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Raceway Report covering NASCAR News & RumorsNASCAR Schedules: Find complete NASCAR Sprint Cup series, Nationwide Series and Camp World Truck series schdules. Try Raceway Report Fanzone: NASCAR fan community featuring photos, blogs, forums, NASCAR newswire, race weekend events and more! MySpace Graphics: Checkout NASCAR MySpace Graphics on RacewayReport.com - Follow Raceway Report on Twitter @racewayreport. Saturday, Jujly 17, 2010 Dale Earnhardt Jr to be featured on ESPN SportsCenter "My Wish" segment: Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently brightened the day of an ill 15-year-old Maine boy through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and highlights of the boy's day with Earnhardt will air Monday, July 19, on the 6 p.m. edition of ESPN's flagship news and information program SportsCenter as part of the SportsCenter "My Wish" series. Jeffrey Buzzell of Hermon, Maine, who has Alport syndrome, wished to meet Earnhardt and learn about the inner workings of a NASCAR team. The wish was granted May 20-22 around the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Buzzell and his family were given a tour of JR Motorsports, a 66,000-square-foot facility that serves as the nucleus of Earnhardt's racing operation and business interests. Afterwards, they went to Earnhardt's home and raced on his private go-kart track. Before the All-Star race, Buzzell took a tour of the garage and pit area, took part in driver introductions and then watched Earnhardt and the other NASCAR drivers battle it out from a private suite at the speedway. Buzzell on his wish with Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "A few seconds after getting out of the limo, I saw Dale come out of his garage and walk towards me. I didn't know what to do or think. All I remember was putting one hand on my chest and shaking his with the other. I had the time of my life and I will never forget my amazing trip or the amazing people I met."(ESPN) NASCAR hires Chief Technology Officer: NASCAR has announced that Andrew ("Andy") Schwalb has been named Vice President and Chief Information & Technology Officer for NASCAR and NASCAR Media Group. Schwalb will oversee NASCAR's entire technology function, carrying out strategic technological initiatives encompassing the business, media and competition aspects of the sport. He will report to NASCAR Chief Administrative Officer Ed Bennett. Schwalb had most recently been the Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, where he had been employed for 13 years.(NASCAR) Friday, July 16, 2010 Villeneuve to attempt Brickyard 400: Braun Racing announced that former Formula One World Champion and Indy 500 winner, Jacques Villeneuve, will attempt to qualify the No, 32 Dollar General Toyota for the upcoming Brickyard 400 (NSCS) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The veteran driver has found success in racing that can be rivaled by very few. Villeneuve has captured world championships in both the Indy Car World Series and Formula One and was the winner of the 1995 Indianapolis 500, a feat accomplished only by two other drivers. Qualifying for the Brickyard 400, he will join Juan Pablo Montoya as the only two drivers in history to compete in all three of the historic speedway's premier motorsports events: the Indianapolis 500, the U.S. Grand Prix and the Brickyard 400. "I am very excited to join with Braun Racing and Dollar General at Indianapolis," said Villeneuve. "We had a very exciting and solid race last month at Elkhart Lake. I had hoped it would result in additional opportunities to drive for the organization. I have a lot of good memories at the Brickyard. Winning the Indy 500 was a very big highlight in my career. This will be my first venture in a stock car there, but I am confident that we will do well." Villeneuve has made two starts in the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After a runner-up finish in 1994, he returned the following season to win the world-famous Memorial Day weekend race. Qualifying for this year's Brickyard 400 will mark his third career NSCS start and his first in the series with Braun Racing. Villeneuve has made three previous starts with the Mooresville-based team, most recently behind the wheel of the #32 Dollar General Toyota at the NASCAR Nationwide Series' inaugural event at Elkhart Lake's Road America. Narrowly missing the pole, he started from the second position and was a contender for the win until an electrical issue ended his race on the final lap.(Braun Racing) Kasey Kahne to drive Kyle Busch Motorsports truck at Pocono: Kasey Kahne, who is undefeated in two career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, will pilot the No. 18 Toyota of Scranton (Pa.) Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in the inaugural Pocono Mountains 125 Truck Series event July 31 at Pocono Raceway. Kahne, who drives the #9 Budweiser Ford full-time for Richard Petty Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, won Truck Series races in November 2004 at Darlington Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. "It's a big deal for us to have someone like Kasey in the #18 Toyota Tundra," said KBM driver-owner Kyle Busch. "His Truck Series record is about as good as it can get, given that he's never lost a race. He's obviously got a good record at Pocono in the Sprint Cup Series as well, so we know he'll give us a great chance to go to victory lane." The Pocono Mountains 125 is the first-ever Truck Series event at Pocono Raceway, which is located 38 miles south of Toyota of Scranton. Busch is hoping to win as an owner and a driver all in the same day, for while Kahne will drive the #18 Toyota of Scranton Toyota Tundra for KBM at Pocono, Busch will pilot the #18 Z-Line Designs Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway in Newton.(KBM) Thursday, July 15, 2010 Johnson wins third consecutive Driver of the Year award at ESPYs: Jimmie Johnson won the ESPY as Driver of the Year. Johnson beat out 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Kyle Busch, four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr., 2009 IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti and six-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was chosen male athlete over Johnson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Albert Pujols. Johnson has won the last three Driver of the Year ESPY's, with Jeff Gordon winning in 2007.(ESPN) Dale Earnhardt Jr's Wrangler No. 3 now on display at Hall of Fame: The NASCAR Hall of Fame now is the temporary home of one of the most talked about race cars of 2010. Beginning July 14, included with the price of admission, guests can get a close-up look at the No. 3 Wrangler Chevy that Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove to victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race July 2, 2010 at Daytona International Speedway. The car carries the same design of the race cars Earnhardt Jr.'s father, Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee Dale Earnhardt, made famous in the 1980s. This No. 3 Wrangler Chevy was built and prepared by JR Motorsports and entered in the Daytona race by legendary owner Richard Childress. The combination of Earnhardt Jr., Dale Earnhardt Inc. and RCR has a very brief yet shining history on the track. In only two races together, Earnhardt drove the #3 Chevy to victory on both occasions (February 2002 and July 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Daytona International Speedway). On loan from JR Motorsports, the race car is on exhibit in the Great Hall of the NASCAR Hall of Fame until Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010. No Cup team planned for JR Motorsports in 2011: JR Motorsports is not considering is a move to the Sprint Cup Series. "No Cup plans," team co-owner Kelley Earnhardt said on Wednesday. "No Kasey Kahne. No Mark Martin. Nothing for JR Motorsports. At this point, we would need to get started on that, and it's definitely not in our future for 2011." Instead, Earnhardt and her brother, Dale Earnhardt Jr., need to find sponsorship and drivers for their Nationwide Series cars for next year. She knows Danica Patrick will drive in 13 races in a GoDaddy.com-sponsored car and that Grand Touring Vodka will sponsor 15 races with a driver to be determined. But that doesn't even fill one full season for an organization that plans to have two Nationwide cars again next year. Kelley Earnhardt said the organization needs to know a little more about NASCAR's plans to change the Nationwide Series rules to help promote younger drivers. She needs to know, she said, if there will be limits on Cup drivers and what programs are in place to help young drivers so the team can convince a sponsor to support an up-and-coming driver. "It would be nice to know specifically what we're working with and what we can sell and do," Kelley Earnhardt said. "In the environment that we're in from the economic standpoint, it takes a personality to sell a sponsor. Performance and being up front and somebody they can market and somebody the consumer is going to recognize and want to be a part of whatever they're doing is so important." Sponsors are hesitant to go with a young driver, she said.(SceneDaily) Wednesday, July 14, 2010 WIX Filters to sponsor Newman at Bristol: WIX Filters will sponsor Ryan Newman and Stewart-Haas Racing's No. 39 Chevy in the Aug. 21 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. And playing a large part in WIX Filters' activation of the sponsorship is the company's "Racing with Ryan" sweepstakes, with the grand prize being two coveted tickets to the Sharpie 500, which will run under the lights at the world's fastest half-mile oval. There will be 39 total prizes given away as part of the "Racing with Ryan" sweepstakes. While a dream trip for fans, the upcoming Bristol race weekend is business as usual for WIX. That's because WIX Filters' sponsorship of Newman and the No. 39 Chevy is more than skin-deep. Stewart-Haas Racing uses WIX Filters to help maintain its edge in the highly competitive Sprint Cup Series.(Stewart-Haas Racing) NASCAR featured in new Transformers movie: NASCAR style racecars adorned in the colors of Juan Pablo Montoya, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were competing in downtown Chicago in a little race of their own; complete with armor and machine guns. Filming for the third installment of the wildly popular Transformer movies was taking place over the course of the last week and although the exact plot hasn't revealed, it would appear that NASCAR will be playing a role. Fans who were at the location sent snapshots of cars painted to resemble the Chevy's of the No. 42, No. 48 and No. 88. The cars were morphed and included loads of heavy weapons. Last year the cars of Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman bore special paint schemes of the movie during the fall race at Charlotte, but there has been no word on the exact involvement of NASCAR. Tuesday, July 13, 2010 Wallace apologizes for Kyle Busch comment: Rusty Wallace apologizes for comment at Kyle Busch during Nationwide race ESPN broadcaster Rusty Wallace apologized Monday for an expletive he directed toward Kyle Busch during Friday night's Nationwide broadcast from Chicagoland Speedway. The comment could be heard after Busch finished his Victory Lane interview. Said Wallace in a statement from ESPN: "At the end of Friday night's telecast, I made an unfortunate remark regarding Kyle Busch. There's no excuse and I certainly know better. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to everyone including Kyle for my mistake." Wallace made the comment after Busch referenced the fans who booed him after he won the race. Wallace then can be heard uttering a one-word comment. An ESPN spokesman said the network would not suspend Wallace for the comment and stated: "ESPN has spoken to Rusty and he understands his remark was uncalled for.''(Virginian Pilot) McMurray's crew wins Pit Road Precision Award at Chicagoland: Jamie McMurray's crew grabbed the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Saturday night's (July 10) NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway. It was the second Tissot win of the season for the No. 1 McDonald's crew, which also took top honors at the May 8th Cup race at Darlington Raceway. McMurray No. 1 McDonald's Chevy spent the least amount of time on pit road 189.002 seconds during the LifeLock.com 400. The fast and accurate work by the McDonald's crew helped McMurray to a fifth-place finish. For the second straight week Clint Bowyer's No. 33 Cheerios crew came in a close second (190.819 seconds). Finishing third was Martin Truex Jr.'s No. 56 NAPA crew (191.086). McMurray's over-the-wall crew consists of: Cory DeMarco (front-tire changer), Doug Riepe (front-tire carrier), Chris Taylor (rear-tire changer), Adam Mosher (rear-tire carrier), Tracy Duncan (jackman), Benjy Grubbs (gasman) and Eric Hoyle (catch can). The team's crew chief is Kevin Manion. Jeff Gordon's No. 24 crew leads in the Tissot standings with four wins. McMurray's crew along with the crews for Truex and Matt Kenseth are tied for second with two wins. The winning pit crew in each Sprint Cup race will earn $5,000 and a Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph watch. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver (Tissot). Monday, July 12, 2010 Montoya says Martin needs driving lessons: Mark Martin needs driving lessons before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series reaches Indianapolis Motor Speedway in two weeks, according to Juan Pablo Montoya. The two made contact on the final lap of Saturday night's LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway battling for 15th place, and it led a brief, heated conversation in the garage area. "He didn't like the way I passed him there on the last lap, (called it) borderline stupid driving and suggested I take some smart driving lessons from him," Martin said while walking briskly from his No. 5 hauler to the motorhome lot. Before that, Martin had parked his no. 5 car on the opposite side of the garage from his hauler near Montoya, apparently to confront the Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing driver. "I ain't gonna take no s**t," Martin said. The coveted 15th spot was credited to Martin, with Montoya bringing his No. 42 home in 16th. Montoya's comments to the media were even more brief as he followed just seconds behind Martin, both leaving the dark garage area bustling with crew members who prepared and loaded the hot racecars and other equipment into the haulers. "I gave him room out of [turn] four and we got into [turn] one and he nearly wrecked me, (nearly) wrecked us both," Montoya said before being driven away on a golf cart. Before Martin -- last year's winner at Chicagoland -- was whisked away to his motorhome, he was asked if he was going to heed Montoya's advice despite being one of the more respected wheelmen in the NASCAR garage. "Maybe I will," Martin said. "Maybe I do need to drive a little smarter."(FanHouse) NASCAR Teams Licensing Trust Enters Into Joint Venture: The NASCAR Teams Licensing Trust (NTLT) announced that it has formed a joint venture with Lionel Electric Trains to make and sell NASCAR replica die cast race cars. The joint venture is not a traditional licensee agreement. Both NTLT and Lionel will actively manage and develop the business, in which it will be partners. Lionel has plans to offer fans and collectors die-cast models representing all of the NTLT teams and more than 30 NASCAR national series drivers. The joint venture will take over the category from Motorsports Authentics, a Concord, N.C.-based company that will focus on its core competency of trackside retail and be the exclusive die-cast car retailer at NASCAR tracks.(PR) Sunday, July 11, 2010 Sadler could return to No. 19 in 2011? Richard Petty Motorsports plans to have a three- to four-car stable next season that includes AJ Allmendinger and Paul Menard, vice president of race operations Robbie Loomis said on Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway. Loomis also didn't close the door on re-signing Elliott Sadler, who declared himself a free agent on Friday and said he didn't expect to return to the organization. "We have interest [in Sadler]," Loomis said. "Elliott is among three or four drivers who is on the table we're looking at. The bottom line is, I always say this, we're in the performing business and when you're performing it's easier for everything." Sadler ranks 28th in points, but Loomis hopes the addition of crew chief Todd Parrott can turn the No. 19 team around. "I don't think the door is closed by any means," Loomis said. "Elliott is a talented racecar driver. For whatever reason we haven't been able to put together the finishes we need. There's been a lot of changes we've made over the years, even before I got there. We really felt like putting Todd in there is going to be the real measuring stick with where we're at with that race team." Although Allmendinger is talking to several other teams, Loomis expects him to return to the famed No. 43 and be the anchor of the organization with Kasey Kahne headed to Hendrick Motorsports. "We know where we're at,'' Loomis said of Allmendinger's contract negotiations. "We just need to get our I's dotted and T's crossed."(ESPN.com) Sorenson to remain in No. 83: Reed Sorenson is expected to remain in the No. 83 Toyota for Red Bull Racing at Indianapolis and Pocono, the next two Sprint Cup races. Saturday night was originally the last of a three-race deal he had with the team with regular driver Brian Vickers out this season because of blood clots.(Roanoke Times) Michael Waltrip Racing to announce Reutimann extension at Chicagoland: David Reutimann, who won Saturday night's Spring Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, has signed a new contract with Michael Waltrip Racing. The team scheduled a news conference for July 23 in Indianapolis to announce the deal. "We're in good shape," Reutimann said after his win. "We basically shook hands and got things all lined up. I'll be at Michael Waltrip Racing next year. I may be cutting grass, but I'll be at Michael Waltrip Racing." General manager Ty Norris confirmed an announcement is scheduled and that Reutimann and crew chief Rodney Childers will not be going anywhere. "Both these guys proved tonight they deserve a contract," Norris said. "They deserve to be around.".(ESPN.com) Saturday, July 10, 2010 Red Bull denies Martin rumors: Red Bull Racing VP/GM Jay Frye told Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody Friday that there is no truth to reports that Mark Martin will drive for the team next season. "It's flattering to be associated with a guy like Mark Martin," said Frye. "He's a great racer, and any team would love to have him. But he has a contract with Hendrick Motorsports for 2011, and that means he cannot drive for us, or anyone else. I've heard the reports, and there is absolutely nothing to them." Darlington Raceway yet to receive sanctioning agreement: Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning isn't sure how possible changes to next year's Sprint Cup schedule would affect the track's race date. The track's Cup date has been Mother's Day weekend since 2005 and the track has had success with it. The first four races sold out. "I feel like the date has worked very well for us," Browning said. "And we don't have reason to believe the date will be changed, but those kind of decisions are made over my head." Browning said he hasn't received the sanctioning agreements, which say when the track's date will be. In the past, Browning usually has had them by now. NASCAR president Brian France said last week International Speedway Corporation, Darlington's parent company, and Speedway Motorsports Inc. both have petitioned NAS-CAR to have dates realigned. ISC wants a second date for Kansas Speedway and SMI has wanted a Cup date for Kentucky the last few years. The company also wants a second date for Las Vegas. The schedule is likely to be released sometime near Labor Day. Browning said he hopes to stay with the Mother's Day weekend date, but would prepare to promote whatever date is given to the track.(Morning News) Cassill to drive for TRG at Chicago: Landon Cassill will make his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start behind the wheel of the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevy at the LifeLock.com 400 to be run at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday night, July 10. The recently turned 21-year old, July 7th, Cassill is a development driver for Hendrick Motorsports. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native and 2008 Nationwide Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year is excited to be making his second Sprint Cup Series start this weekend. "The deal came about with through Dan Stillman (TRG Motorsports crew chief) he put me together with Kevin Buckler," Cassill said. "We talked over the past couple of weeks and they needed a driver for this weekend and I am happy to step in. This will be my second Sprint Cup Series start, the first was in the 09 at Michigan. I have been spending my time as the development driver for Hendrick Motorsports and the 48, 5, 88 and 24 teams. TRG Motorsports is building a team and are trying to market their product and I am a driver in need of a ride. I need every opportunity to showcase my ability behind the wheel. I can't thank them enough for the opportunity. I hope this is a relationship that can grow."(TRG Motorsports) Friday, July 9, 2010 Labonte to race for Phoenix Racing at Indy: Phoenix Racing and team owner James Finch announced today that 2000 Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte will be back behind the wheel of the No. 09 Phoenix Construction Chevy for the Brickyard 400 at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 25. Labonte is the 2000 winner of the event and one of only nine drivers to have won this prestigious race. Labonte will also be making his 600th consecutive start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. That mark currently lists him seventh in overall consecutive starts. Ricky Rudd is the all-time consecutive starts leader at 788. "I've got to thank James Finch and Phoenix Racing for allowing me to get my 600th consecutive race with them at Indianapolis Motor Speedway," said Labonte. "We had some discussion about future races at Daytona, and we were able to put a deal together for the Brickyard 400. I like working with the guys and appreciate this opportunity. The Brickyard is such a memorable race. To be able to have this race as my 600th consecutive start is really cool. I didn't sit down at the beginning of my career and plan any milestones, so this is pretty cool." It will be Labonte's third start for Phoenix Racing after racing for the team at both Daytona and Chicagoland.(Breaking Limits) Sadler says its unlikely he'll return to No. 19 in 2011: Elliott Sadler said Friday that he does not expect to be back with Richard Petty Motorsports after this season and that he's had talks with car owners about a ride in 2011 and could be a month or so from announcing his new plans. Here's what Sadler (in part) said Friday at Chicagoland Speedway: "I want to race. My dad and I talk about this every week when I get home. Me and the 19 car have had our differences in the past. We have definitely worked through that. Foster (Gillett, who oversees the team) has been very open-minded and very honest the last couple of months of trying to make our team better to end the season strong. I don't fit into their future plans. We haven't talked about anything 2011 at all. Me as far as what they're doing and what we're doing. So we're definitely going on our different ways, but we need to end up this season as strong as we can. I think it will help me try to find something, land something for next year and I think it will help them land a driver that I think fits into what they're trying to do in the future. At this moment I do not expect at all to be back with this organization. I feel really good in the area my career is going next year. I've had a lot of good talks with a couple of different car owners in the last month and a half, two months and we'll see where it takes us. I should know something here in the next month or month and a half on what my future will be for next year. (that will be dependent on sponsorship). We've had some awesome conversations.''(Virginian Pilot) Thursday, July 8, 2010 Martin denies Red Bull Racing rumors: Martin's Business Manager, Benny Ertel, called the reports "aggravating," saying his driver has grown tired of answering the same questions, week after week. "It's the same thing, over and over again," he said. "We walk into the media center and someone immediately raises their hand and asks about where Mark will be racing next season. Mark has answered the question a thousand times and it's always the same answer. `I will be driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports next season.' That's as simple as it is, but some reporters just don't listen." "Randy Pemberton went on Sirius NASCAR Radio the other day and said Mark will be driving for Red Bull next season," said Ertel. "There's not a shred of truth to that statement, and he never bothered to ask Mark, Rick Hendrick or anyone else about it. If he had asked, he would have been told -- in no uncertain terms -- that it was a load of hooey. I don't know what's so difficult to understand, Mark Martin will drive the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports next season. Period."(Sirius Speedway) Wednesday, July 7, 2010 Parrott takes over Sadler's crew chief duties on No. 19: Richard Petty Motorsports has named Todd Parrot as crew chief for driver Elliott Sadler and the #19 Stanley Ford team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Parrott joins RPM from his position as R&D Manager at Roush Fenway Racing. The change reunites Parrott with Sadler who worked with each other at Yates Racing in 2004.A native of Charlotte, N.C., Parrott brings with him over 15 years of experience as crew chief in NASCAR. He has 29 wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Two of those wins came with Sadler during the 2004 season.(RPM PR) Tuesday, July 6, 2010 Jeff Gordon's No. 24 crew wins Pit Road Precision Award: Jeff Gordon's crew claimed the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Daytona. It was the second straight win and fourth overall for the No. 24 crew, which has a two-race lead in the Tissot standings at the halfway point of the season. The pit crews for Martin Truex Jr. and Matt Kenseth are tied for second with two wins each. Gordon's No. 24 DuPont Chevy spent the least amount of time on pit road - 217.313 seconds - during the Coke Zero 400. The pit road effort helped Gordon to a third-place finish. Gordon's team edged out Clint Bowyer's No. 33 Cheerios crew (218.668 seconds). Coming in third was Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 National Guard crew (225.687). Gordon's over-the-wall crew consists of: Clay Robinson (front-tire changer), Mike Houston (front-tire carrier), Joe Slingerland (rear-tire changer), Matt Ver Meer (rear-tire carrier), Jeff Cook (jackman), Caleb Hurd (gasman), Jamie Frady (catch can), Colin Fambrough (back-up tire changer) and Andy Kruep (eighth man). The team's pit crew coach is Greg Morin. The winning pit crew in each Sprint Cup race will earn $5,000 and a Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph watch. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver.(DMF Communications/Tissot) NASCAR considering options for 2011 Sprint Cup schedule: Topics being discussed include shuffling the last 11 dates of the season so different venues could promote Chase races on a revolving basis. Another issue is geography and bouncing between coasts. While the Sprint Cup schedule is likely not to be shortened any time soon, the Nationwide schedule is under review. And by 2012, some Truck and NNS dates could move to weeknight shows. Certainly, the six tracks that have been mentioned as possible candidates for realignment include Kansas, Auto Club Speedway, Las Vegas, Atlanta, New Hampshire and Kentucky. At this point, it's up to the track owners to determine what they're willing to give up to make something happen. From an attendance standpoint, Fontana and Atlanta could both stand to lose a race. Time will tell whether Speedway Motorsports Inc. Chairman Bruton Smith is serious about taking a date from New Hampshire - the only track that serves the New England area. The Fontana spring date is likely to fall, but what to put in its place? Phoenix is likely to move to an earlier date. One thing is for certain, Homestead-Miami Speedway stands to lose a chunk of change if the season finale is moved from that track. Ford has a contract to be the title sponsor through 2014 - but only if it's the last race of the season. An alternative placement for Las Vegas could be in the kick off position for the Chase, replacing the first race of the playoffs, which is currently being held in New Hampshire.(FOXSports.com) Crews at Daytona International Speedway begin repaving process: The green flag has waved on the historic Daytona International Speedway repave. On Monday, crews began the process by removing lights poles, SAFER barrier and safety fence. The safety fence and 57 light poles in both ends of the high banks are being removed as well 8,300 linear feet of SAFER barrier throughout the facility. The asphalt removal is expected to begin later this week or early next week. Daytona International Speedway's entire 2.5-mile tri-oval will be repaved as well as the skid pads, apron and pit road. Concrete will be used for the pit stalls. All of the existing asphalt will be removed down to the original 52-year-old lime rock base, which will be leveled and then paving will begin. An estimated 50,000 tons of asphalt will be used on the project that will pave 1,435,000 square feet, about 33 acres. The repaving project has a target completion date of Jan. 1, 2011. Daytona International Speedway also posting updates on the project at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/repave.(DIS) Monday, July 5, 2010 Major changes expected on 2011 Sprint Cup schedule? It appears more likely than ever the 2011 Sprint Cup slate will have a much different look than it has in recent seasons. NASCAR acknowledged both SMI and ISC have requested realignment date changes for next year, and there are reports Kentucky and a second date for Las Vegas will be part of the SMI plan, at the expense of races in New Hampshire and Atlanta, and Kansas will gain a second NASCAR weekend when Auto Club Speedway gets stripped of its February date.(CBSSports.com) Elimination-style format in Chase gaining support: One change that seems to be gaining support in the garage would be to make the Chase an elimination-style format. Under one scenario, 15 drivers would make the 10-race playoff. After two races, the field would be trimmed to 10. After three more races, the field would be cut to five. After two more, the field would shrink to three drivers, who would then battle for the championship over the last three races. One other idea that's being thrown around is to include a road-course event in the 10-race playoff. If these are truly the best drivers in the world, which is what NASCAR continually pronounces, then the ability to turn right and left should be included when determining a champion.(Sports Illustrated) Sunday, July 4, 2010 NASCAR still considering ethanol in 2011: NASCAR Chairman Brian France said that the series might not use ethanol next season, going against previous comments from series officials that it would be used in 2011. "I don't know that we'll see (ethanol) in 2011 as a biofuel," France said this weekend at Daytona. "It's certainly an option that is interesting. There's a lot of thought that goes into it. It will be important for us to evolve the fuel source in the national divisions over time. I don't know what will happen in '11. We're working on a lot of things. What I can tell you is we will have a very slow, very steady and sometimes with a big impact, but steady march towards... this sport looking and feeling and acting more green."(Hampton Road) Formula One president, Jean Todt, attended Saturday's Cup race at Daytona: Jean Todt was guest of NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. at Daytona International Speedway this weekend. Todt, who replaced Max Mosley as president of the FIA (Formula One's governing body) in October, received exposure to American auto racing, which included the Nationwide Series race on Friday night followed by the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and the Sprint Cup race on Saturday. So what was Todt's interest in NASCAR? "You know, simply, why all those people are here," Todt said. "It's very interesting to see what the others are doing, and it's always something to learn about. Of course, there are reasons why NASCAR is so big in America and why Formula One has never really been able so far to do something out here while doing a lot in other countries around the world. It's a fascinating experience."(Fox Sports) AJ Allmendinger, Richard Petty have heated exchanged at Daytona: AJ Allmendinger and car owner Richard Petty had a heated exchange in the garage area at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night. Allmendinger pulled away from the seven-time NASCAR champion, turned his back on his boss and then stormed away from The King. Allmendinger declined to talk to reporters, but the executive vice president of Richard Petty Motorsports said his driver was merely frustrated by having a strong car and a poor finish. "I always say the car owner shouldn't talk to the driver anytime after the race, especially after an accident," Petty VP Robbie Loomis said. "I think Richard's been here so many times, he's been through this stuff and he was just trying to get him to loosen up and let the boys do their stuff on fixing the car and getting back out there. Anytime you talk to somebody at the wrong time, it always causes discussion that needs to be worked out. That's all that happened." Allmendinger was still hot when Loomis got to the garage a few minutes after the incident, which happened 66 laps into the 400-mile race. "He's a hard-charging competitor and he's as passionate as anybody out there," Loomis said. "Unfortunately, two Daytona races with great cars and we haven't been able to bring the finish home."(Associated Press/ESPN.com) Saturday, July 3, 2010 Blackhawks star, Duncan Keith, named grand marshall for LifeLock.com 400: Duncan Keith, star defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks, will serve as Grand Marshal of the LifeLock.com 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway® on July 10, 2010. Keith, the 6-foot-1 fan favorite, made headlines during the historic run for the title through sheer stamina, strength and skill - especially after he returned to the ice less than seven minutes after losing seven teeth in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals in the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. He brought home plenty of hefty hardware in 2010, including the Norris Trophy for best all-around performance in the NHL and a Gold Medal from his home country's Olympic Games in Vancouver. Keith will also do a Question and Answer session at 3:30 p.m. on the LifeLock stage in Champions Park, before the LifeLock.com 400.(Chicagoland PR) Goodyear conducted tire test at Bristol earlier in week: Goodyear had a tire test earlier this week at Bristol Motor Speedway and has more testing planned later this year elsewhere. Greg Stucker, director of Goodyear race tire sales, said that the tire test was held after seeing signs of stress on the right front tire by teams during the spring race at Bristol. Stucker said they're looking at using a tire similar to that used at bigger tracks because of the high speeds and banking in the corners at Bristol. Stucker also said Goodyear has a tire test scheduled Aug. 24-25 at Talladega Superspeedway. That's to prepare for Daytona International Speedway. Daytona will be repaved after Saturday night's race but the work is not expected to be done until the end of the year. The compound in the asphalt to be used at Daytona is to be similar to Talladega, so by testing at Talladega, Goodyear can have a tire ready for a January test session at Daytona.(Roanoke Times) Indy 500 likely to have earlier start time in 2011: An earlier starting time for the Indianapolis 500 to accommodate drivers wishing to compete in it and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day is likely to happen, Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Jeff Belskus said this week. "We're inclined to change our starting time," Belskus said. "We do want to try to make it happen." Belskus said ABC, which owns television rights to the 500, has been consulted and hasn't indicated it would oppose a switch to 11 a.m. from the current 1 p.m. The idea gained momentum in May when Bruton Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc., proposed putting up a $20 million bonus for any driver who could win both races on the same day. Smith and Indy Racing League CEO Randy Bernard were asked about the status of their negotiations last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "We've had some dialogue on some big ideas," Bernard said as Smith nodded his assent. Neither would elaborate.(Indianapolis Star) Earnhardt, Jr. on driving No.3: "I will never do it. I'll never rethink it.": After winning the Nationwide Series race Friday night, Earnhardt spoke about the No. 3 car: "I will never do it. I'll never rethink it. I'll never consider it. I think that it's important for everybody to know that that's as concrete as it gets. I'll never do it again. So I enjoyed it. It's hard for me. It's a balancing act between you and the public and myself and my own feelings. I mean, I kind of, you know, look to what you guys are putting out there to kind of get a temperature of how the public's feeling. It's such a tough deal. It's real emotional for me preparing for it and putting it together. Is Rick okay with it? Did Rick mind? Is Richard happy with his role? Is Teresa truly okay? It's just so damn hard to know how everybody feels about it. Hell, I just want to come race. I just like cool-looking cars. This was a helluva cool-looking car. I always loved the scheme. That's all that mattered to me, was just the scheme. I just love the car. I wanted to race it once, and I did. I'd run the number before in this series, so I didn't really put a lot of stock in the fact that the 3 was coming back like a lot of people did. I didn't approach it that way mentally, where everyone else was thinking, you know, 3 is back, Earnhardt's 3 is back. But when I started hearing all that, you know, how everybody was making such a big deal about it, I was like ... man, this is like pressure, man, this is a big deal. So I was a little nervous. But I don't know if I'd have liked that or not. Regardless of whether I did or not, I made my life pretty much driving that 8 and now the 88. It doesn't make sense for me to do this again. I think in the Nationwide Series, it makes enough sense, and I really wanted to do it, and I've done it. I don't ever want to do it again. And I'll never change my mind, ever."(NASCAR Media transcript) Friday, July 2, 2010 Rusty Wallace Experience coming to Auto Club Speedway: Rusty Wallace announced the creation of The Rusty Wallace Racing Experience, a racing-themed attraction set to open this August at Auto Club Speedway in San Bernardino County, California. The Rusty Wallace Racing Experience will offer fans the chance to drive authentic stock cars built to current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series specs. The majority of the vehicles in The Rusty Wallace Racing Experience stables have actually been raced in Sprint Cup competition. Reservations for The Rusty Wallace Racing Experience are now being accepted. Dates are currently available this September through December, with many more dates scheduled for 2011. For reservations, additional information and details on upcoming promotions at The Rusty Wallace Racing Experience, please visit racewithrusty.com or call 877.722.1232.(RWI PR) NASCAR CEO, Brian France, considering tweaks to Chase format: NASCAR is considering tweaking the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, with chairman Brian France wanting to create more drama to the title-deciding format. "We want to make sure (the Chase) is giving us the biggest impact moments it was designed to do," France said Friday. "Everything, to us, means pushing the winning envelope to mean what it needs to mean in our sport. We're happy with the Chase, (but) if we can enhance it in a pretty significant way, we may do that." The Chase was one of several topics France covered Friday at Daytona International Speedway during a question-and-answer session. Also under consideration are changes to the second-tier Nationwide Series that could affect the participation of Cup drivers, and scheduling requests made by track operators International Speedway Corp. and Speedway Motorsports Inc. for the 2011 season. But it was the Chase that received the most attention as France admitted NASCAR is continuously trying to improve its championship system. France would not talk specifics, but in general terms, his ideas sounded as if NASCAR is considering both eliminations and tweaking the system to ensure that several drivers are in title contention during the season finale. In the past several years, Johnson has had to only preserve a decent finish to wrap up the title with little to no competition. Although unlikely, it's possible, France indicated, that NASCAR won't do anything at all to the Chase. He compared the process over the next few months to what the NCAA recently experienced while considering expanding the field for the men's basketball tournament.(ESPN.com) Nemechek gets Daytona sponsor: NEMCO Motorsports announced the return of a previous sponsor for driver Joe Nemechek in Fridays Jalapeño 200 and Saturday's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. England's Stove Works, Inc. will advertise its website,heatredefined.com, on the No. 87's NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series entries.(NEMCO PR) Workers repair racing surface at Daytona International Speedway overnight: On Thursday night track workers were diligently attempting to repair the patch between turns one and two, which was formed during February’s debacle that halted action twice for a total of 2 hours and 25 minutes as asphalt crumbled from the surface. According to fans camped near the patch, workers appeared prior to the first Nationwide Series practice Thursday morning. Johnny Grainger, 57, of Deltona said representatives from Daytona International Speedway explained the workers were covering the patch with concrete and then grinding the surface around a square area where the cars were bottoming out throughout the practice sessions. Grainger added that the workers returned shortly after Happy Hour ended around 8 p.m. By 10 p.m., 11 vehicles along with a trailer surrounded the area as workers continued to address it. Although track officials denied there was any problem with the surface and NASCAR representatives were unaware of any issues, from the infield fence there was clearly visible a three- to four-foot hole in the patched area. Additional calls to Daytona and International Speedway Corp. were not returned Thursday night.(FOXSports.com) MWR, Reutimann reach "handshake deal" on contract extension: David Reutimann says he has a "handshake deal" to remain at Michael Waltrip Racing. Reutimann, who has driven in Cup for the team since its arrival to the series in 2007, said Friday that it was a multi-year deal. "I haven't signed anything," Reutimann said following Sprint Cup Series practice at Daytona International Speedway. "We've got a handshake deal basically, a verbal agreement, of what we're going to do." "We've been working on the contract for about a month," MWR General Manager Ty Norris said. "Basically, all the elements are done as far as we're concerned."(Scene Daily) Waltrip to race at Goodwood Festival of Speed in England: This weekend Michael Waltrip climbs back behind the wheel of the No. 15 NAPA Auto Parts car in front of 150,000 global motorsports enthusiasts at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed in England. The annual festival is a hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles. Waltrip drove the familiar blue and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS car to Daytona 500 victories in 2001 and 2003. Waltrip races a part-time schedule now and devotes nearly all of his attention to his Michael Waltrip Racing team that fields cars for drivers David Reutimann and Martin Truex Jr in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. Waltrip left for England on Tuesday. After Goodwood, Waltrip and (Michael Waltrip Racing co-owner) Rob Kauffman plan to race in the 24 Hours of Spa on Aug. 2. The pair teamed up to race the AFCorse Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Dubai in January.(MWR PR) Dale Earnhardt license plate release in North Carolina: You can now drive North Carolina highways with Dale Earnhardt along for the ride. Race Plate Marketing LLC and NASCAR have announced the creation of a commemorative NASCAR Hall of Fame licensed plate in North Carolina to honor Earnhardt, one of five people to make up the Hall's inaugural class. With these additions, North Carolina now offers a selection of 26 different NASCAR and driver specialty plates.(Charlotte Observer) Kansas Speedway's parent company, International Speedway Corp, formally request second Cup date for track: International Speedway Corp. has formally petitioned NASCAR to give Kansas Speedway a second Sprint Cup race as early as 2011. ISC spokesman Lenny Santiago says he expects an answer later this summer, before NASCAR unveils next year's schedule. He declined to talk about details of the petition that include potential dates. Santiago believes Kansas is a strong candidate to get a second race because of the track's history of well-attended events and the construction of a new casino overlooking the track. It also could help that NASCAR's primary sponsor, Sprint, is headquartered in Overland Park, Kan. It's unclear how the Cup schedule would shake out if NASCAR grants Kansas a second date.(ESPN) Bobby Labonte named Grand Marshal for Coke Zero 400: Bobby Labonte, who is scheduled to make his 600th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start on Saturday night, will serve as Grand Marshal for the 52nd annual Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Labonte, who is driving the No. 09 car for owner James Finch in Saturday's 160-lap, 400-mile race, will give the starting command, "Gentlemen start your engines." Labonte, who is an original member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family, has captured 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup victories and 26 poles as well as the series' championship in 2000.(DIS) Thursday, July 1, 2010 CokeZero to sponsor Labonte at Daytona: Phoenix Racing announced that Coke Zero brand will sponsor the team and Coca-Cola Racing Family member Bobby Labonte for Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at the Daytona International Speedway. Coke Zero will commemorate driver Bobby Labonte's 600th Sprint Cup Series start. Labonte will also be serving as the Grand Marshall for Coke Zero during the race event. Labonte is an original member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family.(Breaking Limits PR) NASCAR announces 2011 Hall of Fame nominees: NASCAR announced the list of 25 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame's second induction class. From that list, five inductees will be chosen. The 2011 inductee class will be announced in October and honored next year at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. This year's inaugural induction class consisted of Dale Earnhardt, Junior Johnson, Bill France Jr., Bill France Sr. and Richard Petty. The second round of nominees, which again includes many of the sport's legendary names, were selected by a 21-person nominating committee consisting of representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and track owners from both major facilities and historic short tracks. The committee's votes were tabulated by accounting firm Ernst & Young. Joining the 21-person committee this year is Jody Deery, owner of acclaimed quarter-mile short track Rockford (Ill.) Speedway. She replaces Tom Blackwell, former owner of Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway, who passed away in April. The HOF's inductees will be determined by the Voting Panel, which has 53 members - the entire Nominating Committee, media members, manufacturer representatives, retired competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs) and recognized industry leaders. In addition, the fan vote will result in the Voting Panel's 53rd and final ballot. Four new members will join the Voting Panel this year: Richard Petty, Kyle Petty of TNT, legendary media member Chris Economaki, and Jim Campbell of Chevrolet. Following are the 25 nominees: Goodyear Tire & Rubber to honor U.S. service men and women at Daytona: For the first time in its history, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, the exclusive tire supplier of NASCAR's three major national series, has announced it will transform all Goodyear Racing Eagle tires for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races over the July 4th holiday weekend. The new design, featuring a patriotic red, white and blue color scheme reading "Support Our Troops" on the tires' sidewalls, is designed to say 'thank you' to the service men and women of the United States Armed Forces and launch the Goodyear Support Our Troops program. The Company will help jump-start this new support and fundraising effort with a $20,000 donation to a leading military support program. The Goodyear Support Our Troops program will also provide consumers a variety of ways to show their support for the troops and will encourage everyone to participate in a series of fund-raising initiatives to benefit members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. The rebranded Goodyear Support Our Troops tires will raise awareness for the support effort and will also serve as the first step in the fund-raising campaign, as Goodyear will auction the special logo'd, driver-autographed tires used in the July 3rd Coke Zero 400. All funds raised will be donated to Support Our Troops, a nonprofit nationwide organization which bolsters the morale and well-being of America's troops and their families. Funds raised through the Goodyear effort will benefit the highly effective programs, which deliver more than $8 million per year in care packs and requested items to the front lines, positive support at home, kids' camp assistance and more. The Goodyear Support Our Troops Charity Auction, held online at www.Goodyear.com, will begin when the green flag drops on July 3rd and will run through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, July 17th.(Goodyear PR) Bobby Labonte to make 00th start in Daytona: Hitting another milestone, 2000 Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte will be making his 600th career start and his 598 consecutive start this weekend. Labonte will be racing for Phoenix Racing and the No. 09 Phoenix Construction Chevy in Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at the infamous 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway. Labonte's 600th start will rank him 20th in overall Career Sprint Cup starts. Richard Petty is the all-time leader with 1,185 Career Sprint Cup starts. Labonte will also be supporting a new red, white and blue helmet, to help raise awareness for the Hope For The Warriors non-profit organization. Another helmet will be signed by the participating drivers of the Coke Zero 400. Both helmets will be auctioned off after this weekend's events. Bobby Labonte has 35 starts, earned two pole positions, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes and has over 68 laps led at Daytona.(Breaking Limits PR) Mission: ABLE on the No. 43 at Daytona: The Paralyzed Veterans of America new initiative Mission: ABLE will be featured on the No. 43 Ford this weekend. The PVA is the nation's leading veteran organization and its national network provides comprehensive support for veterans. In addition to featuring its new Mission: ABLE initiative, which raises awareness and funds to enable veterans to find jobs, secure benefits and receive care and camaraderie, three members of the PVA will attend the race and be guests of RPM.(Richard Petty Motorsports PR
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