Past NASCAR Corporate and France Family News

Oct. 8, 2005:

NASCAR plans to limit muti-car teams: NASCAR plans to limit the number of teams a car owner will be able to field in the Nextel Cup series, chairman Brian France said Saturday.  "We're going to make some adjustments in policy to balance the playing field a little better and really go after new ownership in the industry, really benefit and help the teams like the Wood Brothers, the Pettys, Cal Wells, independent teams that are finding themselves in ever increasing difficulties to compete," France said.  He said the limit would be phased in over the next few seasons. "It won't happen tomorrow," France said. "But it would phase down from five to four to some other number." All of the top teams currently in NASCAR are multicar teams, with Roush Racing and Hendrick Motorsports leading the way with five and four cars, respectively. The benefits of running more than one car are clear: additional tests under current testing limits, information sharing among the teams, multiple sponsorships that provide great resources and, sometimes, on-track cooperation among teammates. But France said the success of the big teams is also viewed as an obstacle to people contemplating starting a new Cup team. For example, Jack Roush's team has won the last two Cup titles and all five of his cars are in NASCAR's 10-race Chase for the championship. "We don't like the fact that the independent teams, or in particular a new owner looking at coming in the door, have a daunting task to compete, and the concept of having to have five teams, three teams ... that's why you haven't seen a lot of new ownership like a Ray Evernham come into the sport," France said. "That means the opportunities aren't there for young drivers. It means opportunities aren't there to create the next Rick Hendrick and have the success. "It ultimately means that we don't field as many competitive cars as we'd like to field. We're going to have to address that." (Newsday)

New Series? NASCAR's game plan for the 2007 car of the future is slowly becoming clearer. When the new, larger car is phased in in 2007, the current Nextel Cup cars would become Busch tour cars, and the current Busch cars (which have a smaller 105-inch wheelbase than the 110-inch Cup cars) will become part of a new Grand National series in Mexico, Canada, the Western U.S., and possibly England, according to NASCAR sources. (Salem-Journal)

Oct. 6, 2005:

France not in favor of Confederate flag at NASCAR races: NASCAR CEO Brian France doesn't like fans flying Confederate flags at races as he tries to make stock-car racing more appealing to minorities and women. "It's not a flag that I look at with anything favorable. That's for sure," he said in an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes to be aired Sunday. "I can't tell people what flag to fly. I can tell you the flag we get behind: It's the American flag." France is trying to broaden stock-car racing's appeal with minorities in places like Los Angeles, where France moved the important Labor Day NASCAR event last year, and New York, soon to have a track. "(Reaching out to minorities) is something I work on every day. I work on it personally," France said. (USA Today)

Frances on CBS 60 Minutes: The phrase "NASCAR Family" usually refers to the millions of fans obsessed with the fastest-growing sport in America. But the real NASCAR family is the France family of Daytona Beach, Florida. For six decades, they have literally owned the sport, and made themselves into billionaires in the process; NASCAR today is one of the biggest businesses in the country still owned and run by the family that founded it. Third-generation France siblings Brian and Lesa are now in running the show, and they recently spoke with Lesley Stahl about the company's next "big goal": moving more NASCAR race to America's biggest cities and attracting more minority fans by moving away from the sport's southern "good ole boy" image. For more on NASCAR'S past, present and future, watch 60 Minutes on Sunday, October 9, 7PM ET/PT on CBS. (CBS News PR)

Sep. 26, 2005:

Change in Chase? There may well be a new rule on points for next year's championship chase, according to sources who say that NASCAR is considering a separate points system for the 10 leading drivers. Under that this season, Kurt Busch would not have lost as many points for his Loudon crash - Busch was credited with 41st-place points at Loudon, but under the proposed system he would have been credited with 10th place points, and would still be in the hunt. Of course, under such a new system, the worst finish a playoff driver would be credited with each weekend would be 10th - 134 points, losing at most 56 points to the tour leader. At Loudon, Busch finished 35th and got 58 points. (Salem-Journal Mulhern)

Wells proposes team owner cap: NASCAR executives could end the reign of multi-car teams on the Nextel Cup circuit easily, car owner Cal Wells said, by applying the McDonalds rule. Wells said that McDonalds' franchising agreements specifically bar its franchise owners from running other businesses, and that bar he says can be legally enforced. Wells said NASCAR could use similar legal contracts to limit Nextel Cup owners to two teams. Currently there is no limit on the number of teams a NASCAR owner can field. (Salem-Journal/Mulhern)

Sep. 23, 2005:

Frances on Forbes: Daytona Beach, brothers Bill and Jim France, whose auto-racing empire includes NASCAR and International Speedway Corp., were reported to have $1.6 billion each, placing them at 198th on the list. (Daytona News Journal)

Sep. 19, 2005:

Sign of the times: Even though Sprint signage is replacing Nextel signage at NASCAR tracks, the championship reportedly will remain the Nextel Cup through next season. (AutoWeek)

Sep. 12, 2005:

Team Cap on Chase? NASCAR is looking at putting a cap on the number of Nextel Cup teams that can be owned by one organization, chairman Brian France said Saturday. France said the consideration was not prompted by the fact Roush Racing has five drivers inside the top 10 heading into Saturday night's race at Richmond International Raceway. France said he is more concerned new owners won't be able to break into the sport if they feel it's impossible to compete without a minimum of three teams. "If it gets to that situation, we'll have to do something," France said. "We'll have to cap. We'll have to look at ways to phase in a cap rule." France did not indicate what the cap number might be, but he said existing teams would not be penalized "for operating within the rules." (The State)

Sep. 11, 2005:

Warning to drivers that may try affect the outcomes: With concerns throughout the garage for rough driving in last night's race having an impact on the Chase, NASCAR President Mike Helton made sure drivers knew it wouldn't be tolerated. "Anyone who chooses to do anything that alters the outcome of the positions in this race or in the Chase, we will act quickly and severely," Helton said. "If we see anyone attempting to manipulate the outcome of this race, the Chase, or any race from here on out, we will handle it. You've never seen that here, and you never will." (Times-Dispatch)

Sep. 10, 2005

Brian France to open restaurant: Brian France, chairman and chief executive officer of NASCAR, has teamed up with Concentrics Hospitality of Atlanta to launch an upscale but casual restaurant in downtown Winter Park, at the corner of Park and New England avenues. Luma will open to the public Sept. 19 on the ground floor of the recently remodeled Bank of America building, with restaurant entrances on both streets. "We saw a terrific opportunity for us to be part of the revitalization of downtown Winter Park," France said in a written statement about the restaurant, which will seat more than 170 inside, with another 50 in the bar and 50 on the wraparound patio. It will also have space for 50 in a private dining area. Concentrics is a restaurant consulting and management company headed by Robert Amick, who has a track record of success in Atlanta with restaurants such as One Midtown Kitchen and Two Urban Licks. Amick said Luma will be a "neighborhood restaurant with citywide appeal," headed by executive chef Todd Immel. During his career, Immel has worked with top chefs including Guenter Seeger of Seeger's in Atlanta and Daniel Boulud of Restaurant Daniel in New York. (Orlando Sentinel)

Sep. 9, 2005

Earnhardt, Jr., Brian France, Helton, among those visiting Walter Reed: With the late afternoon sun glistening off of polished car hoods and new prosthetic limbs, wounded troops recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here gathered to take a peek at a row of NASCAR racecars parked in front of the hospital's Mologne House hotel. The cars were lined up at Walter Reed on Sept. 7 as part of a daylong NASCAR tribute to American servicemembers, many who sacrificed body parts in service to their country. Several NASCAR drivers and executives were on hand to show just how much they appreciated this sacrifice. "They defend everything we believe in. It's very important that the troops know that all Americans support them. And although their job may be difficult, they've got a lot of people behind them," driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. hroughout the day, the drivers and executives visited wounded troops in the hospital wards and hosted a dinner and evening of entertainment for servicemembers and their families. "We live in a great country, and one reason is because of the armed forces," driver Terry Labonte said. "It is nice for us to be able to come here and in a very small way say thank you." Joe Nemechek, driver of the U.S. Army No. 01 car, echoed this sentiment. "All the men and women in uniform who serve this country give us our freedom, and we shouldn't take that freedom for granted," he said. Army Staff Sgt. Justin Shellhammer, 26, who lost his left leg when he stepped on a land mine in Afghanistan on April 5 returned the appreciation. "It's awesome that the NASCAR guys have come out to support the men and women who got hurt. The support is important because it shows that what we're doing is not going unnoticed," he said. Army Staff Sgt. Troy Barns said the NASCAR visit was a good way to lift the "spirits of the guys in the hospital." The drivers attending the dinner, at the Karen Wagner Sports Center on the Walter Reed campus included Labonte, Justin Labonte, Earnhardt, Nemechek, Jamie McMurray, Travis Kvapil, Martin Truex Jr., Ashton Lewis Jr., Carl Edwards and Jon Wood. NASCAR executives in attendance were Brian France, NASCAR chairman and chief executive officer; Mike Helton, NASCAR president; Bill France Jr., NASCAR vice chairman; and Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of corporate communications. (Lincoln Tribune)

Sep. 6, 2005

CASCAR and NASCAR deal near complete: Only the paperwork remains for the Canadian CASCAR stock car racing circuit to be sold in its entirety to U.S.-based giant NASCAR. Negotiations have been ongoing for a year and a half and sources told The Free Press yesterday it's now in the hands of the lawyers. "It's not 'if,' it's 'when,' " one source said. Another said the takeover may lead to Canadians eventually driving in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, the top echelon in stock car racing. "There are drivers and teams capable of racing with the best and to get noticed by NASCAR is a great thing in itself," CASCAR president and founder Tony Novotny said during the Super Series APC 300 at Delaware Speedway.   Richard Buck, NASCAR's director of racing development in Canada, has attended Super Series races this season and confirmed yesterday he recommended to his board of directors on Aug. 22 in Daytona Beach, Fla., that it purchase the Canadian group. "My reports have been very favourable and they have been received very favourably. Basically the process is moving along," Buck said. (Loudon Free Press)

Sep. 5, 2005

NASCAR schedule expected to be released: NASCAR is expected to soon announce the 2006 schedule, but several tracks have announced their dates for next year. Based on tracks that have announced their schedule, next season will start with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 19 and then head to California Speedway Feb. 26. The series goes to Las Vegas on March 12. The rest of the month's schedule has not been announced, but it is expected to have races at Atlanta and Bristol. In April, the Cup series will race at Martinsville (April 2), Texas (April 9), Phoenix (April 22) and Talladega (April 30). The series heads to Richmond May 6 and then goes to Darlington May 13. Lowe's Motor Speedway has not announced its 2006 dates but it's expected to have the all-star race the week after Darlington and the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, along with its October date. (Roanoke.com)

Sep. 1, 2005

NASCAR announces alliance with Red Cross: NASCAR announced today it has aligned its industry with the American Red Cross to support in every way possible charitable efforts in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. "One of the special qualities of the NASCAR industry is helping others in times of need," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. "NASCAR is working to rally our drivers, teams, tracks, partners, and most importantly, our fans to this common cause. "This tragedy has impacted millions of Americans, many of whom are NASCAR fans themselves, and we have reached out to the American Red Cross to do everything we can to provide relief. "Like all Americans, our hearts ache as we realize the devastating impact this storm has had. We know NASCAR fans are anxious to help. "Our alliance with the American Red Cross gives those fans, and our entire industry, an opportunity to band together in this common cause." NASCAR, with the cooperation of its partner, Turner Sports Interactive, will establish a designated web page at www.NASCAR.com to coordinate NASCAR fan support of the relief efforts. Additional information and details will be forthcoming. (NASCAR PR)

NASCAR makes former NYC 2012 hire: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced today the hiring of Lazaro "Laz" Benitez Manager of East Regional Media Outreach. Benitez will be based in NASCAR's New York City office and will be responsible for communications planning and managing all media outreach efforts to raise awareness about NASCAR in the Northeast. "Laz is another strong addition to our team," said NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter. "He gives NASCAR a fulltime presence in the nation's largest media market who will work closely with sports media, the tracks, sponsors and partners across the Northeast." Prior to his position with NASCAR, Benitez was a manager in the communications and marketing department at NYC2012, the committee that led New York City's bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. A lifelong New Yorker, Lazaro received a B.A. from Bernard M. Baruch College in Manhattan and is a volunteer with the Inner-City Scholarship Fund, where he speaks to area high school students about career-related issues, ranging from resumé guidance to overall interview presentation. (NASCAR PR)

Aug 31, 2005

NASCAR teams feeling the affects of high prices: Those prices will be felt strongly this week as NASCAR's Nextel Cup and Busch Series teams make the long trek from their home bases in North Carolina to Fontana, Calif., for this weekend's races. "The gas hike has affected us for sure, and not in just the ways you might think," said Jerry Freeze, general manager of Petty Enterprises. "It has really been a big deal across the board. Of course, moving the race cars with our transporters has seen the most direct hit. We are spending a lot more than what we had to at the beginning of the year, or even last season. "We also are seeing it in our aircraft. Our charter company, because we charter our team planes, has given us an extra charge directly due to the raise in fuel costs. That has been a big deal. We still need to fly our guys to the tracks. We then have to fly our over-the-wall guys on race day, too."  And that's not all. "We are in a competitive business," Freeze said. "We go up to Michigan for wind tunnel time, and we are doing a lot of hauling going to and from test sessions. There are a lot of logistics that go into having a competitive race team, and the use of fuel becomes a big factor. (Union Tribune)

Stones and NASCAR promo coming to cinema near you: The Rolling Stones and NASCAR have partnered for a promotional video that rolls into cinemas nationwide September 2. At nearly 2 1/2 minutes, the NASCAR spot features "Driving Too Fast," a track from the Stones' new album, "A Bigger Bang," due out in the United States on September 6 through Virgin. Running through September 29, the ad will run on more than 5,800 movie screens, including those owned by leading theater chains, Regal and United Artists. Akin to a music video, the spot sheds light on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races on TNT. For the Stones, the exposure also coincides with their new world tour, which reaches Detroit Wednesday. (Billboard @ Yahoo!)

Aug 29, 2005

Deal near for Molson and NASCAR for Canada? Molson Sports and Entertainment has become the newest Canadian player in the NASCAR-is-coming-to-Canada game. Molson -- which promotes the Molson Indy Toronto and was the primary sponsor of the Molson Indy Montreal yesterday -- has been in talks for some time with NASCAR officials about bringing a Craftsman Truck Series race to Calgary. Molson Entertainment boss Joann McArthur told the Toronto Sun yesterday that it's her business to be involved with entities such as NASCAR in order to explore any future partnerships that might arise. And that a CTS race for Calgary currently is on the table. "Our discussions with NASCAR (about racing in Calgary) are strictly at the preliminary stage," McArthur told the Sun.   "We are talking to them as a leading entertainment promoter in Canada and it's still very preliminary." They have, however, reached the stage where Molson was host this weekend to both NASCAR officials from Daytona Beach and city and provincial politicians from Alberta. (SLAM)

Brian France happy in NASCAR, no NFL: Brian France denies rumors he is relinquishing his job as NASCAR chief executive officer to start an NFL franchise in Los Angeles. "I'm having a great time, and I have the support of our board and family, and we're having a great year," France said Saturday at Bristol. "We have the car of tomorrow coming up. I want to expand us internationally over the next five or 10 years, and I still want to stay on course with our diversity efforts." France added he's committed to push NASCAR's "big agenda" and won't rest until he makes "NASCAR the most exciting racing in the world." (Sporting News/Lee Spencer)

Aug 26, 2005

More on drivers and Contracts, France talks: France said it's not something that NASCAR will address. "Well, we don't want to because it's a free-market situation and the drivers are independent contractors," he said. "We are different and their contracts are not with us; they are with the team owners, and we want them to get it right. If we have to look at some ways to help them along, we would. But we'd like to let them figure it out." In a sport where handshake agreements -- so-called gentlemen's agreements, rather than contracts -- have generally been the norm, the moves by McMurray and Busch are somewhat startling. "There are still a lot of gentlemen around, but I don't think they necessarily act like it," France said. "It's just so competitive, and any edge that you can get to get some star power on your team is heightened now. That's the good and the bad of elevating the sport to such a level." But France thinks there is more to it than the drivers just looking for a big dollar deal. "This is a team sport," he said. "One of the things that we forget about is it's somewhat about chemistry and how one driver fits in with another team plays into it. That's really where we're at." (News-Journal)

Helton kicks off United way Campaign: NASCAR President Mike Helton dropped the green flag Thursday on the annual Tri-Cities United Way fundraising campaign. Helton, a Bristol native, was the keynote speaker at an event that drew representatives of United Way chapters in Bristol, Johnson City, Kingsport, and Abingdon. They announced goals for their fall campaigns. The United Way that covers both Bristols set its goal at $1.25 million - $50,000 more than raised in the last fund drive. Johnson City's United Way seeks $1.6 million, Kingsport's $3.4 million and Washington County's $400,000. "It's hard to explain the commitment that this area has to whatever it does," Helton said. "I'm excited for this campaign because I know the entire community is behind it. ... The bottom line is that caring and compassion take money to make things happen." Helton received the key to the city from Mayor Doug Weberling. (Tri-Cities.com)

Aug 25, 2005

Helton, says NASCAR wont get involved in driver contracts: Last Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR's president Mike Helton, said that it's not NASCAR's place to get in the middle of driver-owner contract disputes and also has no power to institute a "No Contact" policy, such as the stick and ball sports have to prevent another team contacting a player under contract for purposes of luring that player away. "The way NASCAR is structured, with the independentness of the sanctioning body and the car owner -- there's not a way for us to do that now, even if we desired to," said Helton, "I'm not sure that the drivers and the car owners in particular, historically, and even today with what's in the headlines, they still don't necessarily want NASCAR in the middle of that relationship right now. There's not a way of doing it and we're really not pursuing a way to figure out how to do it. The difference between NASCAR and Football, Baseball and Basketball is that the NASCAR structure is all independent contractors. They're not cohesive like the other stick and ball sports are." (InsiderRacingNews.com)

Aug 24, 2005

NASCAR street tour hits the road:  The National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced the launch of NASCAR Street Tour, an interactive marketing initiative bringing the sights, sounds and excitement of NASCAR to sports fans in key west coast markets just as the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup begins. NASCAR introduces the NASCAR Street Tour to San Diego fans Friday, August 26 at PETCO Park prior to the Padres home contest vs. the Colorado Rockies. It continues to make its way through major West Coast cities including, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Las Vegas at various sporting events, fairs and festivals, Ford dealerships, partner retail locations, auto shows and multicultural community events. The tour will also make a special stop in New York City for the annual NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champions Week. (Nov. 30 -- Dec. 4)  Ford Motor Company, the official partner of NASCAR Street Tour, will provide a 2005. (More at NASCAR.com)

Aug 23, 2005

Wal-Mart to promote NASCAR & PGA together: NASCAR and the PGA Tour will join in their most extensive cross promotion to date as part of a special Wal-Mart campaign, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal reports.  NASCAR will be promoted at the Wal-Mart First Tee Open Champions Tour event at Pebble Beach in California from Aug. 30 to Sept. 4, and the golf event will be promoted at the Sept. 4 Sony HD 500 Nextel Cup race at California Speedway.  The golf tournament's logo is scheduled to appear on the back deck lid of Petty Enterprises' No. 43 Dodge for Jeff Green during the race. Green and team owner Kyle Petty also are scheduled to give driving lessons to tour players and junior golfers, and four drivers are scheduled to take part in a Wednesday pro-am golf event.  (Scene Daily)

NASCAR to promote Chase on West Coast: NASCAR plans to announce Monday the launch of an effort to promote the Chase For The Nextel Cup on the West Coast, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal reports.  The NASCAR Street Tour, which will feature an interactive mobile unit, will travel to 65 West Coast events, beginning with a Padres baseball game at San Diego's Petco Park. Other venues will include fairs, festivals and other sporting events, with stops in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas.  The story says Ford Motor Co. will be the tour's official partner, and additional sponsorship will come from Sprint Nextel, nascar.com and EA Sports. The Gelfand Group, a Los Angeles-based event marketing company, will manage all 65 events. Financial terms of the project were not disclosed.  (Scene Daily)

Aug 19, 2005

Brian France on Drug Policy and Event Pricing:  France also disputed reports that Scott Wimmer was not tested for drugs following a drunk driving incident. He said there were a pair of telling factors in NASCAR's policy. "The reason it's sort of vague is it gives us a wide set of reasons in our sole judgment to test somebody," he said. "We want to make sure that the language and what the drivers actually agree to. We feel like for any reason we need to test somebody, we will. "I would pay attention as much to the penalties as I would the process or how many times you test, the frequency and that all because he doesn't matter. If you look at the recent penalties that we got, a second offense, almost two years suspension. "That is substantial and is an enormous deterrent to a drug issue that our drivers may get into." France also said tracks are looking at ticket options in trying to lessen the costs. "Not just in ticket cost, but the whole cost," he said. "It's the hotel room that skyrockets around race events, it's fuel prices, it's all the kinds of things that make going to a NASCAR event more expensive than the tracks and we would like to see." Yet, according to France, "we're actually on quite a (attendance) record right now. We're having a great year." (Daily Bulletin)

No Changes in Chase, France says Again: NASCAR has no plans to either change the format of its Nextel Cup Series Cup Chase for the Cup format or implement the playoff system in its Busch or Craftsman Truck Series. Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO, made those points clear Thursday in a conference call with West Coast media in advance of the NASCAR weekend at California Speedway on Sept. 2-3. In a far-ranging conversation, France also touched on the sanctioning body's drug policy and ticket prices. He was strongest in denying there had been any discussions to change the Chase format to allow in popular drivers not within the top 10, notably Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. "Zero discussion in my office and nowhere in NASCAR," said France about a possible change, "because this is a performance-based sport and you've got to perform to get in. Our drivers wouldn't want that anyway. I know there are theories on this, but they wouldn't want to limp in on a fan vote or something like that. (Daily Bulletin)

Aug 17, 2005

Helton to be featured speaker at AARWBA: NASCAR President Mike Helton will be the featured speaker at the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association's 36th annual All-America Team dinner, Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis. AARWBA is the country's oldest and largest organization of motorsports media professionals. The dinner, honoring the champion drivers from stock car, open-wheel, short track, drag and road racing and touring series, will mark the official conclusion of AARWBA's 50th Anniversary Celebration. Helton will share his important insights with AARWBA members and guests in Indianapolis one day after the annual NASCAR NEXTEL Cup awards ceremony in New York City. AARWBA members voted NASCAR's founding France Family as Newsmaker of the Half-Century, the headline event of the 50th Anniversary Celebration. The All-America Team of drivers is elected by AARWBA members. The top vote-getter from the various classes will be announced at the dinner as winner of AARWBA's No. 1 honor, the Jerry Titus Memorial Award. IRL champion Tony Kanaan was the 2004 Titus winner and attended last January's Team dinner to accept. Tickets, for the general public as well as media and sponsors, are available more info at the aarwba.org web site, click on the 'banquet' link. (AARWBA)

Aug 13, 2005

NASCAR Driver Salaries: According to sources, Penske is giving Kurt Busch a five-year contract for anywhere between $6 million and $12 million a year. It is unclear what Busch is making with Roush, but the average Cup driver makes $3 million-plus a year, plus whatever he can generate in souvenir sales and through personal-services contracts. At the top end, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon are reported to be making about $20 million a year each. (Winston Salem Journal)

Helton "Worrisome" about driver free agency: NASCAR president Mike Helton says that the Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray contract controversies are worrisome. "I'm not sure two examples back-to-back represents any trend, but it's certainly something everyone will have to keep an eye on," Helton said yesterday. "It's not different today than it's been over the years, drivers moving from car owner to car owner. However, with the stakes today, and the visibility of the sport, the deals are bigger and the moves appear to be bigger, particularly when you've got two guys at the peak of their careers, and fifth in points and 11th in points. "It's an independent world in NASCAR, and owners and drivers strike their deals, and we strike our deals with car owners. Right now we're just sitting back and observing. There's really nothing we can do about it. And probably nothing, quite frankly, that we should try to do about it." Still, some car owners have been highly upset over the issue of rival car owners going after drivers as Roush and Penske have done, and there has been talk of legal action. Helton says that getting dragged into court is not something that anyone in the sport wants. (Salem-Journal)

Aug 11, 2005

Brian France to Meet with DFW Media: NASCAR chairman/CEO Brian France will attend a "power lunch" with area media at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on Aug. 19. (Star-Telegram)

Aug 8, 2005

France expects NASCAR to keep changing in visibility: Still, France said his sport is not where it needs to be. Not close. Especially in terms of visibility. "We're not making the kind of progress we have to make to change the media perception around," he said. "That doesn't mean we're not covered better than any other motor sport. But on any given weekend, we're the largest sporting event in the country. By any measure. Television, radio, live attendance, however you want to do it. But if you went around the horn.you would not know that. We've got to change that." France talked about making changes and taking risks on the 11th anniversary of what he called one of the bigger gambles NASCAR has ever made: Staging a stock-car race at open-wheel racing's grandest shrine, Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The decision to do that was made by France's father, Bill France Jr. "The risk," Brian France said as he sat in a NASCAR transporter that was in the middle of Gasoline Alley, "was if you had a half-empty stadium, it wouldn't look good, it wouldn't do well on TV, etc., etc., it would be a big black eye for the sport. So it was a tremendous risk at the time." It turned out to be a risk well worth taking and not just because the Brickyard 400 grew into the second-most important event on the Nextel Cup schedule. The establishment of the Brickyard also marked the moment NASCAR broke the stereotype of being a rural, Southeastern sport. Brian on ISC/ Kentucky: France said he doesn't have much interest in the lawsuit recently filed against NASCAR and France's International Speedway Corporation by the owners of Kentucky Speedway. The speedway's owners allege that NASCAR and ISC have violated federal antitrust laws by illegally restricting the awarding of Nextel Cup races. France called the suit "tired," and promised, "we will prevail on this." And judging from the forcefulness with which he said that, there is not much chance that opinion will change one bit. (More at Kansas City Star)

Aug 7, 2005

Bill Lester to get Cup ride? NASCAR's top series could soon have its first African-American driver in nearly 20 years, as Bill Lester and team owner Bill Davis have discussed the possibility of putting Lester in a Nextel Cup car later this season. "We've kicked it around, definitely," Lester said Saturday. Lester, 44, has been a regular in NASCAR's Craftsman Trucks Series - stock car racing's equivalent to Class AA baseball - since 2002. If he qualified for a Cup race, he would become the first African-American driver to race in NASCAR's top series since Willy T. Ribbs, who ran three races in 1986.Lester said he has made it clear to Davis that his goal is to race in the Nextel Cup, and Davis has been receptive. "It's just a matter of all the planets lining up," Lester said. (USA Today)

Aug 5, 2005

NASCAR Post Race Call-in Show planned: Nascar.com says it will launch an interactive postrace show to air immediately following each Nextel Cup race, beginning with Sunday's Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Plans call for features news, interviews and race highlights and an interactive open forum where fans can call in, e-mail, log on to chat or send an AOL Instant Message to talk about the race or other issues. The show will be hosted by Shannon Wiseman and Chris Cotter.  (NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)

Drivers promote Pet Calendar in Indy: Tony Stewart has his pet monkey (Mojo) for the month of August. Ryan and Krissie Newman are with their dogs (Digger, Harley and Mopar) in March. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is with his boxer (Killer) in January. Nextel Cup drivers are teaming up to benefit animals in today's sale of the 2006 NASCAR Pets Calendar at 11:30 a.m. at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Newman and Greg Biffle will be there to sign the calendars. Biffle's foundation and Love of Labs, an Indiana Labrador Retriever rescue and adoption organization, created the calendars, with proceeds going to the Hamilton County Humane Society. Fans can purchase them online through www.NASCAR.com and www.thegregbifflefoundation.com or by donating $13.99 to Love of Labs at www.lolin.org. Other NASCAR stars featured with their pets include Matt Kenseth, Jason Leffler, Casey Mears, Jimmie Johnson, Kerry Earnhardt, Kurt Busch, Elliott Sadler, Jeff Green and Biffle. (Indy Star)

Checkers Drive-In gives away car to single mom: Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., the nation's largest double drive-thru chain and Official Burger of the Allstate 400® at the Brickyard, gave away a brand new Chevy® Cobalt to Elizabeth Williams, a hardworking single mother from Indianapolis, in partnership with the Christamore House charity in Indianapolis. "Ms. Williams is an extraordinary woman who has overcome many obstacles to get where she is today, making life better for herself and for her son," said Keith Sirois, President and CEO of Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., on Thursday at the Christamore House. "We are thrilled to help this local charity, Christamore House, fulfill its mission of helping people help themselves." Through a recommendation from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Checkers®/Rally's® partnered with local Indianapolis United Way charity, Christamore House, to select Elizabeth Williams as the recipient of a brand new car as part of a charitable initiative with NASCAR®. Through the Christamore House Families in Transition program, Williams has come back from homelessness and joblessness to now support her family by working as a cable service representative. The people at Christamore House have provided her with the resources needed to give back as an active member of her community. "I am so grateful to Checkers/Rally's for their generosity," said Elizabeth Williams, Checkers/Rally's new car recipient and Christamore House client. "This new car means the world to me and my son. We have come so far with the help of Christamore House, and, now, this car from Checkers/Rally's will ensure that our success continues as I will have the adequate transportation I need to travel to my service destinations." "We are proud of companies like Checkers/Rally's that support deserving individuals and charitable programs through their involvement in the community and their NASCAR programs. Checkers/Rally's is taking a leadership role and setting an example for how we can all make a difference in our communities. We are proud to have Checkers/Rally's as our sponsor," said Justin Johnson, Managing Director of Partnership Marketing for NASCAR. (Checker Rallys PR)

Aug 4, 2005

Stoneacre Partners announces RacePoints Partners: Stoneacre Partners announces today the addition of XM Satellite Radio, CENTRIX (issuing points beginning 8/15) and Home123(R) Corporation to NASCAR RacePoints(SM), the Official Rewards Program of NASCAR(R) that provides fans with an opportunity to earn points when they use the products and services of official NASCAR sponsors. Stoneacre Partners also announces the launch of the Official Online NASCAR RacePoints(SM) Catalog, which contains hundreds of great rewards ranging from a trip to the Richard Petty Driving Experience to NASCAR licensed gear and memorabilia from top drivers, like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and more. Free enrollment in NASCAR RacePoints can be found at WWW.NASCAR.COM by clicking on NASCAR RacePoints. As the exclusive satellite radio service for NASCAR, XM Satellite Radio offers a "hot pass" to all NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Busch, and Craftsman Truck Series races, all season long, wherever you take your XM radio. XM will reward consumers with 1,500 points with the purchase of a Delphi XM2go MyFi radio, 500 points with the purchase of a Delphi XM Roady2 and 1,000 points with the purchase of Delphi XM SkyFi2. "NASCAR fans can enjoy XM Satellite Radio from coast to coast, whether they are on the road, at the track, or relaxing on the beach," said Shannon Suydam, Manager, Marketing Partnerships, XM Satellite Radio. "XM is the nation's leading satellite radio company, in part because we offer the most advanced radios, and now NASCAR fans can earn points when you buy a portable MyFi radio, the SKYFi2, or the Roady2." As the Official Auto Finance Company of NASCAR, CENTRIX Financial provides auto loans and will reward its direct consumers with 1,000 points when approved for a loan and 15,000 points if a vehicle is financed by CENTRIX. According to Rick Bolton, Executive Vice President of Marketing for CENTRIX Financial, "The loyalty of the fans was one of the primary reasons we became involved with NASCAR. NASCAR RacePoints provides CENTRIX with another great platform to reach out to fans and reward them for their support and loyalty." Home123 Corporation, the official mortgage company of NASCAR, will reward consumers with NASCAR RacePoints(SM) for financing a home with Home123. The number of points offered will be based on the loan amount starting at 7,500 NASCAR RacePoints for a $50,000 loan with points increasing incrementally for every additional $10,000 financed. The points will be capped at 52,500 (a $350,000 loan). Consumers can also earn 100 points by completing the Home123 survey on the NASCAR RacePoints site. "We are pleased to be able to offer loyal NASCAR fans additional benefits associated with our products," said Carl Vernon, president of Home123 Corporation. "We believe that the NASCAR RacePoints program, coupled with our easy to use online loan origination platform, is a winning combination for borrowers." "The addition of XM Satellite Radio, CENTRIX and Home123 is an outstanding illustration of the diverse ways in which our partners can reward consumer behavior with NASCAR RacePoints(SM)," said Pat Brady, CEO of Stoneacre Partners. "Whether it's through the financing of a home or automobile, or by connecting fans with NASCAR through satellite radio, NASCAR RacePoints(SM) participants will find a wide variety of opportunities to earn points and we are committed to helping our partners create these unique reward programs." "The addition of great partners like XM Satellite Radio, CENTRIX, and Home 123 to the NASCAR RacePoints program takes it to another level, said Mark Dyer, NASCAR Vice President of Licensing." "For the first time, NASCAR fans can be rewarded for supporting official NASCAR sponsors and we welcome these three outstanding partners to the NASCAR RacePoints family. Already, the program has nearly a million fans enrolled, who are enjoying the benefits of directing their purchases to these partners and getting great NASCAR merchandise and experiences in return." NASCAR RacePoints, the Official Rewards Program of NASCAR, is a free consumer loyalty program designed to allow participants to earn points based on purchases made with participating NASCAR sponsors. Accumulated points can be tracked and redeemed online for exciting race-related rewards in the exclusive online NASCAR RacePoints catalog. Free enrollment in NASCAR RacePoints can be found at WWW.NASCAR.COM by clicking on NASCAR RacePoints. The NASCAR RacePoints catalog offers racing fans an exciting array of more than 120 different rewards within four categories: Access & Experiences, Collectibles & Memorabilia, Apparel, and Merchandise. All the products and experiences in the catalog are from official NASCAR licensees including: Action Performance, Richard Petty Driving Experience, Team Caliber, VF Corporation and more. Within the Access & Experiences section of the NASCAR RacePoints catalog, fans will find unique fan experiences. These amazing rewards include the opportunity to become "Crew Chief For A Day" with a NASCAR team or to get front-row in the Driver's Introduction Red Carpet area at a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race. In addition to these outstanding rewards, fans can redeem their points for high-quality NASCAR merchandise and apparel from the top NASCAR drivers and teams. (Stoneacres Partners, LLC PR)

Aug 1, 2005

NASCAR to start own news service: NASCAR Chairman Brian France believes racing is not being adequately covered by the nation's newspapers and wants to create the sport's own news service for newspapers, television and radio stations, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Daily reports.  "You're going to see us get into the content business, very similar in one respect to the NFL channel," France told a cable television industry summit, writer Andy Bernstein reports. "We're going to have to create content that is customized for media outlets." No time table for a launch or other details were reported. (NASCAR Scene Plus)

July 26, 2005

Johnson thinks NASCAR will be in Canada soon: Nextel Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson can see the day -- real soon he thinks -- when NASCAR's top series will have a race in Canada. But in the same breath, Johnson told The Toronto Sun that it won't come by NASCAR expanding its schedule beyond the existing 38 race weekends. In Toronto to promote his Levi jeans sponsorship on the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Johnson said that there is no masking the fact the NASCAR has designs on Canada and not just for the Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Busch Series. "Everyone from NASCAR executives, to team owners, to drivers has been talking about coming to Canada ever since the Busch race in Mexico was such a success," Johnson said.  "There is just not room for any added races," Johnson said. "Right now we get just three weekends off a season." His suggestion -- and one that has been made before -- is for NASCAR to quit doubling up of races at most of its tracks. "I feel we can grow the sport by having just one race in every market," Johnson said. In its 2005 schedule, for example, Nextel Cup races at 14 of its venues twice. "If we only raced once at a lot of these tracks it would leave lots of opportunities to have a race in Canada, as well as other markets that we're not in now like New York City and the Pacific Northwest." (Toronto Sun)

Calgary has half-mile up for sale? Calgary's Race City Motorsport Park, with its half-mile oval, is the only existing facility in Canada that could realistically handle a NASCAR oval-track event at present. Owner Art MacKenzie has the facility up for sale, and prospective new owners want to bring in a Craftsman Truck Series race as early as 2007. NASCAR officials, who've visited Race City several times since the fall, have given a hypothetical blessing to that idea -- as long as the money is spent on upgrades required to stage such a big-league event. Last month, Normand Legault, the promoter of Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, said he had talked with NASCAR officials about staging a road race there, but nothing had been finalized. (Calgary Herald)

NASCAR Drivers and Bobsledding: John Morgan has lived and breathed bobsledding as a driver, broadcaster and coach. He says he has never seen anything like this. "I've been promoting the sport all my life, and during a pre-Olympic year you always get some stuff," Morgan said. "But this is amazing. Our phones have been ringing off the hook." Apparently, the prospect of watching Tony Stewart or Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson race a bobsled down the Lake Placid-area track on Mount Van Hoevenberg has piqued the interest of auto racing fans who have heard about Geoffrey Bodine's latest effort to help the U.S. bobsled program. As part of a fund-raiser, Bodine wants to lure 10 NASCAR drivers to pay $50,000 apiece to drive the track. Each will race a two-man training sled painted in his team's colors and with his sponsor's logos emblazoned on the cowling, and a race-day crew member will serve as brakeman. "It's to raise awareness and hopefully get more people to watch and support the Olympics," Bodine said. "It's to race so we can keep the project going." The event is scheduled to take place Jan. 5-9 at the Verizon Sports Complex. After the competition, Bodine's Bobsled Fantasy Camp will give NASCAR fans a chance to drive the same sleds. So far, road race ace Boris Said is the only driver committed, probably because he has a real connection to the sport. His father was an Olympic bobsled driver at the 1972 Games in Sapporo, Japan. (AZ Central)

TNT, NASCAR and Val Pak team up for Promotion: NASCAR is the theme for a TNT and Office Depot direct marketing promotion using a Valpak mailer to reach 43 million households. The mailings will drop from July 27 to Aug. 26.  The outer envelope carries the NASCAR and TNT logos as well as images of the No. 99 car sponsored by Office Depot. Two calls to action ask consumers to watch NASCAR Nextel Cup races on TNT and to enter Office Depot's Coolest Ride To School sweepstakes. TNT will plug both Valpak and the sweeps during its NASCAR broadcasts. Posters in Office Depot FSIs and in-store materials at 1,000 Office Depot locations will also promote the partners. Mailings in regions with Office Depot locations encourage consumers to enter either online or in-store to help build back-to-school store traffic. Sweepstakes details are included in the envelope. (Promo Magazine)

July 19, 2005

NASCAR to head to Canada in 2007? The window for staging Canada's first ever NASCAR race is quickly closing, according to series officials. It's now looking more and more like the premier stock car series will make its way north of the border in 2007. "We're open-minded; we've been approached by a number of groups (in Canada). But certainly Montreal has a lot to offer," NASCAR CEO George Pyne tells the Winston Salem Journal. "Normand Legault (Chairman and CEO of Grand Prix F1 of Canada) has expressed a real interest in a race in Montreal. That's a great facility. That's something we'll take a good hard look at, but I think that's more of an '07 option than '06." "We're pretty far along with the schedules for 2006. And we'd have to move some things around on the schedule for '06 (to fit in a Montreal race)." (TSN)

NASCAR adds and promotes in Corporate Offices: Amid one of its most successful years ever, NASCAR Monday announced that former NFL marketing executive Steve Phelps has joined NASCAR as Vice President of Corporate Marketing. Phelps is a 15-year marketing veteran of the NFL and most recently the top sales executive for Wasserman Media Group. He will lead NASCAR's corporate marketing team based in New York to develop relationships with corporate America and bring further sponsorship to NASCAR and its drivers, teams and tracks. NASCAR also announced the promotion of Roger VanDerSnick to Vice President, Marketing. VanDerSnick, who joined NASCAR in 2000 from Procter & Gamble as Director of Brand and Consumer Marketing, has developed and executed NASCAR's nationwide marketing initiatives to further grow NASCAR's fan and sponsorship base. He will continue to focus on collaborative marketing with NASCAR's three national series sponsors - Nextel, Anheuser-Busch and Craftsman. His team will also support sales and marketing initiatives across all NASCAR offices, including NASCAR Digital Entertainment in Los Angeles, NASCAR Licensing in Charlotte and corporate marketing in New York. (NASCAR PR)

July 12, 2005

NASCAR Studying Changes in fuel: There is growing frustration that in the decades since the Clean Air Act of 1970 required a switch from leaded to unleaded gasoline for automobiles, NASCAR has not found a way to make that change, too. When the EPA began working with NASCAR in 2000 toward a voluntary solution, there was a three- to five-year plan to make the changeover. It has been five years since those discussions. NASCAR did test unleaded fuel in its racecars in the late 1990s, but found that the lead provided better lubrication for the valves of the engines. Without that lubrication, the engines would fail. A fuel additive, methyl tertiary-butyl ether, or MTBE, appeared to work but was found to contaminate ground water. It is currently banned in many states. Nelson said NASCAR was looking at an ethanol mix, but the latest research showed the mix destroyed the fuel cells that hold it. Meanwhile, there is no penalty for NASCAR to continue using leaded fuel while it seeks an alternative. "NASCAR is such a behemoth that if it decides it wants to stonewall, it may well get away with it," O'Donnell said in a telephone interview. "It's not for lack of technology, it's inertia on NASCAR's part in part because the government is asleep at the switch." (Kentucky)

July 6, 2005

NYC Firefighter receives NEXTEL's fan of the week:  Teamwork. That's what one of New York's bravest loves about Nextel Cup racing. Tripp Zanetis is a firefighter from New York Fire Department's Engine Company 28, Ladder 11 located in Manhattan's Lower East Side.   "I am naturally drawn to NASCAR racing because of the teamwork and cohesiveness you see on each team," Zanetis said. "They depend on each other during races and every day to be successful." Just as drivers depend on their pit crews during races, Zanetis and his company rely on each other during calls to get their job done safely. Working together and supporting each other is vital in their line of work. When asked what else he enjoys about NASCAR racing, he said "there's just something about an engine turning 9,000 rpms at 200 mph that thrills me!" (NASCAR.com)

July 5, 2005

NASCAR Joins "American Supports You": The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced today its support for the "America Supports You" program, an ongoing nationwide effort to communicate America's admiration to the men and women of the Armed Forces. The program, launched by the U.S. Department of Defense last year, recognizes citizens' support for our military men and women and serves as a vehicle to communicate that appreciation to members of our Armed Forces at home and abroad. NASCAR will seek to raise awareness of the program and drive fans to the website at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil beginning with this weekend's Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. "The 'America Supports You' campaign gives every American the opportunity to reach out to those in the military serving our country and protecting our freedoms," said NASCAR President Mike Helton. "Taking a moment to thank the troops and let them know how much they mean to our country is easy to do by going to the AmericaSupportsYou.mil website." "The Department of Defense is grateful for NASCAR's continued support of the troops," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense. NASCAR's efforts will be a positive reminder to our deployed men and women, and their families back home, that they have the continued support of the American people." NASCAR is working with the industry to help raise awareness about the effort including signage at tracks, airing of public service announcements on Nextel Vision, decals on race cars, outreach to media outlets and public relations support. Several companies and sports organizations that have joined the "America Supports You" campaign including the PGA Tour, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Lowe's, Anheuser- Busch, and McDonald's. (NASCAR PR)

July 3, 2005

2006 Schedule to be released 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)

July 1, 2005

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)