RCR shows off the No. 31 CAT Chevy
Richard Childress Racing unveiled today at Chicagoland Speedway the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala SS to be driven by Jeff Burton in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series beginning in 2009. Caterpillar Inc. and RCR announced June 18 that they had entered into a multi-year partnership for the No. 31 Chevrolet team and Burton. Next season marks Caterpillar’s 17th year of sponsorship involvement in NASCAR. It will also be Richard Childress’ 40th anniversary in the sport.
Stewart leaving Gibbs Racing
Tags: joe gibbs racing, haas racing, tony stewart, ryan newman
Tony Stewart is expected to be released Wednesday from his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the season, freeing the two-time NASCAR champion to purchase his own race team. Stewart's contract runs through the 2009 season, but he was reluctant to commit to the extension Gibbs officials have been pushing for since last summer. He instead explored free agency, where numerous options were presented to Stewart ranging from ownership to seats driving for other top teams. Mike Arning, a spokesman for Stewart, said an announcement concerning Stewart's future would be made Wednesday. ESPN.com reported late Tuesday night he would be released from his contract. Assuming Stewart does buy Haas-CNC, he'll re-establish his long relationship with Chevrolet. The partnership was partially fractured this season when Gibbs moved to Toyota. General Motors continued to sponsor the sprint cup teams that Stewart also owns. Stewart is expected to gut the organization and bring in his own people, including a second driver. Fellow Indiana native Ryan Newman is among those rumored to be in line to join Stewart's team next season. (From AssociatedPress.com)
‘The Mummy’ will be on the hood of Newman’s No. 12 at Chicagoland
Eastman Kodak Company and Universal Pictures have partnered to promote the latest epic adventure in the blockbuster global Mummy franchise at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway on July 12. Through Kodak’s partnership with Penske Racing and NASCAR driver Ryan Newman, the Kodak No. 12 Dodge will feature a bold paint scheme from The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Kodak will also have its branding on the car. “Kodak is thrilled to partner with Universal Pictures and Penske Racing on this exciting promotion that ties together our longstanding relationship with the motion picture industry and our partnership with NASCAR,” said Betty Noonan, Director and Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Business Development, Eastman Kodak Company. “When four great brands get together, great things happen and our customers win.” (From BusinessWire.com)
Navy leaving the No. 88 Nationwide car
Tags: sponsor news
The U.S. Navy will not return next year as sponsor of the No. 88 Chevrolets owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Hendrick and driven in the Nationwide Series by Brad Keselowski. "We were informed last week that our sponsorship with the U.S. Navy will not renew at the end of the year," said Mike Davis, director of communications for JR Motorsports. "It has been an exceptional partnership since 2005, and we look forward to a strong finish to the season." (From Charlotte.com)
Truex and crew chief hit hard with fines
Tags: martin truex jr
Martin Truex's bid to make the Chase for the championship took a severe hit Tuesday when NASCAR penalized his Dale Earnhardt Inc. team 150 points for bringing an illegal car to Daytona. Truex's car failed its initial inspection last week at Daytona because the No. 1 Chevrolet failed to fit NASCAR's roof template. NASCAR officials seized the car and sent it to their Research and Development Center in Concord for further inspection. The 150-point penalty drops Truex from 14th in the standings to 18th. The top 12 drivers make the Chase, and Truex has just eight races to get back into contention. In addition, crew chief Kevin "Bono" Manion and car chief Gary Putnam were suspended from the next six races and placed on probation until the end of the year. Manion was also fined $100,000. (From AssociatedPress.com)
Robby Gordon to run special paint scheme at Chicagoland
Robby Gordon, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and owner, will run the No. 7 ‘SaveOurName.com’ Jim Beam Dodge this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. Gordon, a subject of Jim Beam Bourbon’s “The Stuff Inside” campaign, learned Jim Beam unveiled a “Save Our Ballpark’s Name” billboard outside Wrigley Field in an effort to keep the national landmark’s name intact and offered to show his support by adding the website www.saveourname.com to the hood of his car. SaveOurName.com urges fans to sign a petition to save the name, Wrigley Field. The name of Chicago’s legendary Cubs’ stadium is in jeopardy, much to the chagrin of Chicago natives and baseball fans alike. Built in 1914, Wrigley Field is the second-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. Representing quality and character, Wrigley Field stands for the same traits that Jim Beam is committed to when it comes to its bourbon. (From RobbyGordon.com)
Martin to drive the No. 5 in 2009
Mark Martin, a 35-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner and the all-time leader in NASCAR Nationwide Series victories, has signed a two-year agreement to drive for Hendrick Motorsports beginning in 2009. A Batesville, Ark., native, Martin also is slated to run a partial Sprint Cup schedule for Hendrick Motorsports in 2010, sharing the No. 5 Chevys with a to-be-determined second driver. Martin will enter 26 events, including the non-points Budweiser Shootout and NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Martin, 49, will be paired with crew chief Alan Gustafson, who now is in his fourth season at the helm of the No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet team. Gustafson has posted four Sprint Cup wins as a crew chief and has a history with Martin, having worked with him in multiple Nationwide Series events. (From HendrickMotorsports.com)
Almirola to drive No. 8 full time in 2009
Tags: aric almirola
After spending two seasons sharing a car with veteran Mark Martin, 24-year-old Aric Almirola will take over the No. 8 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevrolet full time in 2009. “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity,” said Almirola. “When you get into racing, you always dream of competing at the highest level and I’ve had the chance to do that on a limited basis for the past two seasons. Now I will have the opportunity to race the car full time and I could not be more excited about driving the No. 8 car each week for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
“With Aric running a full-time schedule in 2009 we will have a group of immensely talented drivers with long careers in front of them and we like our position for the future and know that Aric will get the job done,” said John Story, vice president of motorsports operations for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. “We appreciate everything Mark continues to do for the company. Since we first discussed with Mark our plans for Aric he was 100 percent supportive and has done everything within his power to make it work and allow us to build a program around Aric. Mark has said many times he will help DEI in any manner necessary, and his commitment to the team and to Aric in this regard is beyond compare.” (From DaleEarnhardtInc.com)
Comments (6)Ganassi shuts down No. 40 team
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced today that due to a lack of sponsorship funding it will cease operation of the team’s No. 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Dodge driven by Dario Franchitti beginning this weekend in Daytona. “This is a difficult decision for Felix and I that did not come without its share of anguish,” said Team Owner Chip Ganassi. “In this tough business environment continuing to run the car without proper funding has become increasingly difficult.” CGRFS is committed to Franchitti’s continued stock car development and are currently in discussions with him on his racing options with the team which could include running the balance of the 2008 Nationwide season in the No. 40 Fastenal Dodge. (From ChipGanassiRacing.com)
