Myrtle Beach, S.C.-The Hooters Pro Cup season was one full of on-track rivalries, heated confrontations and witty retorts. As 2007 looms near, let's take a look back at some of the most memorable quotes of the 2006 season.

10. Todd Peck on his green-painted car with a peanut on the hood (both racing no-no's) at Lake Erie Speedway: "Our luck certainly couldn't get any worse, so we embraced it," said Peck, who had five consecutive DNFs before finishing 23rd at LES. "It might have started something. We're leaving here with a racecar that's a good starting point for Motor Mile. We've got some bugs to work out, but we'll be alright. I think the peanut may stay around."

9. Clay Rogers after being shoved out of the lead on the final turn at Concord Motorsports Park by Shane Huffman: "It's tough," said Rogers. "[My sponsor] was here, and we put on a good show for them, but I hate I lost the race right in front of them. Maybe we'll have to go test Hickory, so we can demoralize Huffman in front of his hometown fans."

Rogers did win the Hickory event.

8. Benny Gordon after spinning Clay Rogers out of the lead at Mansfield: "I ran Clay down from fifth, and he was stopping in the corner," Gordon said. "I was two tenths [of a second] quicker than him, and I just barely made contact and he spun out. I didn't mean to spin him out, but I'm sure he's crying about it."

7. Clay Rogers after catching Gordon on the final lap at Mansfield: "There were a lot of decisions being made going on down the backstretch on the final lap," said Rogers. "Earlier in the week, Benny said that finishing second to me at South Boston was the most embarrassing moment of his life. He would have been real embarrassed if he was sitting backed into the Turn 4 wall. But I've been beat like that before, and I figured I'd give Benny one more chance."

6. Daniel Johnson after visiting the Media Center at Iowa Speedway: "I've done more interviews tonight than I've done in my whole career," said Johnson, who finished second in the inaugural event at Iowa Speedway.

5. Jeff Agnew on whether or not he was going to celebrate long into the night after breaking an 0-for-29 slump in his home state of Virginia: "I've got a seven year old and a two year old that I got to get home," said Agnew after the race. "I'm just going to go home and go to bed."

4. Shane Huffman after being caught up in a wreck at Myrtle Beach while trying to work his way back to the front after an unscheduled pit stop: "Once I got in the back, guys were racing like idiots! It beat anything I ever saw," said Huffman. "People just drive in and beat the hell out of someone. If they wreck, well, then so be it."

3.  Mardy Lindley after winning at Bristol Motor Speedway: "Two weeks ago I was sitting on the couch watching TV," said Lindley, who was out of a ride before joining up with Ricky Benton Racing. "This is awesome."

2. Bobby Gill on who had the most influence on his racing career: "Me," said Gill.

1. Clay Rogers after winning South Boston on April 1, 2006, 13 years after tragic news came out of Eastern Tennessee that defending NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Alan Kulwicki, along with Hooters of America representatives Mark Brooks, Dan Duncan and Charlie Campbell, all perished in a plane crash just outside of Bristol: "A lot of people don't know a lot about this series and why it was started," said Rogers.  "Those four guys that died on that airplane are why we are racing today here and now in their honor and in their memory.  What Hooters has done in light of that tragic accident allows me and Benny Gordon, Jeff Agnew, Woody Howard and everyone else out here to do what we want to do and that is very special.  So I'm just happy to get the win on the anniversary of that bad day." SCR

 

 

 

 

Darlington, SC - Those fortunate enough to be in Darlington’s fan hospitality area during the Dodge Avenger 500 weekend can expect a very special day thanks to the stars of NASCAR’s past, present and future. The first driver scheduled for an appearance in the Darlington Stripe Zone on Saturday, May 12 is 2006 championship contender Jeff Burton.

 

When noting the numbers, there is a definite correlation between drivers who name Darlington Raceway as a favorite track and their performances here. Two-time Darlington champion Jeff Burton is a classic example.

 

Burton, who finished seventh in the 2006 NEXTEL Cup Series point standings, has posted 13 top 10 and eight top five finishes in 24 starts at the track “Too Tough To Tame.” He was a winner in the 1999 spring event, then returned for the “sweep” in September of that year, winning the prestigious 50th running of the Mountain Dew Southern 500.

 

“I’ve been coming to Darlington since I was a kid; it’s really a special place for me,” Burton said. “Darlington stands out from the rest in a lot of ways. It’s an icon of our sport, and it’s a privilege to compete here. It’s like a homecoming, especially with the new Mother’s Day weekend date. And the racing here is some of the best of the entire season.”

 

Located in the Wachovia Hospitality Village outside Turn 3, the Darlington Stripe Zone gives fans an opportunity to eat, relax and interact with NASCAR personalities on race day. Stripe Zone admission is limited in number and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

Darlington Stripe Zone admission included: food and beverages (including four beer tickets); live entertainment; a pre-race pit pass; a commemorative event souvenir; and question-and-answer sessions featuring current and former NASCAR superstars.

 

The 2007 Dodge Avenger 500 weekend will include practice and qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series on Friday, May 11, followed by the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 NASCAR Busch Series race under the lights that evening. Denny Hamlin is the defending champion.

 

On Saturday, May 12, Darlington will host Cup Series racing for the 58th consecutive season as Greg Biffle attempts to join the short list of drivers to win three events in a row at NASCAR’s most historic venue. The 2007 Dodge Avenger 500 will be run under the lights in its entirety. SCR

 

 

 

 

CONCORD, N.C. - Beginning in 2007, the Army National Guard will join forces with longtime Hendrick Motorsports partner GMAC to sponsor the No. 25 Chevrolets driven by Casey Mears in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.

"This is a fantastic day for our organization," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "We take an enormous amount of pride in welcoming the men and women of the National Guard and continuing our time-honored relationship with GMAC. These are two incredible groups that share our vision for the No. 25 team and its bright future."

Mears, 28, will drive the new-look No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the car's on-track debut this February at Daytona Beach, Fla. In 2006, Mears became the first full-time NASCAR driver to be part of a winning Grand American Rolex 24 team and was runner-up in the prestigious Daytona 500.

"The National Guard is looking forward to joining the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports team," said Col. Mike Jones, chief of the Army National Guard's Strength Maintenance Division. "NASCAR continues to be a vital component of our recruiting and retention programs, and we believe this new relationship will further enhance our involvement in the sport."

GMAC's association with Hendrick Motorsports is one of the longest and most successful sponsor-team relationships in NASCAR. Headquartered in Detroit, the company joined Hendrick in 1993 and has since been featured in some form on 10 championship-winning race cars, including two as a primary sponsor.

"GMAC remains committed to Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR racing as an important part of its overall marketing strategy," said Barbara Stokel, GMAC executive vice president for North American Operations. "Teaming with the National Guard, we expect to develop a branding partnership that will truly leverage the success of the No. 25 Chevy and its new driver Casey Mears."

The red, white and blue No. 25 Chevy design will make its first public appearances during activities surrounding the Jan. 7 GMAC Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. New enlistees of the Alabama National Guard will be sworn in on the field prior to the game featuring Ohio University and the University of Southern Mississippi.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. SCR