Stewart to fill Mears’ spot at Hendrick?
Theories are already starting to fly around who will fill Casey Mears' spot in the No. 5 at Hendrick next year. Here's an interesting article from ESPN.com about the possibility of Tony Stewart moving over to Hendrick from Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota.
Tony Stewart said Friday the new opening at Hendrick Motorsports could affect his decision about where he drives next season.
Hendrick Motorsports announced that Casey Mears would not return in the No. 5 Chevrolet.
"There's no one in the garage area that's not going to look in that direction," Stewart said. "You've got to look at it. Absolutely."
Comments (55)Casey Mears Out At Hendrick Motorsports After 2008
Coming out of the NASCAR worst kept secret department, Hendrick Motorsports announced Friday morning that they will part ways with driver Casey Mears following the 2008 season. Mears joined Hendrick prior to the start of the 2007 season. "We've put a ton of emphasis on the No. 5 program," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "It's been a total team effort, and Casey has worked as hard as anyone to help us improve. We've tested more than we ever have, but the results just haven't come. "None of us, Casey included, have been satisfied with the situation this season. But he's confident there are other options out there for him in 2009, and we feel like Hendrick Motorsports will have some opportunities, too." (From Courant.com)
Biffle signs extension with Roush Fenway
Greg Biffle announced today that he has signed a three-year extension of his contract with Roush Fenway Racing. Biffle has been with Roush Fenway Racing since 1998. During his 10 years at Roush Fenway Racing, Biffle has accumulated 46 wins, 166 top-five finishes and 250 top-10 finishes in 496 starts. Biffle is looking forward to the continued relationship with Roush Fenway Racing as well as a long-term partnership with 3M. “I’m extremely happy and relieved to have this contract complete,” said Biffle. “I have a team that can contend for the championship this season and for future seasons as well. 3M has been an incredible partner for several years now and having them on board made the decision even easier. All the elements are in place: the resources of Ford and Roush Fenway, the excellent team, the outstanding cars and having a great primary sponsor like 3M for the next few years.” (From RoushFenway.com)
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith to sponsor Franchitti at New Hampshire
Tags: sponsor news, chip ganassi racing, dario franchitti
"I love video games and actually have versions of Guitar Hero that I play on my bus and at home. To have Target, Activision and Aerosmith on my car for the New Hampshire race is pretty cool. Who doesn’t love Aerosmith’s music; it’s perfect for getting ready for the side-by-side, non-stop action of NASCAR racing," said Dario Franchitti. (From ChipGanassiRacing.com)
Comments (64)Caterpillar to sponsor Burton and No. 31 in 2009
Tags: jeff burton, sponsor news, richard childress racing
Caterpillar Inc. and Richard Childress Racing have agreed to a multi-year partnership for the No. 31 Chevrolet driven by Jeff Burton beginning with the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
Burton, a 20-time winner in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition, is currently second in the 2008 point standings with one victory, four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in the season’s first 15 races. The No. 31 team has made the “Chase for the Championship” the past two seasons, finishing seventh in 2006 and eighth last year.
“To represent a well-known global brand like Caterpillar is an honor,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. “Cat products have played a big part over the decades in construction projects at RCR, Childress Vineyards and Yadkin River Angus. Jeff and I look forward to meeting the Cat dealers and customers who loyally follow NASCAR racing.” (From RCRRacing.com)
Comments (56)Replacements and road-ringers at Infineon
As always, we will see several new drivers behind the wheel of some high-profile cars at Infineon Raceway this weekend for the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Here is a quick glance at the changes:
No. 01 - Ron Fellows in for Regan Smith
No. 8 - Aric Amirola in for Mark Martin (planned)
No. 21 - Marcus Ambrose
No. 34 - Brian Simo
No. 41 - Scott Pruett in for Reed Sorenson
No. 45 - Terry Labonte in for Kyle Petty
No. 66 - Max Papis (Scott Riggs will drive the No. 70)
No. 102 - Brandon Ash
No. 160 - Boris Said
CHP to sponsor Kvapil at Infineon
The California Highway Patrol will sponsor Travis Kvapil and the No. 28 Yates Racing Ford Fusion in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway this weekend. The paint scheme will resemble the CHP cars that patrol the freeways of California.
Economic impact of Michigan race
Tags:
The races are over and the fans are on their way home, but the impact of this weekend's NASCAR races are still being felt here in Michigan.
At Michigan International Speedway this weekend it was apparent just how big NASCAR is for Michigan's economy.
"We become the 3rd largest city in the state behind Grand Rapids and Detroit," Dennis Worden said of Brooklyn, MI, home of the Michigan International Speedway.
"We were going to come anyway regardless of gas prices," NASCAR fan, Ryan Balicki said.
Fans say with the cost of gas as well as tickets and finding a place to stay, the weekend can get a little pricey.
"With tickets and camping, it's probably a $1500 weekend," Ed Meyer said.
At M.I.S "Gentlemen start your engines..." translates into "NASCAR fans start up the economy..." because for every mile in the 400 mile race, one million dollars was pumped into the Michigan economy.
But fans say the benefits of watching the race firsthand, far outweighs the costs. (From WLAJ.com, Lansing, Mich.)
Comments (6)Forbes releases NASCAR’s ‘most valuable’ lists
Tags: joe gibbs racing, hendrick motorsports, jeff gordon, jimmie johnson, dale earnhardt jr, roush racing
Forbes magazine just released a series of articles and lists about the money in NASCAR. The series included: most valuable teams, most valuable cars, and highest paid drivers. There are really no surprises on the list. The top three teams were Hendrick Motorsports ($335M), Roush Fenway Racing ($313M), Joe Gibbs Racing ($184M). Jeff Gordon ($92M), Dale Jr. ($79M), and Jimmie Johnson ($58M) drive the three most valuable cars. And, Jeff Gordon leads highest paid drivers at $32 million. He is followed by Dale Jr. ($31M) and Jimmie Johnson ($23M).
Ron Fellows to drive No. 01 Chevy at Infineon
Ron Fellows will replace Regan Smith in the No. 01 DEI Chevy for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway this weekend.
Comments (5)FreeCreditReport.com to sponsor both Yates cars at Michigan and Chicagoland
Yates Racing announced today that Experian Consumer DirectSM, the leading provider of online direct-to-consumer credit reports, scores, and monitoring products, will sponsor the No. 28 entry and driver Travis Kvapil in addition to David Gilliland and the No. 38 entry in the upcoming Sprint Cup series races at Michigan International Speedway on June 15th and Chicagoland Speedway on July 12th. Both entries for Yates Racing will compete as the No. 28 and No. 38 FreeCreditReport.com Ford Fusions.
Bobby Labonte signs extension with Petty Enterprises
Petty Enterprises announced this morning that they have resigned Bobby Labonte to a four-year contract extension to drive the No. 43 Dodge Charger. “I have known all along this is where I want to finish my racing career,” said Labonte. “The future is very bright for Petty Enterprises. As we continue to develop and learn from this new car we will increase our testing and engineering support. The investment from Boston Ventures will allow us to compete on the same level as the bigger Sprint Cup teams.” There is still no word on who will sponsor that car. General Mills, Labonte's current sponsor, will be moving Richard Childress Racing at the end of this season.
Press conference called to discuss future of Petty Enterprises
A press conference has been called for Wednesday, June 11 to discuss the future of Petty Enterprises. Heading up the list of potential topics are two items that could have a significant impact on the future of the company: 1) the successful resigning of Bobby Labonte, 2) selling a controlling stake of the company to Boston Ventures, a Boston-based private equity firm that specializes in media, publishing and information, entertainment and communications transactions. Petty Enterprises will follow Roush Fenway Racing and Gillett Evernham Motorsports in bringing in outside investment to compete at a high level. "For us to grow and to be involved in it, then we have to make changes according to what the circumstances are," said Richard Petty. "It's just a different world out there than it was five years ago, 10 years ago."
Pocono area looking for solid economic impact
Today’s Pocono 500 Fanfest in Scranton could deliver some of the NASCAR race’s economic horsepower to Lackawanna County. “A 500-mile race has an economic impact akin to a Super Bowl,” said Joe Mattioli III, son of Dr. Joseph Mattioli, founder and CEO of Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, where the race will be run Sunday. “It’s such a short drive from the track to Scranton.” Businesses anticipate substantial benefits by drawing part of the anticipated crowd of 125,000 that will pack the raceway Sunday. A state report estimated the two NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway — the Pocono 500 and Pennsylvania 500 — generated more than $360 million in economic activity in 2005.
“It definitely has ripple effects into Lackawanna and Luzerne counties and down into the Lehigh Valley,” said Carl Wilgus, executive director of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau. “Some of those people are here for three or four days.” Most hotel rooms in the area are booked. “We’ve been sold out since last Tuesday. The NASCAR weekend is huge for us,” said Lori Rupp, director of sales for the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center. “A lot of fans come and stay with us. It’s always good for business,” said Samir Ali, assistant general manager at the Radisson at Lackawanna Station hotel, where all but two of the 146 rooms were reserved tonight. (From TheTimes-Tribune.com)
Comments (0)DISH Network to sponsor Kvapil at Pocono
Yates Racing announced that DISH Network, the nation’s second largest satellite TV provider and leader in the digital transition, will sponsor the No. 28 entry with driver Travis Kvapil for this weekend’s Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 8. “We are thrilled to have DISH Network as our sponsor this weekend at Pocono," stated Kvapil. “There is a lot of momentum and excitement right now at Yates Racing and we are honored that DISH Network wanted to participate in our program. We are always very grateful that companies recognize our increased performance both on and off the track this season and I’m looking forward to an exciting weekend at Pocono for our No. 28 DISH Network." (From TeamYatesRacing.com)
Stewart wins Prelude to a Dream
Tags: kevin harvick, local tracks, tony stewart, robby gordon, charity, matt kenseth
With threatening skies most of the day, the rain stayed away long enough to run the 4th Annual Prelude to a Dream at the half-mile Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Kevin Harvick started the race on the pole, but Tony Stewart passed him and outside pole-sitter Matt Kenseth, on the first lap and never looked back. Stewart won the event with Robby Gordon finishing second, 1.5-seconds back. After the race, a relieved Stewart said about the rain, ""I'm probably going to die of ulcers. This has not been a week that's been kind from a nerves standpoint. I'm just thankful we got it in." This is Stewart's second win in the event's four year history.
Here are the complete results: 1) Tony Stewart, 2) Robby Gordon, 3) Clint Bowyer, 4) Kenny Wallace, 5) Denny Hamlin, 6. (2) Matt Kenseth, 6)Matt Kenseth, 7)Kevin Harvick, 8) Jimmie Johnson, 9) Ken Schrader, 10) Kyle Busch, 11) David Reutimann, 12) Ryan Newman, 13) Red Farmer, 14) Jeff Gordon, 15) Cruz Pedregon, 16) Ray Evernham, 17) Ron Capps, 18) Carl Edwards (18, Mechanical), 19) Aric Almirola (16, Mechanical), 20) Dave Blaney (11, Mechanical), 21) J.J. Yeley (11, Spin Turn 2), 22) Kasey Kahne (9, Mechanical), 23) Bobby Labonte (8, Spin Turn 2), Mark Martin DNS (Accident Heat 1), Bill Elliott DNS (Oil Pump Belt)
Comments (0)Ambrose to drive the No. 21 Wood Bros. Fusion at Sonoma
Australian NASCAR driver Marcos Ambrose has completed his first test with Wood Brothers Racing in preparation for his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. in three weeks. Ambrose drove the famous 21 Wood Brothers Ford in an open test at Virginia International Raceway which was attended by the majority of the Sprint Cup field. Ambrose will make his debut in NASCAR’s top ranks in a Little Debbie-backed Wood Brothers Ford Fusion at Sonoma on June 22. He will then run a further seven events for Wood Brothers at New Hampshire, Watkins Glen, Michigan, California, Dover, Texas and Phoenix. "The whole Wood Brothers team made me feel extremely welcome and everyone was certainly open to ideas and direction as we progressed throughout the day," Ambrose said. “We certainly have a reasonable package underneath us for qualifying at Sonoma in three weeks time.” In the meantime Ambrose will continue his NASCAR Nationwide campaign in the Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn. this weekend. (From AutoRacingDaily.com)
Champion Mortgage to Sponsor McDowell and the No. 00 Camry
Tags: michael mcdowell, sponsor news, michael waltrip racing
Michael Waltrip Racing announced today that Champion Mortgage will sponsor the No. 00 Toyota Camry and driver Michael McDowell for a minimum of 10 races beginning at Pocono Raceway this weekend. “We are so fortunate to have such great sponsors at MWR like Microsoft, NAPA, Aaron’s and UPS and today we are proud to announce that we have added Champion Mortgage,” McDowell said. “Champion Mortgage offers competitive rates and quality mortgage products. We’re looking forward to developing a longstanding relationship with them starting this week at Pocono.” McDowell is set to showcase his No. 00 Champion Mortgage Toyota Camry for the first time at Pocono Raceway where he was victorious last year driving for Eddie Sharp Racing in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. “It’s nice to be able to go to a track where I have won a race before because at least I know what to expect,” said McDowell, who finished second in the ARCA RE/MAX Series points standings last season with four victories. “I’m a rookie in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and I’m seeing most of these tracks for the first time. Since I have raced at Pocono a couple times and have a win there in ARCA, I feel really good about going there in the No. 00 Champion Mortgage Toyota Camry.” (From MichaelWaltrip.com)
McMurray leaving Roush Fenway?
We all had to see this one coming. With McMurray's early season struggles to stay in the top 35 in points, the emergence of David Ragan, and Roush Fenway needing to get rid of one of it's five-cars before the 2010 season, it was only a matter of time until someone's head was on the chopping block. ThatsRacin.com is reporting that representatives for McMurray have contacted other race teams to let them know that McMurray will be available next season. McMurray hasn't done much since moving over to Roush Fenway in 2006, however; he remains a very popular driver and a fixture on pre-race interviews, so he shouldn't have too much trouble landing at a competitive race team. As for McMurray's sponsor, Crown Royal, it remains to be seen whether they will follow McMurray or stay with Roush Fenway. If they stay, there are already questions about whether Crown Royal will move over to Greg Biffle's No. 16, or whether Biffle will take over the No. 26.
