NASCAR News May 22 - May 27 2006

The News Below

• Stewart and McMurray to the hospital

• Nemechek damage

• Sadler OK after fall

• Disney's "Cars" World premiere at Lowe's

• Bremerton forms task force to study speedway

• B. Labonte and Petty on Cereal Box

• Kenseth, says Roush cars at disadvantage at tire testing

• Yates buying Roush Chassis' and big name driver?

• Microsoft to sponsor Green #66

• Universities opening Motorsports courses

• Johnson wins Sunday, he'll join elite group for 5 consec. wins

• M. Waltrip buys #74 Cope entry

• Petty's opinion hasn't changed in 30 years

• Evernham teammates on front-row of Coca-Cola 600

• New head and neck restraint device awaiting approval

• Knaus and Hendrick near extension through 2010

• USAF Airman to be honored at 600

• Bill Lester visits area Michigan schools and MIS:

• Another Wallace in Cup?

• Dover Announces Speedway Improvements

• Roush Tops Forbes list

• Drivers predict a race of survival in-store this weekend

• Walsh and AMW increase awareness with Spring/NEXTEL and NASCAR

• Sandler to Grand Marshall Michigan race

• Menard to attempt Coca-Cola 600 in 3rd DEI car

• Shepard sells team, Continues efforts

• Hamilton first quarter winner of NMPA driver of The Year

• Chili Peppers, that's Red Hot visits Roush Shop

• And Full Schedule next year for CJM

• RYR makes personal changes

• New MB2 Motorsports site

• American Idol Carrie Underwood to sing at Low's Motor Speedway

• Cup Driver J. Burton to test Montreal track

• Ky. Busch fined $150 for citation

• Former Boston Red Sox outfielder to make Craftsman truck debut

• Haas wind tunnel in consideration

• Sadler signed with RYR through 2008

• Rising Racing Star Killed in auto-accident

• JumpFly.com joins McGlynn Racing

• Drivers/Crew Members leery about team Red-Bull?

• Mayfield to Waltrip Racing?

NEXT Race/RaceCast: Find NEXTEL Cup Next race information, including television, practice, qualifying times and more, also radio coverage information.. During the race find GNEXTINC.com: RaceCast with running order, notes, and more..

May 27, 2006;

• Stewart and McMurray to the hospital: NEXTEL Cup Champion Tony Stewart, and driver Jamie McMurray were taken to local hospital, after separate accidents during the Busch series Car Quest 300.  Both drivers were evaluated, later released and are expected to race in tomorrow Coca-Cola 600.

• Nemechek damage: Joe Nemechek's car was damaged during Saturday's first practice when the side window of Reed Sorenson's car blew out and hit the front of Nemechek's Chevy. The radiator had to be replaced. (SportingNews)

• Sadler OK after fall: Elliott Sadler, driver of the #38 Ford in the Nextel Cup Series, sustained only minor injuries on Friday evening after a fall from a stage in Uptown Charlotte during the taping of the television program “Trackside Live” broadcast on The Speed Channel. After rain showers earlier in the evening, Sadler slipped from the outdoor stage due to the wet surface bruising his left thigh. He sustained no other injuries as previously reported. Sadler was seen by an onsite medical team and left under his own power. He will compete in the scheduled NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events this weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (Elevation Group PR)

• Disney's "Cars" World premiere at Lowe's: The checkered flag met the red carpet. The roar of car engines moved from the black asphalt to the silver screen. And Lowe's Motor Speedway was the unlikely host Friday for the world premiere of "Cars," whose producers hope the animated movie will become a summer blockbuster. In a fuel-injected match made in hype heaven, the public relations magic of Disney met the marketing muscle of NASCAR to create a Hollywood premiere like no other. "Well, Disney knows how to do it, and this is a fitting way to open a movie like this," said Bob Iger, president and CEO of the Walt Disney Co. "We're at a speedway, first of all, and it's just grand form. Grand form." The Turn 2 grandstands at Lowe's were turned into an open-air theater with seating for 30,000. The seats faced four custom-built outdoor screens, measuring five stories high and 15 stories wide. DLP Cinema technology placed 12 projectors in the grandstands, with three focusing on each screen. A single projector produces 35 trillion different colors. Before the premiere, the movie's stars - including Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt and NASCAR great Richard Petty - walked the red carpet outside the speedway. Fans craned for views, cheering at each celebrity, but the biggest ovation went to NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has a small role in the film.  (AP/Forbes)

• Bremerton forms task force to study speedway: Bremerton's mayor is creating a local task force to explore how a proposed $345 million NASCAR racetrack could be used on non-race weekends for sports fields and other community purposes. "I believe it is essential that this project provides places that our community's youth, students, families and civic organizations benefit from using year-round," Mayor Cary Bozeman said. International Speedway Corp. is gearing up for another shot at persuading the Legislature to dedicate $166 million in future sales tax revenue toward building a racetrack on the Kitsap Peninsula. (Seattle Times)

• B. Labonte and Petty on Cereal Box: Bobby Labonte, driver of Petty Enterprises’ No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, will soon be racing into Supermarkets throughout the country on limited-edition boxes of Cheerios® and Honey Nut Cheerios®. Labonte, the 2000 Cup Champion, unveiled the new packages today at an event at Speed Street, the annual racing festival in Charlotte. Specially marked 15-ounce Cheerios packages welcome Labonte and his family to the Cheerios Racing Family. Specially marked 20-ounce Honey Nut Cheerios packages feature Labonte and “The King” Richard Petty, who drove the No. 43 to 200 wins during his career. “This is a unique honor, not only for me, but for our whole family. It will be fun to see ourselves on the breakfast table every morning,” said Labonte, posting one top-five and three top-ten finishes through the first ten races of the season. “It is also an honor to appear on the package with The King. His racing records are legendary and I’m privileged to drive the famed No. 43 for Petty Enterprises.” For more information about Cheerios Racing, visit cheerios.com/racing. (Elevation Motorsports Group PR)

• Kenseth, says Roush cars at disadvantage at tire testing: Matt Kenseth said that tire testing is a big plus this season, and he questions why Jack Roush's teams haven't been picked for any. "That tire test is a big advantage, and for some reason the Roush teams haven't been invited to any tire tests yet," Kenseth said. "I think they're holding something over your head about not testing with other kind of tires or something. "I'm not really sure what the deal is. But as far as I know, no Roush cars have been invited to any tire tests, which seems a little unfair for gathering data." (Salem-Journal)

• Yates buying Roush Chassis' and big name driver? One immediate mechanical change is that the team has purchased its first Roush Racing chassis and will begin using Roush cars. And despite the doom and gloom surrounding the team’s disappointing start and seeming chaos — Jarrett is leaving, sponsor UPS could be, too, and Jarrett’s crew chief is in the midst of a four-week suspension — the Yates family believes a quick turnaround could happen. They are also searching for a driver to replace Jarrett and, perhaps, a new sponsor if UPS moves on. Robert Yates hinted that he had a big-name driver ready to sign on the bottom line — if the team can improve its results. “I really believe that if we can in quick order get a ‘wow’ situation with the car, I think you all will say ‘wow’ to the driver that may be driving it,” Robert Yates said. “Right now we’ve got our hopes very high.” (SPEEDTV)

May 26, 2006;

• Microsoft to sponsor Green #66: Microsoft Corp. will be a sponsor of NASCAR race-car driver Jeff Green's No. 66 Chevrolet Monte Carlo in NASCAR's Nextel Cup race series. The Redmond software company will make the announcement May 28 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., site of Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR event, according to a statement. Microsoft will tout its "Windows Live OneCare" computer protection subscription product in the sponsorship, the statement said.  No other details about the racing sponsorship were included in the statement from Microsoft and Best Buy. (Seattle Biz-Journal)

• Universities opening Motorsports courses:  Inside Panther Racing's mobile command center at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Mike Sheridan reads reams of data from 75 sensors mounted to the team's race cars. The 27-year-old junior at IUPUI, who is studying mechanical engineering technology with an emphasis on motorsports, hopes his specialized degree and 50-hour-a-week internship will help him become an engineer for a racing team. "It helps that I won't have to work for three years taking out trash," he said. "Hopefully, I'll have my foot in the door." But he'll have competition. Dozens of colleges and universities are responding to the racing industry's growing popularity by creating motorsports programs designed to give students degrees in mechanics, engineering and management. Motorsports programs began cropping up in the mid-1990s as NASCAR's popularity soared. Clemson and Charlotte, schools deep in the heart of NASCAR country, were among those leading the way. In 2002, NASCAR joined forces with Universal Technical Institute to open the $12 million NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C., to train automotive technicians. Now, schools from Indiana to California to China are jumping into the fray. Industry experts and educators say the surge in motorsports degrees shows an acceptance of the industry in academic circles. (Lexington Herald)

• Johnson wins Sunday, he'll join elite group for 5 consec. wins:  Only five drivers in NASCAR history have won the same event four consecutive years. Jimmie Johnson will become the sixth if he wins the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night. Richard Petty did it four times, Darrell Waltrip did it twice, and Jeff Gordon also has done it twice. Dan Gurney and Rusty Wallace each did it once. Johnson's success at Lowe's Motor Speedway is remarkable. He has five consecutive victories in nine career starts at Charlotte. Only once did he fail to finish in the top 10. Those stats don't include his victory on the Nextel All-Star Challenge last weekend.  (Dallas Morning News)

• M. Waltrip buys #74 Cope entry: Michael Waltrip's consecutive start streak of 261 races will get to 262. Waltrip's Waltrip-Jasper Racing has bought the ride of the No. 74 McGlynn Racing Dodge and driver Derrike Cope for the Coca-Cola 600, according to a Waltrip team spokesman.   The car will have the NAPA logo on the car and might carry the No. 55. The owner points goes to McGlynn and not to Waltrip, whose team sits 36th in owner points and likely will drop following the race. Waltrip likely will put a new engine in the car but must use the car Cope qualified in the event.  (NASCAR Scene Daily)

• Petty's opinion hasn't changed in 30 years: Richard Petty didn't think women belonged on the race track when Janet Guthrie became the first female driver to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 in 1976. Thirty years later, his opinion hasn't changed. "I just don't think it's a sport for women," Petty said in an interview with The Associated Press. "And so far, it's proved out. It's really not. It's good for them to come in. It gives us a lot of publicity, it gives them publicity. "But as far as being a real true racer, making a living out of it, it's kind of tough." Petty, a seven-time champion and NASCAR's all-time winningest driver, was one of the many people who gave Guthrie a cool reception when she came to Lowe's Motor Speedway for her first NASCAR event. Guthrie had failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 when track officials persuaded her to come to North Carolina and try to make their race, then known as the World 600. In her book, "Janet Guthrie A Life at Full Throttle," that was released last year, Guthrie recounted the icy reception she received from other drivers when she came to Lowe's for the '76 race. "When I shook hands with Richard Petty I thought I'd get frostbite," Guthrie wrote. "Later, he would be quoted as saying of me: 'She's no lady. If she was she'd be at home. There's a lot of differences in being a lady and being a woman.'" (AP/Salem-Journal)

May 25, 2006:

• Evernham teammates on front-row of Coca-Cola 600: Scott Riggs and Jeremy Mayfield made it an all-Evernham Motorsports front row Thursday by taking the top two qualifying spots for the Coca-Cola 600. Riggs, who went out midway through qualifying, put himself on the pole with a lap of 187.865 mph. He then had to wait out the competition, which included Jimmie Johnson, winner of seven of the last 10 races at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Johnson just missed bumping him off the pole, then Riggs only had his teammate to worry about. Mayfield was the final driver to qualify, and his first lap of 187.292 was good enough for second place. (USA Today - Starting Line-Up)

• New head and neck restraint device awaiting approval: NASCAR has not approved a hybrid of the Hutchens device – a form of head and neck restraint – submitted by Safety Solutions this week for competition in NASCAR. Currently the only head and neck restraint approved for NASCAR’s top three series is the HANS device. In a news release, the company said testing of the new Hutchens Hybrid was witnessed by Dr. John Melvin, a member of the NASCAR Head and Neck Restraint Committee. (ThatsRacin.com)

• Knaus and Hendrick near extension through 2010: Crew chief Chad Knaus is close to reaching a three-year extension that will keep him with Hendrick Motorsports and driver Jimmie Johnson through 2010. "We've talked this week about trying to finish up a contract with him and going ahead and putting that to bed,'' said owner Rick Hendrick, who last week extended Johnson's deal.  Hendrick said at Daytona he hoped to extend Knaus' deal, which runs through 2007, before the end of the season. But after NASCAR suspended Knaus for the first four races speculation emerged that negotiations were stalled. Knaus said last week that there had been no recent discussions. (NASCAR.com)

• USAF Airman to be honored at 600: Air Force Senior Airman Dan Acosta, will be attending the Coca-Cola 600 NEXTEL Cup race on 28 May at Lowe's Motor Speedway. SRA Acosta was wounded in Western Baghdad on Dec. 7, 2005. He was part of an EOD team assigned to locate and disarm an explosive device, which his team did, and they located a second device, but missed the third, which was tripped and as a result of the explosion lost his left arm and severely injured both of his legs. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation and wants to eventually return to his EOD unit. SRA Acosta will be the Air Force recipient of the Stonewall Jackson Award for Patriotism that will be given out during the Coca-Cola 600 pre-race activities. Also attending the race will be Lt. Gen Dennis Larsen. Lt Gen Larsen is the Vice Commander, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. AETC recruits, trains and educates more than 370,000 men and women for the Air and Space force and the nation. In addition, the #21 Wood Brothers Ford Fusion, which the Air Force is an Associate Sponsor, will be running a special Air Force primary paint scheme.(Air Force PR)

• Bill Lester visits area Michigan school and MIS: Bill Lester may count racing as his occupation, but there's little doubt he can captivate a crowd and teach a lesson with his voice as well.With the June race weekend at Michigan International Speedway approaching, Lester spoke to a group of Cornerstone Schools students in Detroit on Wednesday,.  Before a group of approximately 200 fifth through eighth graders and school administration personnel, including Penske Corporation Executive Vice President and Chairman of the Cornerstone Schools Board of Directors Walt Czarnecki, Lester talked about his career path, showed off his Nextel Cup car and provided valuable advice to the enthusiastic group of students. Lester, an accomplished student himself by virtue of his electrical engineering and computer science degree from the University of California, spoke to the students about following their passions. Though he entered a job at Hewlett-Packard following college, he wasted no time in beginning a racing career, and he discussed chasing his dream of competing in NASCAR. "It wasn't like I woke up one day and decided I wanted to be a race car driver," Lester said. "My road here was very long, very hard, and filled with many obstacles. At the time, I was the only African-American out of a class of 700 engineering students. Lester also spoke to the students about his preparations for running the Craftsman Truck Series and Nextel Cup races in the same weekend. (MIS PR)

• Another Wallace in Cup?  Stephen Wallace told Sirius Speedway that he is working to schedule a handful of Nextel Cup starts with his father's Rusty Wallace, Inc., team. "I've been beating it into my father's head 365 days a year to do something," said Wallace. "I've got him about 90-percent there, and I think we'll have some kind of announcement soon." (Sirius Satellite Radio)

• Dover Announces Speedway Improvements

• Roush Tops Forbes list: Forbes magazine says Roush Racing is currently the most valuable organization in NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch series competition, with a net worth the publication estimates at $218 million. In its June 5 edition, Forbes says Roush's five Cup and six Busch entries have lined up sponsorship estimated at $108 million this year and have earned $8.3 million on the track this season.   Hendrick Motorsports ranks second with a value of $146 million for four Cup and two Busch entries. Forbes calculates the team's sponsorships are producing $77 million revenue this year. Joe Gibbs Racing ranks third ($103 million), followed by Richard Childress Racing ($100 million) and Chip Ganassi Racing ($79 million).  (NASCAR Scene Daily)

May 24, 2006:

• Drivers predict a race of survival in-store this weekend: Casey Mears knew he was in trouble as soon as he got on the track. His car was difficult to drive and he was sliding all over the asphalt at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Mears lost all control of his Dodge three laps into last weekend's All-Star event, slamming hard into the wall in what he predicts was a preview for Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600. "I think the 600 is going to be a survival race," Mears said. "There is no grip out there. I've never driven anything like this before. It's just ice. It has a little bit of grip and then nothing, and there's not much warning." The harder tire was effective in slowing the speeds, and Riggs won the pole last week for the Nextel Open at 186.509 mph _ almost seven seconds slower than Elliott Sadler's track record set in October. But the drivers were less than thrilled with what they have been given to work with, complaining that the hard tires made it difficult to set the balance of the car so that it doesn't push or swing loose in the turns. "You call that a tire?" four-time series champion Jeff Gordon asked. "I think the tires are way too hard. I think 600 miles is going to be a race of survival and a race of being smart. "I think that you'll have issues with trying to get temperature in those tires and the car being underneath you under slick conditions during the day and still be good at night." (News14)

• Walsh and AMW increase awareness with Spring/NEXTEL and NASCAR: John Walsh, host of the long-running television program America's Most Wanted, has found a partner in his fight against those who prey upon children. Wash and AMW have joined forces with Sprint Nextel and NASCAR to continue to fight.   Walsh was on hand during All-Star Weekend festivities at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and his appearance there was two-fold: • He, along with Sprint Nextel, presented a $10,000 check to the America's Most Wanted All-Star, an award established last year to honor first responders -- law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and others who go above and beyond the call of duty. • AMW also profiled a local missing girl, Asha Degree, who's story is scheduled to air this week (9 p.m. ET, Saturday, FOX). America's Most Wanted sponsored the No. 63 Ford of J.R. Patton in the Truck Series race at Lowe's, with Asha's picture donning the quartepanel of the truck, which failed to qualify by one-tenth of a second. (NASCAR.com)

• Sandler to Grand Marshall Michigan race: There will already be plenty of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series stars at Michigan International Speedway for the 3M Performance 400, but June 18th has gotten even brighter with the naming of popular film star Adam Sandler as the race’s Grand Marshal. Adam Sandler is the star of over a dozen films including the blockbuster comedies The Longest Yard, Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates and Big Daddy, to name just a few. Sandler, who will give the command to start engines as well as participate in other pre-race ceremonies, is appearing at MIS only days before the June 23 release of his newest film. Sandler, who has attended other NASCAR races, will be seeing his first at MIS. “I’m looking forward to being part of a great event,” he said. “As someone who has portrayed athletes in films, I have a lot of respect for NASCAR drivers and what they do. I’ve met some of the drivers and it’s easy to see that they are why the sport is so popular with the fans.” (MIS PR)

• Menard to attempt Coca-Cola 600 in 3rd DEI car: Paul Menard will attempt this weekends Coca-Cola 600, piloting the No. 15 Johns Manville/Menards Chevrolet. “The Cup car is #038,” Crew Chief Dan Stillman said of the car Menard will pilot in the longest Nextel Cup race of the year. “It ran Atlanta. This car crashed during the Charlotte test. We rebuilt it and wanted to take it back to Charlotte because it ran so good at Atlanta.” Menard drove car #038 to a seventh place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. The Coca-Cola 600’s distance alone demands pacing, preparation and concentration. Coupled with the 300-mile Busch Series race on Saturday, physically conditioned drivers like Menard will have an edge up on the competition since endurance is a key to success this weekend. “I’ve been on a pretty severe diet exercise regiment for about a year,” Menard said. “With my schedule becoming more demanding on and off the track, it’s really important to be physically fit.” Interesting to note, Dale Earnhardt made his Cup series debut in the 1975 Coca-Cola 600. With Menard scheduled to run the No. 15 Chevrolet, DEI will field three cars in the race. (Co-Pilott Motorsports Marketing PR)

• Shepard sells team, Continues efforts: Bryan and Tony Mullet, by their work with Morgan Shepherd and the "Victory In Jesus Racing Ministries", have seen the benefits and many lives touched by Morgan through that ministry. The Mullets have made it possible for the "Victory In Jesus Ministry" with Morgan Shepherd to operate for a number of years by the purchase of his race team. With this deal the ministry and racing will be separate. Morgan will retain the NEXTEL Cup #89 and the "Victory In Jesus Racing" name. The Mullets will introduce their new team, CJM Racing LLC #72 team, at the Lowe's Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend. Kertus Davis will drive the #72 for that race. (Morgan Shepherd PR)

• Hamilton first quarter winner of NMPA driver of The Year: Bobby Hamilton, the owner/driver of the Bobby Hamilton Racing No. 4 Dodge in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, has been named the first-quarter winner of the National Motorsports Press Association/Pocono Spirit Award for 2006. Hamilton, a former Nextel Cup driver who scored four career wins in the Cup series before turning to trucks, announced earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with a form of head and neck cancer. He turned the driving duties of his popular No. 4 Dodge over to his son, Bobby Hamilton Jr., in order to concentrate on treating the disease. In conjunction with series sponsor Craftsman, Hamilton helped organize Tuesday night’s “Craftsman for a Cure” charity event, a program that allowed fans to meet and race go-karts with some of their favorite drivers. Proceeds from the event – as well as from an ongoing online auction of racing memorabilia – will benefit the American Cancer Society Relay for Life as well as the Victory Junction Gang Camp. (SPEEDTV.com)

• Chili Peppers, that's Red Hot visits Roush Shop: Before their performance during Saturday nights NEXTEL All Star event, the famed Red Hot Chili Peppers made a trip to the Roush Racing NEXTEL Cup shops in Concord, N.C. The four band members, Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante, and Chad Smith, took a quick tour through the Roush shops with hosts Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards then it was outside to perform their first ever pit stop with the assistance of the #16 Ameriquest Busch team. The Red Hot Chili Peppers also spent some time with Roush Racing's up and coming stars, Erik Darnell and David Ragan. (Roush Racing PR)

• And Full Schedule next year for CJM: new NASCAR race team plans to run 16 Nextel Cup races this year, beginning with this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway., the team announced Monday. CJM Racing, based in Hickory, N.C., will field Busch Series regular Kertus Davis in the their #72 Dodge Charger. The car will be sponsored by Dutch Quality Stone, team manager Keith Smith said during festivities to announce the new operation. The team has plans to run the full 2007 season. Busch Series competitor David Gilliland will drive the car at Infineon Raceway, the team announced. (CJM Racing PR)

May 23, 2006:

• RYR makes personal changes: Robert Yates, NASCAR car owner, announced today that he is re-evaluating the structure of the organization and has made a change in personnel at the management level of Robert Yates Racing (RYR). As part of the process, Eddie D’Hondt has been released from his position as general manager for RYR, effective immediately. “We are re-evaluating the way we are doing business from the top down,” Yates said. “This is a performance-based business and we have to evaluate the performance of where our cars are now. That begins with understanding our cars.” Doug Yates, head engine builder for RYR and son of Robert Yates, said the decision to make a change at the management level is a result of the Yates family reasserting themselves as the managers of their family-owned business. One of the first actions the team is taking is moving Raymond Fox, III back to the Nextel Cup shop where he will work with the #38 M&M’S Team and serve as a liaison between the Busch and Nextel Cup Series teams. “Raymond is very key to our organization,” Yates said. “The Busch program is important to us but we need his help elsewhere in the company and right now that is at the Cup shop where he’s worked since we started this organization.” “Eddie (D’Hondt) did a good job for us,” he said. “But this is our company and Robert and I have decided we need to get our arms around our company. We’re not happy with where we’re at as a race team. We need to reassert key people including ourselves.”  (RYR PR)

• New MB2 Motorsports site: MB2 Motorsports has launched its new web site, featuring the latest technologies that will allow fans unique "back stage" access to the organization and its race teams. The company's redesign of the web site  Find it at mb2motorsports.com

• American Idol Carrie Underwood to sing at Low's Motor Speedway: [Fellow Oklahoman} Carrie Underwood, whose hit single "Jesus, Take the Wheel" spent six consecutive weeks at #1 on the Hot Country Songs Chart, will headline the pre-race show at the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Carrie Underwood's pre-race performance is included with admission to the Coca-Cola 600. Affordable tickets for the event are still available online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS.(LMS PR)

• Cup Driver J. Burton to test Montreal track: NASCAR plans to test one of its cars at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal the weekend prior to Canada's Formula One race at Ile Notre Dame.  According to the National Post, veteran driver Jeff Burton could be the man behind the wheel of the Chevrolet Monte Carlo when it hits the track on June 19 or 20.  The test is seen as a precursor to NASCAR's announcement of a Busch Grand National race at the island circuit in 2007.  Burton, who would be racing at nearby Brooklyn, Michigan on June 18, says he hasn't been contacted for the test but would a willing participant.  "If I'm asked to test (in Montreal), I'll certainly find a way to make it happen," he tells the Post.  "I've been saying this for years, that the next step we need to take is into Canada," Burton explained. "We need to be there, to put on a good show that represents NASCAR and Canada well. There's no reason we shouldn't be there. It's a great market for us. We'd benefit from Canada, and Canada would benefit from our being there. It's win-win."  Burton was also the driver asked by NASCAR to test for them when the Busch Series considered expanding into Mexico last year.  (TSN)

• Ky. Busch fined $150 for citation: NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Kyle Busch was fined $150 plus court costs after being found guilty of improper driving this morning in Henrico General District Traffic Court. Busch was originally ticketed for reckless driving after an incident near the corner of South Laburnum Avenue and Williamsburg Road on April 12. He appeared in court this morning with attorney Toby Vick and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge. (Times-Dispatch)

• Former Boston Red Sox outfielder to make Craftsman truck debut: Mike Greenwell has made it from the outfield of Fenway Park to the infield of a NASCAR race track.  The former Red Sox outfielder hung up his glove in 1996 eager to start a racing career. He will finally make his NASCAR debut in Saturday night's Truck Series event at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway in Ohio. Greenwell, a career .300 hitting in his dozen years with the Red Sox, wasted no time switching gears. He returned to his home state of Florida and jumped into the Saturday night scene, racing at the grass-roots stock car level. He has won 37 races and the 2000 Speedweeks Championship at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida. (FOX News)

• Haas wind tunnel in consideration: A second incentive grant is in the works for the $40 million Haas CNC Racing wind tunnel proposed for a site near the Concord Regional Airport. Coming on the heels of a three-year, $626,668 incentive grant given the green light last week by Cabarrus County, Concord City Council on Monday set a public hearing for a second incentive grant for the project. The public hearing is slated for June 8. Concord City Manager Brian Hiatt said the incentive would come in the form of the city’s committal to provide electrical service and a $4 million investment towards electrical infrastructure at the Ivy Cline Road site. Hiatt said the city had plans to build an electrical substation at the site in the future, but the city will expedite its construction for the wind tunnel. (Kannapolis Independent Tribune)

May 22, 2006:

• Sadler signed with RYR through 2008: Though Elliott Sadler’s name continues to be bandied about in the pool of Silly Season rumors, a Robert Yates Racing representative confirmed that Sadler is under contract with the team, through the end of the 2008 season. (SPEEDTV.com)

• Rising Racing Star Killed in auto-accident: An up and coming NASCAR driver and a former college football player died in an automobile accident on Interstate 40 just east of Moriarty. According to Lieutenant Jimmy Glasscock of the New Mexico State Police, Spencer Clark of Las Vegas, Nevada, was westbound on the interstate and towing another vehicle when he lost control shortly after 9:00 pm Sunday night. Glasscock says that Clark’s car struck a median and rolled, killing Clark. Former University of Hawaii and all WAC football player Andrew Phillips was also killed. In Clark’s NASCAR career, he had eight starts, finishing in the top five three times and in the top ten four times. (KOBTV.com)

• JumpFly.com joins McGlynn Racing: McGlynn Racing and Derrike Cope are pleased to welcome JumpFly.com as the newest sponsor to the #74 NEXTEL Cup Series team. JumpFly.com professionally develops, implements and manages Google, Yahoo and MSN pay-per-click accounts, enabling clients to maximize Internet advertising results while saving time and money. Proper setup and management of these complex, confusing and time-consuming programs will likely make the difference between an advertiser's success or failure. JumpFly.com's full-service solution enables clients to focus on their core business while attaining the best possible results from their pay per click advertising campaigns. "We are incredibly excited to associate JumpFly with McGlynn Racing and NASCAR driver Derrike Cope. We are grateful for this unique opportunity and proud to display our logo on the car of a Daytona 500 winner," said Brad Garlin, Managing Director of JumpFly.com. JumpFly.com will make their debut appearance at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 28 for the Coco-Cola 600 and will remain an associate sponsor for the remainder of the 2006 season. In addition, JumpFly.com will create and manage the team's online advertising campaign to aide in the search for additional sponsors to help further the growth and development of the McGlynn Racing team. (McGlynn Racing PR)

• Drivers/Crew Members leery about team Red-Bull? Toyota's new Red Bull team is being viewed skeptically by some drivers and crew chiefs who might otherwise be interested in taking a job there, because team owner Dietrich Mateschitz will apparently be an absentee car owner. Those drivers and crew chiefs say they are leery about taking a job where they would be unable to make their case on any particular issue directly with the car owner himself. (Salem-Journal)

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