MARTINSVILLE, VA – Race Fans can give the gift of life and pick up a free ticket to the SUBWAY 500 Pole Day when an American Red Cross Bloodmobile visits Martinsville Speedway on Tuesday, September 11.

 

The blood drive is part of the Second Annual NASCAR Foundation Blood and Marrow Drive .

 

The Bloodmobile is set for noon to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 11 in the infield of the speedway. The goal for the day is 160 pints.

 

To make an appointment, call 1.800.GIVE.LIVE.

 

In addition to the blood drive, the National Marrow Donor Registry will be registering potential donors.

 

“NASCAR Fans continue to have a great history of loyalty and supporting their community in many great causes. We’re glad once again to have the opportunity to help our community and to be participating with the Red Cross and the Marrow Registry,” said Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell. “We anticipate another great turnout of donors and race fans.”

 

The Red Cross and the Martinsville Speedway have joined forces to make sure all perspective donors are rewarded for their efforts. All donors will receive a chance to win a Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster motorcycle and will receive a free Harley-Davidson T-shirt.

 

In addition, all eligible donors will receive a free ticket to the SUBWAY 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Pole Day, scheduled for Friday, October 19at Martinsville Speedway . Eligible donors must meet all American Red Cross health history criteria and be able to donate that day.

 

For more information please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE. SCR

 

 

 

 

CONCORD, N.C. - Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) and Coors Brewing Company announced today that Coors Light will not return as a primary sponsor on the team’s No. 40 Dodge in 2008.

 

“After much evaluation on both of our parts, we agreed that having Coors Light back as a sponsor on the No. 40 Dodge was not going to meet the marketing objectives of either organization,” said Chip Ganassi Racing Teams’ President Steve Lauletta. “Coors has been a tremendous partner over the last 14 years and we wish them nothing but the best.

 

“We continue to weigh our sponsorship opportunities for the No. 40 and an announcement on that will be forthcoming. CGRFS has always prided itself on not only our long-term partnerships but also on our ability to attract new sponsors to the sport - just as we did earlier this year with Wrigley and Memorex.”

 

“We believe that NASCAR is a valuable property that allows us to reach our target audience,” said Bryce McTavish, vice president of sponsorship and channel marketing for Coors Brewing Company. “From a marketing perspective, one of the sport’s greatest assets is the variety of ways in which companies can be involved and we are evaluating a number of them. We enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Chip and Felix and would like to thank them for their efforts on our behalf throughout the years. We will always appreciate their contribution to our business and our success.”

 

The announcement will end a string of 14 years that Coors Light has been the primary sponsor or partial primary of the No. 40 car (seven with CGRFS). The relationship began in 1994 when Sabates’ Team SABCO and the Coors Brewing Company started their first partnership as Coors Light became the primary sponsor of the No. 40 with Bobby Hamilton behind the wheel. SCR

Photo: James S. Langley

 

 

 

 

Davidson, N.C. – Veteran crew chief Barry Dodson will be on top of pit box for Marc Mitchell this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway for the ARCA RE/MAX Series race. Dodson who led Rusty Wallace to a Cup championship in 1989 will bring 35 plus years of experience to the Ergon Racing team.

 

“Barry is going to come in and give us a big hand this weekend,” said Mitchell.  “My regular crew chief, Rusty Clanton, is taking time to be with his family.  It was something that was planned for a long time.  Barry’s resume speaks for itself.  Anytime you can bring in someone that has won a NASCAR Nextel Cup championship, your team should be fine.  I look forward to learning a lot from Barry over the course of the weekend.”

 

In addition to naming Dodson crew chief for Chicago, the team also announced that Mitchell will no longer drive the No. 93 Ergon Chevrolet; he will now pilot the Ergon Chevrolet with the No. 56 on the side at Chicago. No word on what number he will have at Talladega.

 

“We are in the process of developing Marc as a driver and we knew that some things like this could arise,” said Ergon Vice President Baxter Burns.  “Neither Marc, nor the team, owned the #93 so we have no control over who uses it.  We were able to use it as we needed, but it has been sold to another team.  Numbers, however confusing they may become, do not determine the talent of a driver.  We know we have a talented driver.” SCR

Matthew Blaylock

 

 

 

 

For those who didn't get to see the Carolina Clash race last Saturday night at Harris Speedway, here are a few tidbits from that particular event in an excerpt of my story that hasn't been seen by Carolina Clash fans.

 

Back in April of 2007, Weeks known as, “The Rutherfordton Rocket,” took the lead on the first lap from Jack’s son and polesitter, Travis Pennington at Harris. Weeks went on to lead flag-to-flag for the victory as he did so on Saturday night. The victory was Weeks sixth Carolina Clash win of the year and first in the last six events. Weeks now leads the points by 209 over Dennis Franklin and took a $4,000 check with him as he left the speedway.

 

While Weeks was smiling in victory lane, Dennis “Rambo” Franklin was a little upset in how Ricky attained the win. “He (Ricky) went to the bottom and kept blocking it and then knocked water all over the racetrack,” Franklin said. “My car just took off after that and I knew what I had to do to save it.”

 

When Weeks heard of Franklin’s comment, the Rutherford County native didn’t hesitate in a response. “I had the bottom covered and if he wanted the top, he could have it. It’s my job to run my line and that is what I did,” Weeks said.

 

Two other Rutherford County drivers also competed in the 17-car field and neither had the night in which they were looking for. Furman Parton of Union Mills was caught up in a lap two five-car accident in turn two.

 

“I didn’t even see what was happening, but it looks like Randall Chupp got sideways and then Travis Pennington ran into him. I didn’t see anything until Pennington stopped right in front of me, but that is just how it goes,” Parton said.

 

Once Pennington stopped, Parton’s car drove over the left front of the 17-year-old’s race car. “It’s a shame, I knew my car was going to be good when I got on track because it felt good,” Parton said. Although Parton was involved in the incident, his No.6P Parton Lumber/White Pines Ranch machine wasn’t hurt that much. However, he was sent to the back after being involved in the incident as according to Carolina Clash rules. Still, Parton was able to run lap times similar to the leaders following the accident and gained enough spots to finish ninth in the event.

 

Steve Hendren, a former California native and now Rutherford County resident also came back to Harris for revenge as the place treated him horribly the last time out by finishing towards the back of the field in the March 28th event. On the first lap of qualifying, it looked like Steve had finally gotten the upper hand on the oval by putting up a lap of 15.591 seconds, good enough for ninth fastest overall. However, Hendren wanted more out of his second lap and continued to press on the gas. While Hendren was hauling his No.29 Hendren’s Engines machine around for what looked to be a much faster lap, he unfortunately smacked the wall in turn three and four after running out of real estate.

 

“The way the track was, there is a cushion in which you bank your right rear tire on and evidently it disappeared after my first lap, because it wasn’t there on the second lap,” Hendren said. “Honestly, I have driven these things since I was 16-years-old and you know when you are going to hit the wall and I had no idea I was going to hit the wall.”

Despite the hit, he only had a flat left front tire and sheet metal damage. Upon further inspection, he and his team found that the meeting with the wall broke a fuel cell bracket. While he could have probably made all 40 laps, Steve pulled the car behind the wall after one lap due to safety concerns.

 

A Family Crew: Brent Robinson is a rookie on the Carolina Clash circuit this season and his career has been heavily supported by his family. Brent’s crew consisted of only three other people on Saturday besides himself with that being, Dean (dad), Elaine (mom), and Travis (kid neighbor/family friend). When asked about why he races, Robinson only had one answer. “When I got a go-cart at eight years old, I have loved racing ever since. I have played a whole bunch of sports and there is no other sport like it,” the 19-year-old Brent Robinson said.

 

As for the race, the Smithfield, VA native qualified tenth and spun out early on in the event, but fought back to end the night in eighth. Robinson came into Harris fifth in the series point standings and left Rutherford County holding that position.

 

Jack Pennington’s Skips at Harris: A racing legend in this part of the country, Jack Pennington had no problem talking to The Daily Courier or SCR, but he did have a malfunction before Saturday night’s race. “It’s a good little race track in Harris, hopefully our luck will change since we found a skip in the motor during hot laps (short practice). During qualifying though, Pennington posted a 15.218 second lap to beat Weeks who ran a 15.268 for the pole. After climbing from the late model racer on his pole run, he came over and told me, “I guess we got the skipping out of it, it’s not skipping anymore,” Pennington said with a grin.

 

As for the race track, Ricky Weeks was proud of Harris and what was going on at the Rutherford County landmark. “I am glad to see that this place is still doing well and I hope that they (owners of the Harris Speedway, Ricky and Randy Teems) continue to do a good job with the track,” Weeks said. SCR

Kevin Carver

Photo: Kevin Carver

 

 

 

 

Chip Ganassi Racing and Energizer Holdings announced Wednesday that a multi-year extension has been reached that will keep Energizer as a major associate sponsor on the No. 41 Dodge driven by Reed Sorenson.

 

In addition to the No. 41 Nextel Cup Dodge Energizer will also be on both Target Chip Ganassi Racing cars in the Indy Car Series.

 

The agreement between Ganassi and Energizer will keep a relationship together that dates back over a decade.

 

With the new deal the No. 40 Dodge driven by David Stremme will carry an Energizer paint scheme at Richmond, New Hampshire and Kansas. SCR

Matthew Blaylock

Photo: James S. Langley

 

 

 

 

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), winners of three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championships and over 70 NASCAR races, will campaign Toyota Camrys in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Grand National Series beginning in 2008.  

 

“We look forward to partnering with Toyota in NASCAR in 2008.  Toyota will be hands-on with us as we become an integral part of their long-term development in NASCAR,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. 

 

“We have 420-plus families that are our number one priority, and taking care of them for the future is very important to us.  Our people have made us as successful as we are today, and it’s those same people who will ensure our success in the future.  When our teams win, those families win.  We’re thrilled for everyone at JGR who will benefit from this.”

 

“This decision was made by all of the key leadership at JGR,” said Jimmy Makar, senior vice president of racing operations for JGR.  “It was a decision made by the people in our competition department, who live by the one question whenever a decision is made regarding Joe Gibbs Racing: ‘Will this make us more competitive on the race track?’  The consensus answer was yes.”

 

JGR has been associated with General Motors since its debut in the 1992 Daytona 500.  The team fielded Chevrolets from 1992 through 1996, switched to Pontiac in 1997, and then switched back to Chevrolet in 2003.  Two of its championships came with Pontiac – Bobby Labonte in 2000 and Tony Stewart in 2002 – while the most recent championship came with Chevrolet in 2005 at the hands of Stewart.  Two of JGR’s drivers – Stewart and Denny Hamlin – are currently in position to challenge for this year’s championship.

 

“General Motors has been a great partner to Joe Gibbs Racing, and we’ve been able to celebrate many victories together,” said Joe Gibbs, owner and founder of JGR.  “GM has many great teams, and moving forward, we know they will continue to be very successful.  It’s our hope we can deliver to GM their 38th Cup Series championship this season as a way to cap our 16-year relationship with them.”

 

“Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the most respected teams in NASCAR, a championship-caliber race team and a first-class organization,” said Jim Aust, vice president of Toyota Motorsports and president and CEO of Toyota Racing Development, USA .  “We are confident that partnering with the Gibbs team will raise the level of our entire Toyota NASCAR program, and will be beneficial to all of our current teams racing the Toyota Camry.” SCR

Photo: James S. Langley

  

   

  

 

 

J.D. Gibbs, President of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced this morning that JGR will switch from Chevrolet to Toyota’s starting with the 2008 season. All JGR team in the Nextel Cup and Busch Series will switch to Toyota Motorsports. SCR will have further coverage of this story as it becomes available. SCR

Matthew Blaylock

 

 

 

 

Chico, CA - The 54th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico , California is up next for the World of Outlaws, and will feature one of the strongest fields in the history of the event. For the second straight year the winner of the 40-lap A-Feature on the high-banked ¼-mile will take home $50,000.

 

Five former winners of the event will be in attendance, led by Steve Kinser who has 12 triumphs in the Gold Cup. The 20-time World of Outlaws champion won in 2005, the last time he competed in the event. He won the race for the first time in 1978 and also in 1979, the first season that the World of Outlaws sanctioned it. This season, he has won nine A-Feature events, including on a ¼-mile at Tri-State Speedway in his home state of Indiana , to bring his career total to 542.

 

Daryn Pittman won the Gold Cup for the first time in his career last season, leading all 40 laps of the finale to become the first driver to earn $50,000 for winning the event. The native of Owasso , Oklahoma has won four times this season, including on a ¼-mile at Riverside International Speedway in Arkansas earlier in the year.

 

Jac Haudenschild has won the Gold Cup twice, 1998 and 1999.He made a late race charge on the high side of the track last season to finish in the runner-up spot. He has two A-Feature wins this season, including one on a ¼-mile, in the Brad Doty Classic at Limaland Motorsports Park in Ohio .

 

Donny Schatz, the reigning World of Outlaws champion won the Gold Cup in 2004. Last season he took a wild ride during the fourth heat on the first qualifying night which sent him to the hospital after his car rolled and erupted in flames. He returned to action in the finale, using a provisional to start the A-Feature, where he finished eighth. Schatz currently leads the World of Outlaws championship standings on the strength of 14 A-Feature wins.

 

Danny Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws champion won the Gold Cup in 2000. The native of Dover , Missouri finished fourth in the finale of the event last season. He swept both A-Feature events last weekend at Calistoga Speedway to bring his win total to five on the season. He is a very solid third in the championship standings.

 

Joey Saldana will look for his first win the Gold Cup, September 6-8. He has won 10 times this season, including in the most recent World of Outlaws event on a ¼-mile, on August 29 at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon . The native of Brownsburg , Indiana who drivers for NASCAR star Kasey Kahne leads the series in laps led, as well as quick time honors in time trials. He is just 19 points behind Schatz in the championships standings.

 

Jason Meyers finished seventh in the Gold Cup in 2005, which was the last time he competed in the event. The native of Clovis , California has four A-Feature wins on the season and is solidly in the Top-Five in the championship points. He finished second at Calistoga Speedway on Sunday night in the finale of the Harvest Classic.

 

Craig Dollansky won the preliminary feature on the first qualifying night of the Gold Cup last season. In the finale he finished third. He recently won his third A-Feature of the season to pocket $25,000 at Skagit Speedway in Washington . He is solidly in the Top-10 in the championship standings heading into the event.

 

Paul McMahan finished fifth in the Gold Cup last season, after turning in the quickest lap in time trials on the opening qualifying night. Driving for two-two NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, McMahan has won twice this season, including at Eldora Speedway which is owned by his car owner.

 

Jason Solwold won the preliminary feature on the second qualifying night last season to visit victory lane for the first time in his career with the World of Outlaws. He followed that up later in the season with another preliminary feature win at Williams Grove Speedway in the National Open. This season he earned his first A-Feature win, when he was triumphant at Charter Raceway Park in Wisconsin in August.

 

Tim Shaffer finished second in the Gold Cup in 2005, in his last start in the race. This season, the native of Aliquippa , Pennsylvania has 19 Top-Five finishes, including five runner-up performances as he continues to close in on his first win of the season.

 

Terry McCarl raced his way into the A-Feature at the Gold Cup last season after winning the B-Main. He finished seventh in the second preliminary feature on the second qualifying night. The six-time Knoxville Raceway track champion has won twice this season, including at his home track. He is just outside the Top-10 in the championship standings.

 

Jason Sides competed in the Gold Cup last season and finished just outside of the Top-10 on the second qualifying night. The 2003 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year won his second career A-Feature with the series at Ohsweken Speedway in Canada earlier this season.

 

Kerry Madsen, the current leader in the battle for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award will make his first Gold Cup start this week. The native of St.Mary’s, NSW, Australia won his first career A-Feature with the series earlier in the year at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida .

 

Randy Hannagan finished 13th in the Gold Cup last season with 105 cars in attendance. He won a preliminary feature in the event back in 1993. The native of San Jose , who now calls Pittsboro , Indiana home, has eight Top-10 finishes this season.

 

Justin Henderson competed in the Gold Cup for the first time in his career last season and finished seventh. The native of Sioux Falls , South Dakota has 12 Top-10 finishes on the season and has led laps at Manzanita Speedway and Cedar Lake Speedway.

 

Chad Kemenah, the reigning Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year finished 10th in his first start in the Gold Cup last season. The native of Findlay , Ohio has 10 Top-10 finishes this season.

 

Jeremy Campbell also competed in the Gold Cup for the first time in his career last season, racing his way into the B-Main of the finale. He finished 12th in the preliminary feature on the second qualifying night. This year, the native of Monroe , Michigan has seven Top-10 finishes.

 

Sam Hafertepe Jr., who is second in the rookie standings, will make his first visit to Silver Dollar Speedway this week for the Gold Cup. The native of Sunnyvale , Texas is the reigning American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) Sooner Region champion.

 

Chad Hillier, another of the rookie contenders competed in the Gold Cup last season, earning a spot in the A-Feature, after a solid qualifying effort and finish in the preliminary feature on the second qualifying night. The native of Burlington , Washington is third in rookie points.

 

Tony Bruce Jr. competed in the Gold Cup last season for the first time in his career. He raced his way into the preliminary feature on the second qualifying night. The native of Liberal, Kansas is currently fourth in rookie points.

 

Also in action will be three-time World of Outlaws champion Sammy Swindell of Germantown , Tennessee , who won the Gold Cup in 1981. This will be the first time in four years that he has competed in the event, as he will drive a car fielded by California native Rod Fauver. SCR

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the club.  This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Avenger team head to the .075-mile Richmond ( Va. ) International Raceway for Saturday night’s Richmond 400. Saturday’s race will be Labonte’s 500th career start.

 

Labonte joins active drivers Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty, Ricky Rudd and Michael Waltrip to have eclipsed 500 career starts (not counting Sterling Marlin or Ken Schrader).  Labonte and Rudd are the only two drivers to have over 500 starts and have started every race this season.  Labonte, 43, is also the youngest active driver to have 500 starts.  This weekend’s start will be Labonte’s 498th consecutive Nextel Cup start. He is second on that list, only behind Jeff Gordon by one start.

 

Labonte and the Cheerios/Betty Crocker team head to Richmond having scored three consecutive top-15 finishes since Doug Randolph being appointed crew chief.  The team has logged back-to-back top-10 finishes at Michigan and Bristol which followed an 11th place finish at California Speedway. Labonte is currently 17th in points and only 133 points out of 15th.

 

Labonte’s will be making his 30th start at Richmond . He has scored 10 top-10’s at the track and has finished in the top-five on four occasions. Labonte has two second-place finishes at Richmond which he logged in 1999 and 2003.

 

Comments from Labonte heading into this weekend’s race at Richmond :

 

“I guess I started to think about being able to make 500 starts when I saw Terry (brother, Terry Labonte) do it.  He did it, and I began thinking about it, and thought that was something that was very possible that could happen.  I’ve been fortunate in my career, and it’s pretty special to have this opportunity this weekend.  Terry has over 800 starts and Kyle (teammate, Kyle Petty) has over 800 too.  I’m going to try to catch them.

           

“There has been so much that has changed in the sport over the past 10 years that I’ve been racing in Nextel Cup.  The competition is so tight now.  There are so many competitive teams and drivers.  It gets harder and harder to win races and you have to work harder to do so.  That is one of the biggest changes that I’ve seen.  There is always the pressure that you put on yourself, but it’s so much greater that what is was when I first started.  The drivers and teams are so good today.  You have to be close to perfect to win. 

           

“You can’t do any of it without support from the people around you.  On the track you need help from sponsors.  I’ve been fortunate to have had and have so many great sponsors that have helped me reach this point.  The list is pretty long.  It’s tough to name everyone that has been a part of helping me get to this point.  I’m very thankful for everyone and for General Mills and their support for Petty Enterprises and this team.  They have been great supporters of the Petty family and of the ‘43’ for many years.  It’s an honor to drive this car right now, and we’re trying hard to get it back to victory lane where it belongs.

 

“You have to have a strong support system away from the track too.  My family is a big part of my career.  They have been there for all the ups and downs.  That has helped to keep the longevity.

           

“It’s going to be an exciting time for everyone.  It’s a cool milestone to reach.  You think about it and hope you can make it.  It’s here and it will pass.  We’ll then look at making 500 consecutive starts.  After that, we’ll look forward to the next milestone.

           

“ Richmond is a good place for this come at.  We knew it was going to be at Richmond and that was pretty exciting.  It has become better because we feel pretty strong and confident about what we can do with our Avenger.  Our Car of Tomorrow races have been pretty good.  We feel like we have a pretty good grip on that.

           

“Our confidence is pretty high after the past few weeks.  Doug (crew chief, Doug Randolph) has come in and raised the bar.  The team is pretty strong right now.  We have momentum and we’re still riding that going into this weekend.  We have momentum with the Avenger too.  There are a lot of good things happening that we need to continue.  We are building off them and feel pretty good about 500 this weekend.  We hope it ends with the Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge in victory lane. SCR

 

 

 

 

Speed TV will break in from its regular coverage Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. to carry a major announcement by Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). The announcement is expected to be that JGR will switch from Chevrolet’s to Toyota’s starting with the 2008 season. SCR

Matthew Blaylock

 

 

 

 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – BAM Racing is pleased to welcome LifeLock as primary sponsor of the No. 49 Dodge driven by John Andretti for this weekend’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

 

LifeLock, the leader in identity theft prevention, helps consumers to render their personal information useless to thieves, backing up its service with a million-dollar guarantee. LifeLock also offers the nation’s only child identity theft prevention service.

 

“BAM Racing is proud to partner with LifeLock for the remainder of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season,” said team owner Beth Ann Morgenthau. “The service that LifeLock provides - identity theft prevention - is critical to our team and our fans. We look to bring additional education on the issue of identity theft to the forefront of the NASCAR community.” SCR

 

 

 

 

 

 

Headed to Richmond eight drivers have locked themselves into the Chase. Those drivers include Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch. Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. who sit 9^th and 10h in points can lock their Chase spots just by starting the race at Richmond. Kurt Busch who is 11^th in points will make the Chase if he finishes 36th or better and Kevin Harvick who currently sits 12th in points only has to finish 32nd or better at Richmond to make the Chase.

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. who sits 13th in points and is the only driver who has a chance to make the Chase who is not currently in the top 12 in points. For Jr. to make the Chase he must finish fifth and lead the most laps; fourth if he leads any lap and third if he doesn’t lead a lap. Earnhardt is currently 128 points out of the 12^th in points. SCR

Matthew Blaylock

 

 

 

 

Mooresville, N.C. - Yates Newman Haas Lanigan Racing will have Kenny Wallace drive the No. 88 Ford in place of the injured Ricky Rudd at Richmond Int. Raceway (RIR) Saturday night. Rudd separated his shoulder this past weekend at California in a late race crash.

 

“It’s pretty disappointing to me to miss the race this weekend in Richmond,” Rudd said. “I’ve never missed a race due to an injury but I still feel lucky because it could’ve been a lot worse. Obviously, the fact I cannot race at Richmond, my home track, upsets me but I will be there with the team this weekend to assist in any way I can. I’d like to thank Kenny for being able to step in this weekend.”

 

Wallace, who recently left Furniture Row Racing, most recent Nextel Cup start was filling in for an injured Kyle Petty at Bristol in August.

 

“We’d like to thank Kenny Wallace for driving the #88 car this weekend at Richmond,” said Robert Yates, team owner of the #88 Ford. “Our focus is to get Ricky well so that he can finish out the season with the #88 Team but we are excited to have Kenny behind the wheel of the SNICKERS Ford this weekend.”

 

Rudd, who was examined by doctors in Charlotte, NC on Tuesday, will not require surgery on the shoulder. In addition to rest, Rudd will begin a rehabilitation program this week in Charlotte. Rudd will receive an evaluation next week to determine if he will be able to return as driver of the #88 for the September 16th race at New Hampshire International Speedway. SCR

Matthew Blaylock

Photo: James S. Langley

 

 

 

 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Hall of Fame Racing has signed J.J. Yeley to drive for the No. 96 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series beginning in 2008.

 

Yeley’s debut in the No. 96 DLP HDTV car will come in February’s Budweiser Shootout at Daytona ( Fla. ) International Speedway. His entry into the prestigious event came via his first career pole at Michigan International Speedway this past June.

 

“In 23 years of being involved in professional sports, I have worked with many great athletes,” said Jeff Moorad, owner of Hall of Fame Racing. “J.J Yeley’s determination to succeed reminds me of many of the championship athletes that I have been around in my career. He is hungry and determined to win races and championships and to do it with class. We look forward to J.J. being an integral part of Hall of Fame Racing and to winning with him going forward.”

 

Yeley comes to Hall of Fame Racing from Joe Gibbs Racing, the team for which he drove full-time in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series beginning in 2006. Yeley will take over for Tony Raines, current driver of the No. 96 DLP HDTV Chevrolet, following the conclusion of the 2007 season. 

 

“After meeting with Jeff Moorad and Tom Garfinkel it was easy to see why both of them have been so successful with the Arizona Diamondbacks and their other past ventures,” said Yeley, whose contract with Hall of Fame Racing runs through the 2010 season.

 

“Both of them are very determined to be successful. They know you can’t just come in and throw money at the team and expect to win races. The benefit of this team is that there’s already a great history and foundation in place with equipment from Joe Gibbs Racing, which is equal to the best equipment in the sport. All those things added up to make me feel that Hall of Fame Racing and DLP will be the best fit for me.” 

 

Yeley brings a strong motorsports pedigree to Hall of Fame Racing.  The son of seven-time Arizona Midget Racing Association and two-time World of Outlaws midget champion “Cactus” Jack Yeley, J.J. came to stock cars by way of open-wheel midget and sprint cars in the U.S. Auto Club (USAC), and it was his outstanding 2003 season that put him top-of-mind among Nextel Cup car owners. 

 

The second-generation driver from Phoenix reeled off an amazing 24 USAC wins in 2003, breaking the single-season record set by racing legend A.J. Foyt, who won 19 races during the 1961 season.  In addition, Yeley became only the second driver in USAC history to win the “Triple Crown” by capturing the Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown championships in a single season, joining his current Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Tony Stewart as the only other driver to accomplish that feat (1995).

 

Yeley has two other USAC championships along with an Indianapolis 500 start in 1998.  But it’s NASCAR that Yeley now calls home, as his 68 career Nextel Cup starts and 110 NASCAR Busch Series starts attest.

 

“When you leave an organization like Joe Gibbs Racing, one of the top teams in NASCAR, you want to try to make the right step to be more successful,” said Yeley, who finished a career-best second in May at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C) Motor Speedway. “I’ve never had to make a decision this difficult in my life, but I’m confident that Hall of Fame Racing will be competitive week-in and week out and build the future team around me as their driver. The affiliation with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the great people in Phoenix was just an added bonus that makes it the perfect fit for me.”

                                                           

“We are very much looking forward to J.J. representing DLP and our retail partners,” said Dave Duncan, sponsorship marketing manager for DLP® Products and Texas Instruments.  “We’ve had a relationship with J.J. the past two seasons as an associate sponsor on the No. 18 car and look forward to working with him in the future.”

 

“It’s been great to see DLP come into the sport,” Yeley said. “I have a TV in my bonus room that’s a 61-inch DLP HDTV that is a favorite of my family. They’re just a great sponsor that I’ve had an affiliation with in the past and I’m looking forward to being a part of this team. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to take them to victory lane.”

 

Yeley replaces Tony Raines, who has driven for Hall of Fame Racing the past two seasons and will drive the final 11 races in 2007.

 

“I very much enjoyed working with everyone at Hall of Fame Racing and DLP,” Raines said. “I can’t thank them enough for everything they did for me and both companies are class organizations. We had some success, especially in the Car of Tomorrow (COT) races and I look forward to running the final 11 races, including the five COT races. We’re going to do our best to finish out strong before we go our separate ways. I wish them the best of luck in 2008 and beyond.” SCR

Photo: James S. Langley

 

 

 

 

Concord, NC – Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) announced several key changes today that will go into effect with the start of the 2008 NASCAR season. HMS announced that Casey Mears, driver of the No. 25 Chevrolet will drive the No. 5 Chevrolet in 2008.

 

Crew chief for Mears in 2008 will be Alan Gustafson, who has earned four wins, two poles, 25 top-five finishes and 45 top-10s since his first season as crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolets in 2005. Gustafson is the current crew chief on the No. 5 with driver Kyle Busch.

 

Mears current crew chief on the No. 25 team Darian Grubb will move into a senior competition role with HMS, as the team brings on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s current crew chief at Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) Tony Eury Jr. at the end of the season to be crew chief for Earnhardt.

 

Grubb, 31, who hails from Floyd, Va., will coordinate the at-track engineering efforts of the Earnhardt and Mears teams with emphasis on supporting Eury's transition to Hendrick Motorsports and Mears' switch to the No. 5 Cup Series program.

 

"We've asked Darian to shoulder more responsibility and take another step," Hendrick said. "With all the challenges and difficult situations we've thrown his way, he has always proven to be successful. Darian is a star in our organization and his contributions will be vital to our future success.

 

Eury, who signed a multi-year contract with HMS this week, will be the crew chief for Earnhardt in 2008. Eury is Earnhardt’s current crew chief at Dale Earnhardt Inc. for most of Earnhardt’s career.

 

"Tony Jr. and Dale have a successful history working together," Rick Hendrick said. "They have trust in each other, which is the biggest part of the relationship between driver and crew chief. We have the utmost confidence in their ability to win races and compete for titles at Hendrick Motorsports."

 

The personnel moves will give Hendrick Motorsports additional depth with the Earnhardt and Mears teams. Grubb, who earned a championship as an engineer with the No. 48 Chevrolets and has won three times in 29 races as a crew chief, will work hand-in-hand with veteran team manager Brian Whitesell.

 

No word on what number Earnhardt would drive in 2008. SCR

Matthew Blaylock

Photo: James S. Langley

 

 

 

 

After an absence of more than seven years, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing will return to the ABC Television Network Saturday night with ESPN on ABC’s live, prime time telecast of the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 from Richmond International Raceway. The telecast begins at 7 p.m. ET with the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program.

 

ESPN on ABC will have live coverage of the final 11 races of the 2007 season, including all 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. The last time a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race aired on ABC was the Brickyard 400 from Indianapolis Aug. 5, 2000.

 

The Chevy Rock and Roll 400 will set the field of 12 drivers who will compete for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship in the Chase, which begins Sept. 16 at New Hampshire International Speedway.

 

Dr. Jerry Punch will handle play-by-play for the Richmond race, joined in the booth for expert analysis by 1989 NASCAR Cup champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Pit reporters will be Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro. Two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN DISH Tech Center.

 

Suzy Kolber will host NASCAR Countdown along with analyst Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in NASCAR’s Busch and Truck series, in the ESPN Pit Studio. SCR