Dodge Charger for the upcoming race at Texas Motor Speedway. (BAM Racing)

• Stewart crew wins again Checkers®-Drive Thru Challenge: For the second week in a row, Tony Stewart's pit crew secured the weekly Checkers® / Rally's® Double Drive-Thru Challenge competition by spending the least amount of time on pit road in Sunday's (March 26) NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. "Our pit stops were really good all day," said Stewart, who recorded a 12th-place finish in his Home Depot/Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet. "For two straight weeks our stops have been good. The guys have really stepped it up and I'm proud of them. We never lost a spot on pit road, and at a place like Bristol where track position is so important, having a crew that keeps what you earned on the race track is invaluable." Stewart's team will be awarded the weekly $10,500 prize entitled to the winning team. In addition, a $105,000 reward will be presented to the team with the most pit crew wins at the conclusion of the 36-race Nextel Cup season. Stewart's over-the-wall crew, who spent 206.844 seconds on pit road during the 500-lap event, consists of: Jason Lee (jackman), Tom Dean (front-tire carrier), Ira-Jo Hussey (front-tire changer), Jody Fortson (rear-tire carrier), Todd Foster (rear-tire changer), Jeff Patterson (gasman), Brian Larson (catch can) and Scott Geerts (windshield). The team's crew chief is Greg Zipadelli and the pit stop coordinator is Paul Alepa. The Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge is in its second season with the Nextel Cup Series. (Checkers®/Rally'® PR)

• NEXTEL Cup teams testing ay KY: Four NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams are scheduled to test at Kentucky Speedway Wednesday, March 29. Tony Raines will practice with his No. 96 Texas Instruments DLP HDTV Chevrolet, yesterday's Bristol Motor Speedway winner Kurt Busch will put his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge through its paces, Sterling Marlin will practice his No. 14 Waste Management Dodge and Morgan Shepherd will test his No. 89 Victory in Jesus Ministries Dodge. Sessions usually begin at 9:00 a.m. and last until 5:00 p.m. Fans can view testing for free from the designated area outside Turn 3. Test times will vary based on team goals. (Kentucky Speedway PR)

• Dale Jarrett Racing adventure gets website: Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure, Inc.  announced today that they have completed the redesign of their online presence with their new website at www.racingadventure.com. In addition to a more appealing graphic design, the new website is also easier to navigate, more intuitive with enhanced interactivity. "It is a great pleasure to announce the completion of this major project to improve our online presence and revenue. The company's website was already generating well over a half million dollars a year in online sales, and we are expecting the new site, coupled with the national marketing campaign we are launching to at least double these gross revenues in the short term," said Ronda Robertson, marketing director. "Our research suggests that improving the functionality of our site while making it more appealing will increase our return on traffic brought to the site through effective promotions. Even an increase in our capture rate of a couple of percentage points can significantly increase our total sales without greatly increasing our cost of those sales." DJRT was founded in 1998 and is backed by NASCAR Champions Dale and Ned Jarrett, as well as Dale's brother Glenn, Dale's son Jason and Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. More information is available on the Racing Adventure by visiting www.racingadventure.com. (PRNewswire)

• FOX statement on incident word during broadcast: Fox Sports spokesman Dan Bell points out that race announcer Mike Joy immediately apologized, with Bell saying: "We are very sorry that comment escaped our screening process, We take audio very seriously and make painstaking efforts to offer only the best. We will continue to evaluate our policy but as of now there is no delay in place during our live coverage." (Broadcasting & Cable)

• Safety is reason for R. Gordon leaving IRL: Paul Dana's death in an Indy Racing League crash was a grim reminder for Robby Gordon of why he raced at Bristol Motor Speedway instead of Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. "That's why I left," said Gordon, who gave up a promising open-wheel career to race NASCAR full time four years ago. "One hundred percent, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Indy cars are too fast for ovals, and they run ovals every weekend. If I run on ovals, then I'm running around in a stock car with a lot more protection around me and at less speeds as well." News of the fatality in Florida spread through the Nextel Cup garage about two hours before the Food City 500. "We've had to deal with it," Jeff Gordon said, referring to Dale Earnhardt's death in the 2001 Daytona 500. "It hits home. In racing it's like family; we're a community no matter what the series." (USA Today)

• Marlin pick up Ginn Clubs & Resorts sponsorship: MB2 Motorsports announced that Ginn Clubs & Resorts has agreed to be a primary sponsor on Sterling Marlin's Chevrolet for three Nextel Cup races and Kraig Kinser's Silverado for one Craftsman Truck race. The sponsorship package kicks off this weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway with Ginn Clubs & Resorts being the primary sponsor on Marlin's No. 14 entry for Sunday's Cup race and Kinser's No. 29 entry for Saturday's truck race. Kinser, an MB2 Motorsports development driver, is part of the Morgan-Dollar Motorsports truck team. The agreement also calls for Ginn Clubs & Resorts to sponsor Marlin's MB2-owned Chevrolet -- July 1 at Daytona International Speedway and Oct. 14 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. (MB2 Motorsports PR)

• McCauley Wypall Crew Chief of the Race: Kurt Busch and crew chief Roy McCauley survived 500 laps of furious racing action this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Despite setbacks with tires and radio transmissions, Busch battled back from the problems to capture his fifth victory at Thunder Valley. Busch's come from behind win earned McCauley the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. Trouble started early for Busch and McCauley. From the get-go, Busch and the team battled radio problems that hindered Busch from communicating with the team. On lap 62, a flat right-rear tire forced the #2 Miller Lite Dodge to make an unscheduled pit stop. Even with the problems, Busch methodically worked his way through the field in route to one of the speedway's most impressive comebacks. A panel of voters; including Tony Eury Sr., a member of the local media and a Wypall Wipers representative; all agreed that McCauley's comeback deserved Crew Chief of the Race accolades. For winning the Crew Chief of the Race award, Wypall Wipers gave McCauley $1,000. At the end of the season, the crew chief with the most weekly wins will receive $20,000 and be crowned the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year. This was McCauley's first Crew Chief of the Race award in 2006, which ties him with Darian Grubb and Kenny Francis for second-place in the standings. Robbie Reiser is in the lead with two wins. (Wypall PR)

• Busch's bump to Kenseth clean: Pemberton (vice president for competition) said Busch did not break any rules when he used his front bumper to ram Kenseth's racecar and push it aside with a little less than five laps to go. The bump slowed Kenseth momentarily while he regained control of his wiggling racecar, allowing Busch to drive past Kenseth and into first place. "If we're leading and he's running second and he bumps me out of the way, I'd understand," Busch said of Kenseth after the race. "That's what goes on, man. This racing is awesome. Fans dig it. That's the big thing about Bristol, you have to come to race hard. You have to be able to hoist up the trophy at the end of the day without any grudges." (N.Y. Times)

March 27, 2006:

• NEXTEL Cup ratings slightly off:  Overnight Nielsen Media Research ratings were down for Fox's broadcast of Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway, but the network saw an increase for Saturday's Busch Series race, Street and Smith's SportsBusiness Daily reports. Sunday's Food City 500 earned a 5.3/11, down 5.4 percent from 2005's overnight 5.6/13. (NASCAR Scene Daily)

• COT testing today: The clock is officially ticking on NASCAR's "Car of Tomorrow" that is scheduled to make its racing debut one year from now at Bristol Motor Speedway. Four teams will send drivers - Jeff Burton, Reed Sorenson, Carl Edwards and Penske Racing South development driver Billy Wease - to the open test today. It's the fourth test of the car, which will be used in 16 races next season as NASCAR slowly phases it in. "We're just trying to get track time, get teams acquainted with the vehicles and give them a chance to get drivers in them," said NASCAR's Brett Bodine, who is overseeing the test. "This will give them an opportunity to see the differences of what in what they used in today's car against the Car of Tomorrow on back-to-back days. It's nothing more than a learning day." (Macon Telegram)

• Childress offers no comment on Harvick contract: Childress also had little to say about contract negotiations with Kevin Harvick. The two had set an early April deadline for deciding their plans for 2007, but both appear to be downplaying any deadline. "We're in the talking stage right now," Childress said. "We haven't put any deadline on it." And Childress insisted he didn't sense Harvick might be looking more and more like a lame duck. (Salem-Journal)

• R. Gordon penalized for complaining? & Beamer in Attendance: Robby Gordon was held a lap by NASCAR for complaining on his radio about a NASCAR penalty.... Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer attended Sunday's race. (Roanoke Times)

• One pit-crew championship challenge? There will apparently be only one NASCAR pit-crew championship event this season, according to Jeff Hammond, the ex-crew chief who is a Fox TV announcer. It will likely be the NASCAR-sanctioned pit-crew championship. The fate of the Crew Chief Club's "National Pit Crew Championship powered by Tyson," won by the Jimmy Fennig-Jack Roush team last May at Hammond's Pit Instruction and Training facility in Mooresville, is up in the air and may not be held this year, Hammond said. An annual stock-car racing pit crew competition was held for years, sponsored by Unocal, at North Carolina Motor Speedway, until NASCAR dropped the Rockingham track from the Nextel Cup tour. (Salem-Journal)

March 26, 2006:

• Busch Wins in New Penske Ride: New team, new car, same old results for Kurt Busch at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch brashly bumped Matt Kenseth -- his old teammate -- out of his way with four laps to go Sunday to win the Food City 500, his fifth victory in the last nine races on the half-mile track. But this was his first win since joining Roger Penske's team at the start of the season and taking over the famed No. 2 Dodge that nine-time Bristol winner Rusty Wallace drove. Busch celebrated his victory by jumping from his car, grabbing the checkered flag and doing "snow angels" on the finish line as a nod to the wintery weather that plagued the track all weekend. "This is unreal," he said. "I'm just so happy to be able to have this car and have Roger's privilege to do so." (AP/CNNSI - Results - Points)

• Sad News: Thoughts and prayers are with the IRL Racing family and Dana Family. Paul Dana died Sunday after crashing in practice before the season-opening IndyCar race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Dana, 30, hit Ed Carpenter's sideways car.

• 2nd Wood Brothers team? Jon Wood fully expects to move to a full-time NASCAR Nextel Cup ride next season with his family's Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team. But it won't be in the team's #21 Ford Fusion, as was reported last week by a Texas newspaper. If all goes according to Hoyle, a second full-time sponsor will be lined up, Schrader will stay in the #21 and Wood will campaign a second team car, the number of which is to be determined. (Ford Racing)

• United Airlines workers go to Pit Road School: Denise Rivera spends her workdays waving in jets, unloading baggage and pushing planes around with a tractor. But on this day, the lead ramp servicewoman for United Airlines at Miami International Airport was struggling to remove five lug nuts from a Chevrolet Monte Carlo stock car. "It needed lubrication or something," she said later. "I kept winging it and finally got it down." Ms. Rivera was one of 33 United ramp workers who donned coveralls, knee pads, ear plugs and safety goggles at Pit Instruction & Training LLC one recent afternoon to learn how to handle a jack, change 65-pound tires and fill fuel tanks on race cars. They aren't about to turn airport runways into race tracks. But UAL Corp.'s United hopes some training in the split-second practices of Nascar pit crews will help Ms. Rivera and her colleagues slash the time that United's 455 jetliners spend on the ground. Less time on the ground equals more time aloft. That means more daily flights without having to buy new planes and -- the airline hopes -- more revenue. (NAPA Valley Register)

March 25, 2006:

• COT rule book coming next week: The first rulebook for the Car of Tomorrow is expected to be in teams' hands next week, said NASCAR's director of cost research Brett Bodine, who's been NASCAR's lead test driver for the project.  "We're real close to the final version of the car -- we're down to aerodynamic tuning," Bodine said. "All of the other chassis dimensions are set and the rulebook will be out the first part of next week." The Car of Tomorrow is scheduled to be phased into full use in the Nextel Cup Series over the next three seasons. (NASCAR.com)

• More sponsorship dollars on the way for Marlin: Expect a sponsorship announcement soon from MB2 Motorsports about additional funding for Sterling Marlin's No. 14 Chevrolet. Currently, the team has sponsorship for about half the Nextel Cup schedule, but is close to finalizing more deals. An announcement could come next week at Martinsville. (SPEED TV)

• Harvick wants to whoop Kurt Busch: Kevin Harvick is apparently irritated with Kurt Busch for on-track contact last week in Atlanta. Then again, Harvick has never really gotten along with the former Nextel Cup champion. Asked Friday if he could correct one misconception about himself, Harvick launched into a tirade about Busch. "I think I would have whooped Kurt Busch before now," Harvick said. "Obviously, he forgot about getting punched in his nose last time from Jimmy Spencer." "I probably shouldn't have said that," Harvick quickly followed. But instead of stopping his assault on Busch, he continued. "I'll still tell you what I think - I'd still like to whip his (butt). Before the year's over, he'll make a fool out of (car owner) Roger Penske." (AP/FOX Sports)

• Rudd Honored Virginia Press Association: Ricky Rudd, who retired from NASCAR racing in November after 31 years and a record 788 consecutive starts in stock car racing's premier series, was honored Friday as the Virginian of the Year by the Virginia Press Association. Rudd, a Chesapeake native, received the award during The Associated Press dinner at the VPA/AP Winter Conference, held this year at the Hotel Roanoke. Rudd, who lives near Charlotte, N.C., made his NASCAR debut in 1975 and completed his first full season two years later, winning NASCAR's 1977 rookie of the year. "I didn't have a clue what I was getting into," he said, recalling how he didn't know what the color-coded flags used to give driver's in-race intruction meant. (Daily Press)

• Jarrett to retire after 2008: Dale Jarrett says that he plans to retire after the 2008 season. The question is if he'll remain with Robert Yates Racing through that time. Jarrett says he's received two-year offers from other teams. "I'd say that things are pretty good that I'll be where I'm at through that time," said Jarrett, who has been with Yates since 1995. Jarrett, who has 32 career victories and won the 1999 series title, said he hopes to have his future plans determined by the Charlotte race in late May. Jarrett, 49, says he thinks he can be competitive through 2008. (News-Record)

• Kenneth Campbell Sr passes away.: Former Richmond International Raceway Vice President of Public Relations Robert "Kenneth" Campbell Sr., who helped promote racing for nearly 60 years in Richmond, passed away late last night. He was 83 and resided in Chesterfield County, Virginia at the time of his passing. Known as "Kenneth" to his friends and co-workers, Mr. Campbell helped promote races in Richmond starting in 1948 when Nelson Royall built the facility that is now know as Southside Speedway. Fourteen years later, he joined former Richmond International Raceway owner Paul Sawyer as a partner to help promote races at the ½-mile dirt track known at the Virginia State Fairgrounds. That track, of course, was later reconfigured into a ¾-mile paved oval and today is known as Richmond International Raceway. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Lois Gronlund Campbell; daughter, Deborah "Dodie" Campbell Ortland; son, Robert Kenneth Campbell, Jr.; sister Wanda Campbell Brinkley and brother Garland Campbell. He was preceded in death by his parents John Harding Campbell and Era Atkins Campbell. The family will hold a private burial. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in his name to the Victory Junction Gang Camp at 4500 Adam's Way, Randleman, SC 27317. Upon Mr. Campbell's retirement, the Richmond International Raceway media center was named after him. A memorial service will be held at the Kenneth Campbell Media Center located in the Richmond International Raceway infield on Friday, March 31 at 5:00 p.m. (RIR PR)

• Johnson to replace Schrader at Goodyear tire test: Jimmie Johnson will replace Ken Schrader in next week's planned Goodyear tire test at Lowe's Motor Speedway, track officials confirmed Saturday. Originally, Scott Riggs, Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick and Schrader were selected by NASCAR to participate in the two-day test that begins Tuesday. (The State)

• Wallace not testing COT at Bristol, instead Martinsville: Rusty Wallace will get back into a NASCAR Cup car at Martinsville Speedway, but it will only be for a test session for the series' car of the future. Wallace had hoped to take part in NASCAR's test of the new car Monday at Bristol. Wallace said that he'll instead be at ESPN's studios Monday and Tuesday for meetings. Wallace will serve as an ABC/ESPN analyst for Indy Racing League events this season before moving over to help the network broadcast NASCAR events next year. Wallace said he'll take part in the car of tomorrow test the Monday after the Martinsville Cup race. He said the idea came about after NASCAR President Mike Helton suggested it. Wallace has seven career victories at Martinsville, the last in 2004. (News-Record)

• Harvick and Roush? There was also a new report, from usually reliable sources, that Harvick is also entertaining a job offer from a current rival team on the tour, possibly Ford's Jack Roush, although Roush wasn't here to discuss that. (Salem-Journal)

March 24, 2006:

• Rained Out: NASCAR Food City 500 Qualifying rained out.. Field set by 2005 points, full line-up on NEXT Race Page.

• Harvick and Childress being contract discussions: Kevin Harvick said Friday he has no set deadline on deciding his future in the Nextel Cup Series, but he has started the process of talking with Richard Childress Racing about a possible contract extension. "There was never any hard date set. There is not a specific date. We just decided that sometime in April when things had settled down, we could sit down and talk," said Harvick, who has driven RCR's No. 29 Chevrolet since the 2001 season. "We had a couple minutes to sit down the other day just for the first time. We got those initial conversations under way, so we'll see where it goes." (Charlotte Observer)

• NFL Greats Sayer and Lewis to start NASCAR team:  Two professional football league superstars have joined together to form a new racing team. Football hall of famer Gale Sayers and World Champion Most Valuable Player Ray Lewis, along with entrepreneur Mark Bloomquist, have formed The Milestone Company. The operation will run both cars and trucks under its new name: S&L Racing. The team will be headquartered in North Carolina. S&L Racing's mission is to develop a winning race team that provides opportunities for minorities and women in the sport. To achieve their objective, S&L Racing will start from scratch, working their way up to the Nextel Cup Series. The team plans to start racing this season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The Milestone Company will work with NASCAR, other racing teams and organizations, and corporations to assist in providing opportunities for those looking to make a career out of racing. "Both Ray and I are racing fans," Sayers says. "Also, we both have the same goals and desire to succeed, to win and to help others. With S&L Racing, we will be able to give people a chance to show what they can do at the highest level of sports." "As a professional athlete and a racing fan, I'm excited to be part owner of a racing team with Gale whose goal is not only to win, but to help give people a chance to be winners," Lewis says. "We've been to Daytona and met with NASCAR officials. We got their official blessing, too!"

• NASCAR writers finalist in  "Game Story" award: Veteran NASCAR beat writers Tony Fabrizio of the Tampa Tribune and David Poole of the Charlotte Observer know have been named among the 10 finalists in the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) National Writing Contest's "Game Story" category, in the 100,000-250,000 circulation division. Both are in the final top 10 via outstanding stories on Tony Stewart's 2005 victory in the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard. The final top five and honorable mention selections will be announced by the APSE in early April. (NASCAR PR)

• Johnson. Yarborough cars added to Darlington museum: The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum recently welcomed two additions to its classic car collection. The cars, both sporting the number 11, are on loan from legendary driver and car owner Junior Johnson. Cale Yarborough drove the No. 11 Busch Chevrolet to Victory Lane at Bristol in 1978, while Terry Labonte won two races in the 1985 No. 11 Budweiser Chevy. Johnson, left, and Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning took time out from their unloading duties for a photo before the cars were moved into the museum, where they are currently displayed. The museum, which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., is also home to the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame. (Darlington Raceway PR)

• More opposition to NYC track: A proposed Nascar racetrack on Staten Island has split New York's smallest borough and is the dominant topic of discussion at community board meetings. At the monthly meeting of the pro-Nascar Mariners Harbor Civic Association, Mayor Bloomberg was asked for his opinion. Although he said he agrees that the racetrack would boost business, Mr. Bloomberg said that before signing on, he would have to know how the traffic situation would be handled. "That's a very big problem," he said. Earlier in the week, the South Beach Civic Association voted unanimously to oppose the track after hearing from the president of Staten Island Citizens Against the Track, Ronald Lauria. "There's 457,000 people on Staten Island and 267,000 cars. That's a higher concentration than any other borough," he said. Additional opposition to the Nascar project, which would be the largest stadium in the city, is coming from residents concerned about the environmental impact on Staten Island, which has a number of protected wetlands in the surrounding area. The expected noise levels of track events are also an issue. (New York Sun)

• National Guard to have five Purple Heart recipients at Bristol: The #16 National Guard team will have the privilege of being accompanied this Sunday by five Purple Heart recipients from the Tennessee National Guard. SPC Wesley Bullington, SGT Tony Anderson, SPC Jamey Smith, SGT Christopher Cartwright and SPC Anthony Lambert have all received a Purple Heart for the sacrifices they made while in the line of duty. These soldiers all come from the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment. The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment is the only enhanced Armored Cavalry Regiment within the National Guard, and one of only two Armored Cavalry Regiments in the United States Army. It is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, with units throughout the East and Central Tennessee Area. The Purple Heart is a U.S. military decoration awarded in the name of the President of the United States to those who have been wounded or killed while serving in or with the U.S. military after April 5, 1917. The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration in the world in present use and the first American award made available to the common soldier. (Roush Racing PR)

March 23, 2006:

• NASCAR penalties/fines announced: NASCAR announced today that penalties have been issued to two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams, as a result of rule violations this past weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Rodney Childers, crew chief for the No. 10 Dodge driven by Scott Riggs, has been fined $10,000 for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-W (improperly attached weight) of the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup rule book. The violation was discovered during practice. David Hyder, crew chief for the No. 21 Ford driven by Ken Schrader, has been fined $1,000 for violating Sections 12-4-A; 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment that do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-3.2.3A (unapproved side window). The violation was discovered during pre-qualifying inspection. (NASCAR)

• In addition, Crew member suspended: Thomas Harris, a member of the No. 66 race team, has been fined $5,000 and indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing/unauthorized duplication of a NASCAR Annual Credential). (NASCAR)

• Speedway charities to show Disney/Pixar's "Cars": Speedway Children's Charities, in conjunction with the world premiere of the Disney / Pixar film "CARS," will host a pre-screening reception on Friday, May 26, at 6 p.m. prior to the movie's showing at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The reception, which will feature both celebrities and NASCAR personalities, is open to the public with different levels of ticket classifications available. Everybody purchasing tickets to the reception will walk the red carpet into the premiere and receive preferred movie seating in Lowe's Motor Speedway's Turn 2, which will be transformed into a state-of-the-art movie theater with digital projection and surround sound. Both reserved and general admission tickets are available for the pre-screening reception, where music and games will be enjoyed by all. A reserved / staffed table for 10 costs $2,000 and includes a full-page ad in the program. (LMS PR)

• Former American Idol visits DEI: "American Idol" Bo Bice and his band, Sugarland Money, paid a visit to Dale Earnhardt, Inc. on Tuesday afternoon to check out where their favorite race team builds the cars for their favorite drivers. They were en route to a gig in Spartanburg, SC on Wednesday night. Having just left Columbia, SC earlier in the day with Charlotte radio interviews on tap for Wednesday morning, Bice and his band realized DEI in Mooresville was a doable stop on the way. They pulled up in their tour bus and took a behind-the-scenes view of our facility. Joining in the tour was Taylor Earnhardt, herself. She and Bice had their picture taken by a #8 car with a large photo of her dad, Dale, in the background. She offered interesting insights about the buildings and different aspects of DEI. During his tour, Bice was easily recognized by most of the employees. He gladly stopped, talked to everyone, posed for pictures and signed autographs. Even some fans who were outside the large glass doors of the Interior Showroom recognized Bice and got his attention. During his tour, Bice and the band stopped into the #8 Budweiser shop. There, Brian Cram (Shop Foreman) talked to them in more depth about race cars, how much they weigh and how many cars the team works on at one time. He even put Bice in the primary car for the upcoming Martinsville Speedway. (Dale Earnhardt Inc PR)

• Jewel stars in NASCAR commercial: NASCAR will showcase a Jewel this weekend when the solo-named singer, who is a big NASCAR fan, is featured in a TV spot for the racing circuit. The 30-second spot, "Nascar: How bad have you got it?" will debut March 26 on Fox during its coverage of the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn. It will then run for about six weeks on FOX, FX, NBC, TNT and Speed Channel during NASCAR race broadcasts and licensed NASCAR programming. The spot was handled in-house by NASCAR and was produced by NASCAR Images. Spend was not disclosed. The spot was filmed during a concert appearance by Jewel at the California Speedway's Auto Club 500 race in Fontana, Calif. It features her song, "Again and Again," from her new CD, Goodbye Alice In Wonderland, which hits store May 2. (Brand Weekly)

• Wood in #21 next year? Busch Series regular Jon Wood [#47], third-generation member of NASCAR's Wood Brothers Racing, said Wednesday he is "90 percent sure" he will drive the #21 Ford full time in the Nextel Cup Series in 2007.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)

• NASCAR & Sprint says no to Cingular/AT&T rename:  NASCAR officials say they have informed Richard Childress Racing that if Cingular Wireless changes its name to AT&T, as expected after a recent merger, AT&T would not be allowed on Jeff Burton's No. 31 car. NASCAR made the ruling based on its interpretation of its contract with series sponsor Nextel.   Cingular and Alltel, as well as Samsung/Radio Shack with Texas Motor Speedway, were grandfathered in as existing sponsors when the Nextel Series sponsorship contract was signed in 2003. "It's pretty clear that they can't transfer a name due to a sale," NASCAR Vice President for Corporate Communications Jim Hunter said March 17. Executives from Cingular would not comment March 16 when asked about what would happen to the company's sponsorship.  Hunter said that Cingular could negotiate with Nextel to try to transfer the name and keep the sponsorship. But Michael Robichaud, vice president for sports marketing for Sprint Nextel, said there are no plans to negotiate. (NASCAR Scene Daily)

• Morgan-McClure signs Food City for Bristol race: Morgan-McClure Motorsports announced that Food City will again partner with the Abingdon, VA-based team for this weekend's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The associate sponsorship marks the fifth consecutive event at Bristol in which the supermarket chain has adorned the sides of #4 Aero Exhaust Chevy driven by Scott Wimmer. Steve Smith, President and CEO of Food City, Quotes: "Food City is excited to again partner with our friends and neighbors at Morgan-McClure Motorsports. We look forward to seeing the Food City colors flying around Bristol Motor Speedway and nothing would make us happier than to have Scott Wimmer join us in Victory Lane." Larry McClure, President of Morgan-McClure Motorsports, Quotes: "We're very excited to have Food City partner with our race team for the Food City 500. Food City has contributed a great deal to the racing community over the years and with Morgan-McClure and Food City both being local companies; it is a privilege for us to include them in our racing program." (Morgan-McClure Motorsports PR)

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