Happy Thursday everyone...we're almost to the weekend! 

Today In Nascar History
 

June 21, 1987: Tim Richmond gets the final victory of his brief Cup career, winning the Budweiser 400 at Riverside, Calif., the site of his first Cup victory, in 1982. Of Richmond’s 13 Cup wins in 185 races, four come at Riverside.

New Puzzles!

Michigan winner..
http://www.jigzone.com/mpc/view.php?E02SBZ9.052
Enjoy!
Pops

http://www.jigzone.com/mpc/view.php?B72S8MY.01D

Enjoy!

Pops

Merchandising gone wild!

Go to eBay and do a search under my seller name, "fannum."

More Items posted!  Get ‘em while they’re hot!

I hope the uncommon Tony Stewart and Montoya Indy car kits will have crossover interest within not only the Indy, but also NASCAR and F1 crowds.

Quote of the Year

"I love what I do; I love this business."
-- Bobby Hamilton Sr, March 2006 as he announced he had cancer

Man oh Man
--Benny Parsons

Quote of the Day

“To announce my engagement to Ingrid and then to win the race was amazing. But this weekend could be even more special - and it won't even take a win to do that.”
- Jeff Gordon

Most Popular Driver Vote

www.MostPopularDriver.com

Comments from the Peanut Gallery

From Rd

From Mikey

Its pretty bad for TV, when I turn it on and watch people changing tires, and filling gas; it seems that I turned it on to watch some racing, but lo and behold we are either stuck changing tires (all Goodyear) mind you and not seeing track action; if you do, its the leader running by himself, or if the other guy is close enough for the camera to catch, you may see him! There is other racing on the track.

TV has ruined this once great sport!!

Mikey

Let me tell you about what it used to be like, Mikey then you tell me if TV's better or worse. Back in the day, before 1979 ABC Wide World Of Sports used to show parts of the Daytona 500 on live TV, interspersed with log rolling competition, figure skating and Curling. In those days there was little pack racing.  Drivers were always strung out around the 2.5 miles. During the time they showed the racing, only one car ever got seen on screen at any one time.  Seems it was always David Pearson or Richard Petty. They don't do that any more, the camera men and directors now know to watch mid pack and even tail enders. I have some problems with NASCAR in the last few years, but the TV production is as good as it can get, at least after Fox gets out of it.

rd

From Darrel

Mikey you forgot the track camera where you get to see cars whizzzzzzz by. TV directors I feel are and never were race fans that want to watch drivers race each other, skill of driving and such. They are fascinated with speed and wrecks not driving skill.

And I agree with the tire changing and refueling. I can go to my local tire sales place and watch tires being changed. But Mikey you have to remember that if the director miss some poor tire changer getting run over he will lose   his   job.

Darrel

From Lou

Hi Momma,

I have never been really clear on this, but I believe that NASCAR really owns the car numbers and assigns them to the car owners to use. The car owners do not own the car numbers and therefore cannot sell them as has been stated several times about the number 8. If I am wrong about this, will someone please set me straight. The following was all I was able to find about this.

NASCAR owns and assigns car numbers to an owner(s). NASCAR reserves the right to revoke or transfer car numbers to another owner/team at any time. Car numbers are non-assignable and non-transferable, except by NASCAR. NASCAR works with teams and sponsors when a specific number is requested.

Lou Elliott 

You are right in saying that NASCAR owns the numbers, and distributes them to the owner’s.  But all DEI has to do, is say they want it, and because they currently have it, they would naturally have first dibs on it.  But if DEI wants to make some money, they could say they didn’t want to use it next year and have Hendrick “pay” them for the use of it.  Of course, there would be no guarantee that Hendrick would get it.  NASCAR could take offense to the “selling” of a number, and just hold on to it for a couple of years, thus screwing both DEI and Hendrick.

From Andy

to tonya:

It was mentioned in the article about Jimmy Johnson and his response to Jr coming to Hendricks on NASCAR’s website...it was one of the first articles on the Hendrick boys response to Jr & Rick’s announcement last Wednesday

On another note:  maybe it's my email but some of the articles that get featured in the email sometimes have their titles cut off...does anyone else having this problem...it's not on all of them...just on some of them

From Jo

renamed Sprint Cup in 2008

Now isn't that odd?  Cingular can't change to ATT but Nextel can change to Sprint.  I knew a long time ago OUR guys would be driving Sprint Cars!

Yea for Carl last week.  Good job.  And no JG or JJ!  Jo

You know, I was saying the same thing last night to Michael.  It will be very interesting to see how Sprint/NASCAR defend this one.  You just know that AT&T will bring this up in court.  I guess it will be a wait and see.  I hate those!

From Tom P

Very very possible to see Dale Jr in the Pepsi car next season!!

Bits and Pieces

Rockingham track to be auctioned

North Carolina Motor Speedway will be auctioned, according to a story in today's Richmond County Daily Journal, the local paper for the track.

The story says that Speedway Motorsports Inc. sent a letter to Rockingham Mayor Gene McLaurin notifying him of the impending sale.

The track, which was built in 1965 and used to host NASCAR Cup races, is owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc. According to the paper, SMI officials say they have been unable to sell the track and that "track rentals are simply not enough to keep the facility running."

SMI bought the track in 2004 and since that time it's lone race date was moved to Texas Motor Speedway. The 1.017-mile track is used by NASCAR teams to test for Cup and Busch races and has hosted special events.

No date has been set for the auction.

COT will test at Talladega

The Car of Tomorrow will race for the first time at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 7 in the UAW-Ford 500. It will mark the COT's first race at the superspeedways of Daytona or Talladega.

However the COT will actually take to Talladega Superspeedway about a month beforehand. NASCAR has announced that Tuesday, Sept. 11 will be the final on-track testing date of the 2007 season. NASCAR has granted that date to Talladega for teams to test their Car Of Tomorrow.

The new car will be come the standard racecar in the Nextel Cup Series in 2008.

Name Change Rumors Denied
By Greg Engle, Editor Cup Scene Daily

Dean Kessel, Sprint's marketing director, publicly denied Wednesday rumors that NASCAR’s Nextel Cup series would be renamed to the Sprint Cup Series in 2008. Late Wednesday NASCAR also said no decision has been made.

According to ESPN.com, Sprint will replace Nextel as NASCAR's title sponsor for its top series beginning in 2008. The website reported that ‘multiple high-ranking sources’, ‘speaking on the condition of anonymity’, have confirmed the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series will become the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next season.

Kessel said that Sprint/Nextel is still sorting out the proposition with NASCAR.

NASCAR also told USA Today that it was news to them.

“To my knowledge, no final decision has been made," said Ramsey Poston, NASCAR's managing director of corporate communications. "If that's the direction they want to go, we (NASCAR) would be supportive of that."

USA TODAY also reported that the topic of changing the NASCAR series name did not come up at Wednesday's corporate communications meeting.

In December 2004, well after Nextel had signed its multi-year deal with NASCAR, Sprint bought out the company for $35 billion, thus making Sprint/Nextel the country's third-largest wireless carrier at the time.

Since the acquisition, there have been talks and discussions about a potential name change in NASCAR's elite series, but nothing has been officially announced nor does there appear to be an announcement imminent.

Any potential name change would require significant lead-time in order to allow for NASCAR’s tracks and advertisers to change signage and prepare new advertising materials.

Four years ago Nextel took over what had been known as the Winston Cup Series for 31 years. The Winston Cup Series, was sponsored by R.J. Reynolds.

NASCAR Selling Busch and Truck Series to the NHRA
By Greg Engle, Editor Cup Scene Daily

According to several anonymous sources within NASCAR, the world’s largest stock car auto racing sanctioning body has sold its Busch and Truck Series to the National Hot Rod Association in order to focus their efforts on the soon to be renamed NASCAR Twinkie Cup Series.

A source at the NHRA said, “We got the going real fast part down, but might have to work on that turning left deal.”

The same NASCAR source, speaking on a condition of anonymity (and a cold ‘40’) said that NASCAR has sold the title rights to their top tier series to Hostess for a reported $140 billion and a preferred parking spot at the new NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Hostess, a division of Interstate Bakery Corporation is the maker of several popular snack cakes. When contacted for confirmation a spokesperson, who asked not to me named because he’s only in a ‘temp to perm’ position, said that indeed NASCAR had signed a deal and that 2008’s 10-race playoff now known as the Chase for the Nextel Cup will be called the NASCAR Chase for the Ding-Dong Cup (Cake).

He added that they would bring back trophy girls and call them Miss “Ho-Ho’s”.

The spokesperson also said that Twinkie’s would become the official snack cake of NASCAR and that a lifetime supply would be given to each season’s champion. He also said that they had already shipped 456 cases of Twinkies to four-time champion Jeff Gordon as a baby gift and ‘because he’s really skinny’.

When asked to clarify the spokesperson said they ‘had to go because the boss is coming’ and hung up.

Meanwhile the anonymous source back at NASCAR reported that NASCAR chairman Brian France would declare his candidacy for the 2008 Presidential Race and would run on a platform of declaring war on New York and forcing them to build a track there.

When contacted for comment, a White House spokesperson speaking on a condition of anonymity said that ‘Yes we have heard North Dakota has declared war on South Dakota because ‘you know how those southerners are’ and hung up.

Reached at NASCAR headquarters Brian France said, “Who are you and how did you get this number.”

Then the original NASCAR source confirmed that indeed he liked Twinkie’s almost too much and added, “Where the hell’s my ‘40’ man, I got to finish cleaning these bathrooms.”

Sony and Dale Jr. and more on Adidas: Sony will announce Thursday [6/21] that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has signed a personal endorsement contract with the high-end consumer electronics company. Adidas is set to announce another deal with Earnhardt next month. Sony was an easy choice for Earnhardt, an avid online racing gamer who likes high-tech gadgets and computers. He primarily will hawk high-definition products (such as TVs, camcorders, cameras and Blu-ray disc players) for Sony, joining Peyton Manning and Michelle Wie as its high-profile endorsers. (USA Today)

HOF plans 2^nd team in 2008  UPDATE: Hall of Fame Racing [#96 Tony Raines] co-owner, Troy Aikman, said Tuesday on ESPN2's NASCAR Now, that the team plans to have a 2nd car in 2008 and that they need the 2nd team to get to the next level.(6-6-2007) UPDATE: Bill Saunders, managing partner of Hall of Fame Racing, said he's pleased with how [driver Tony] Raines has performed, but that he won't decide whether Raines will return for 2008 until after the season. "As of right now, we're still committed to Tony, but there's a lot of this season to go," Saunders said. "We've got to make sure he continues to perform and that the team continues to perform." Saunders said the team has talked to different people and is hopeful it could have a second team for 2008, but no deal is imminent.(in part from the Dallas Morning News)

Johnson to be Featured on ESPN SportsCenter My Wish Series June 24-29: After a successful debut last year, ESPN SportsCenter’s “My Wish” series, which chronicles sports-themed wishes granted to children with life-threatening medical conditions, will be aired Sunday, June 24, through Friday, June 29. The five “My Wish” episodes will feature 2006 Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, all-pro quarterback Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, a past NBA Finals most valuable player, a popular World Series slugger and an athlete TBD.  Emmy Award-winning reporter Chris Connelly will again host. “My Wish” is presented by ESPN, in cooperation with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and The Walt Disney Company.  As part of the series, ESPN will help grant sports-related wishes with leading sports stars to five children referred by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  Each wish will then be the subject of one SportsCenter feature segment.  The SportsCenter segment will feature the reason for the wish, interviews with the kids and their families, and a behind-the-scenes look at the wish fulfilled, including the interaction between the youngster and the athlete. Several ESPN multimedia platforms such as ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, and ESPN360.com will offer additional and complementary content related to the five wish-granting experiences. Team ESPN encompasses ESPN’s multi-faceted corporate outreach initiatives, including volunteerism, corporate giving and cause marketing, while utilizing its diverse media assets.  Through Team ESPN, ESPN, its employees and its fans work together to make a difference more info at www.teamespn.com. The Disney VoluntEARS program provides opportunities for Disney employees to contribute their time and expertise towards making a positive impact in the communities they serve while furthering the traditions and ideals of The Walt Disney Company. For more information on Disney’s outreach efforts, please visit www.disneyhand.com. (ESPN PR)

NASCAR fans bolster young theft victim: NASCAR fans around the United States want to help Cody Copas. The Otterbein [Indiana] boy's collection of Jeff Gordon memorabilia, including pieces given to him by the NASCAR driver during a Make-A-Wish Foundation trip, was stolen last week from his father's home in West Lafayette. Offers to replace the items have come from NASCAR fans as far away as Maine, New Jersey and North Carolina. (for the full story and more info see the Journal and Courier)

Wiley X to sponsor Marlin at Sonoma: #14-Sterling Marlin will have Ginn Racing associate sponsor Wiley X as the primary sponsor on his #14 Chevy at Infineon Raceway this weekend. (Ginn Racing PR)

Kyle Busch’s Team Claims Pit Crew Challenge Win at Michigan: Kyle Busch's over-the-wall crew captured its first Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge win of the season in Sunday's Nextel Cup event at Michigan International Speedway. Spending 200.130 seconds on pit road, the Kellogg's team helped boost its driver to a sixth-place finish in the Citizens Bank 400. The team will be awarded $11,000 by Checkers/Rally's for winning the weekly competition. Busch's #5 crew, out of the Hendrick Motorsports stable, includes: Rick Pigeon (jackman), Jeremy "JD" Holcomb (front-tire carrier), DJ Richardson (front-tire changer), Jason Jones (rear-tire carrier), Josh Kirk (rear-tire changer), Brad Pickens (gasman), Jason Dalrymple (catch can), and Lee Deese (eighth-man). The team's pit crew coach is Mark Mauldin. Mark Martin's/Regan Smith's #01 crew leads the season long Double Drive-Thru standings with four wins. An additional $111,150 will be presented to the pit crew with the most wins at the completion of the 36-race Nextel Cup schedule. To win the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge, teams are required to finish on the lead lap while spending the least amount of time on pit road. Checkers/Rally's is in its third season as title sponsor for the pit crew challenge. Checkers/Rally's is the Official Burger and Drive-Thru Restaurant of NASCAR, more info at checkers.com. (DMF Communications PR)

TV Guide Magazine's Annual Mid-Season NASCAR Issue Revs Up For Second Half Of 2007 NEXTEL Cup Season With Four Collectible Covers And A Look At This Season's Top-5 Controversies - Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon Each Grace a Cover: Junior is shaking things up, the Hendrick boys are unstoppable, and the Car of Tomorrow is here today. The 2007 NASCAR tour has only reached the halfway point, but it’s already the most fascinating season in years. This week TV Guide explains why in its annual NASCAR mid-season issue (June 25 issue, on newsstands June 21), featuring a comprehensive tear-out schedule card and four collectible covers—one each with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Inside, the magazine examines those five key controversies everybody’s buzzing about on the road toward fall’s Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup.

Edwards' crewman Giacchi to lose beard on Trackside: Tom Giacchi, a childhood friend and motorcoach driver for NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Carl Edwards, will shave for the first time since Nov. 6, 2005 when he takes the stage Friday for Trackside on SPEED this weekend from Sonoma at 6 p.m. ET. Trackside, hosted by Steve Byrnes, Larry McReynolds, Jeff Hammond and NASCAR driver Elliott Sadler is a popular, light-hearted, live-audience pre-race show held on-site each weekend at the site of NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races. Giacchi, playfully known as “The Yeti,” gained popularity around the motor sports community, including sporting his own Web site (www.tomgiachhi.com) and fan club, when he committed to growing his facial hair until Edwards scored his next victory. Edwards went 52 races between victories, before winning last weekend in Michigan. - SPEED TV, Press Release

1961 Daytona 500 Champ Marvin Panch To Throw First Pitch In Devil Rays-Dodgers Game - DIS, Devil Rays Celebrate Racing Night In Advance Of Pepsi 400 Weekend: Marvin Panch, the 1961 Daytona 500 champion, will toss the ceremonial first pitch at Tropicana Field on Friday, June 22 as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers (TV – FSN Florida, 7 p.m.). On the brink of the Pepsi 400 Weekend on July 5-7 at historic Daytona International Speedway, Panch’s participation in the pre-game festivities is part of the Ray’s Racing Night celebration. Also planned for the night will be a display of various NASCAR stock cars including Panch’s 1961 winning Daytona 500 car, which he will drive to the mound for the first pitch, and the 2007 Pepsi 400 Chevrolet Monte Carlo pace car. In addition to the special Daytona International Speedway giveaways throughout the evening’s game, Panch will participate in a 45-minute autograph session before the game. The Pepsi 400, the mid-summer classic, is an Independence Day Weekend tradition featuring the stars of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series under the lights at the “World Center Of Racing.” Tony Stewart will be hunting for a record third consecutive Pepsi 400 victory in this year’s 160-lap, 400-mile event. The driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet will attempt to tie David Pearson’s record of three straight Pepsi 400 wins (1972-74). Also scheduled for the Pepsi 400 Weekend will be the sixth annual Winn-Dixie 250 presented by PepsiCo and Circle K Pole Qualifying Day for the Pepsi 400 on Friday, July 6 and the Brumos Porsche 250 Rolex Series race on Thursday night, July 5. For tickets to Racing Night with the Devil Rays, fans can call 1-888-FAN-RAYS or visit www.devilrays.com/racing. Tickets for Daytona International Speedway events, including the Pepsi 400 Weekend, are available online at www.racetickets.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. - Daytona International Speedway, Press Release

Michigan TV Ratings hard to gauge the TV Ratings at Michigan for the Nextel Cup race, this season, the race was televised on TNT, a cable network and garnered a rating of 3.3 with 3,650,000 households and 5,225,000 viewers. Last season the race was televised on FOX with a 4.5 ratings [no viewers numbers listed], but the rating is measured a little different from cable to network TV. The 2006 August race at MIS was on TNT and got a 4.1 cable rating.(Zap2it.com)

Dovre TV Ratings: The Autism 400 presented by VISA at Dover International Speedway was postponed from Sunday June 3, 2007 to Monday, June 4th and televised on FOX, the ratings as found on Zap2it.com were a 2.3 rating and a /7 share with 2,602,000 households and 3,375,000 viewers. In 2006, the Dover race was televised on FX cable network and drew a 3.7 with 5,969,000 viewers.

Gibson Wins WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race

BROOKLYN, Michigan (June 17, 2007) – Amidst the media cloud and controversy that surrounded Dale Earnhardt Incorporated this week following the announcement of Dale Earnhardt Jr. moving to a new camp for 2008, the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet team was determined to prove they were still focused on giving solid performances. With their team leader, Tony Eury Jr., still serving the remainder of his suspension, it was left up to substitute crew chief, Tony Gibson, to lead the DEI team. Gibson rallied his crew during the Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan International Speedway while tending to front end damage and handling problems, enabling his team to finish strong, gaining a well-deserved fifth place finish. For his ability to keep the crew focused on the task at hand by providing solid race day leadership, Gibson was awarded the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. After starting from 23rd position for the 200-lap race, the No. 8 Budweiser team went looking for early track position during the first caution on lap 52. Gibson called for and was given a slick two-tire pit stop resulting in Earnhardt Jr. sitting in second place as the race went back to green. However, pressure built after the second caution on lap 69 as Earnhardt Jr. ran over debris resulting in some front-end damage to the Chevrolet, giving the car major handling problems. Gibson was able to calm his crew and with a caution on lap 76, the team was able to fix the problem within three separate pit stops. With the handling problem mended, Gibson returned to the task of getting the No. 8 to the front. As the field cycled through green flag pit stops on lap 117, Earnhardt Jr. went to the lead and picked up the valuable five-point bonus. Gibson and his crew were able to maintain a strong position for the remainder of the race, finishing the day with their second top-five for the season.

At the conclusion of the race, Gibson was able to explain the mid-race problems the team faced. “We started out very loose and hoped that the heat of the day would tighten the car over time,” said Gibson. “The eight car ran over something when exiting the pits and damaged the front end. Fortunately for us, a caution came out and the crew was able to fix the problem in a couple of stops." A panel of voters, including a member of the local media, Kenny Francis, Robbie Reiser and a WYPALL* Wipers representative, all agreed Gibson was the deserving crew chief of the race winner. “Tony [Gibson] did an awesome job out there today keeping his team together with the problems they were facing,” said Reiser. “With a lot of other stuff going on over there right now it was great to see them keep their minds on the job and come out with a great result.”

As the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race, Gibson received $1,000. Earning his first crew chief of the race award puts Gibson tied for second place in the overall standings. Robbie Reiser and Chad Knaus are tied for first, each with two wins. Tony Gibson, Steve Letarte, Mike Nelson, Darian Grubb, Larry Carter, Mike Ford, Alan Gustafson, Chip Bolin, Ryan Pemberton, Donnie Wingo and Tony Eury Jr. each have one win. At the end of the season, the crew chief with the most wins will receive $20,000 and be crowned WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Year.

Fans Back Earnhardt’s Move to Hendrick

By LARRY LAGE/AP Sports Writer

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) -- Eileen Hill was slicing potatoes and onions under the awning of her camper, covered in Dale Earnhardt Jr. garb close to a red chair with a No. 8 - of course.

The Earnhardt fan had a few days to reflect on her favorite driver's decision to switch allegiances next year and her opinion was absolute.

"I'm not rooting for Jeff Gordon," she said with a hearty laugh. "But I'll follow Junior to whatever team he goes to."

Earnhardt announced last week that he's joining Hendrick Motorsports next year - leaving his late father's company - in a move that has been the talk of NASCAR.

On the infield, near the garages and at the souvenir trailers before Sunday's race at Michigan International Speedway, Junior's fans supported his decision - even if it costs them a lot of money.

"I'm going to need a whole, new wardrobe," Hill said.

Mike Hill, her husband, sighed a few feet away.

"Oh no," he said.

Then his wife pulled up her left pant leg to proudly show off a '3' tattoo within a red heart on her ankle. It was a tribute to Earnhardt Sr.

"I'm glad I didn't get the No. 8 tattooed on me, too," she said.

Since 1999, Junior has driven the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet.

The number and beer synonymous with him that is plastered on his clothing and merchandise might be outdated after this season.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. is willing to entertain offers for Junior to take No. 8 with him, but DEI officials said last week he has not made a formal request for it. Teresa Earnhardt, his stepmother, leases the rights to the number that was also used by his grandfather, Ralph.

NASCAR owns the numbers, but gives first choice to the team that held the number the previous year. Only in rare circumstances does NASCAR not offer the number to the same team that held it the year before.

"It would be great to keep the 8. I'm sure my fans would appreciate that," Junior said. "You kind of have to keep the mind-set that you might have to change numbers, so you start looking at other numbers.

"There are a lot of numbers out there that I could use or would use or would like to use. It would be kind of cool."

Anheuser-Busch officials would like to stick with the NASCAR's iconic driver, but Rick Hendrick has four primary sponsors under contract through next year and he doesn't plan to alter those deals just to open a spot for Bud.

If Earnhardt is promoting another beer, bottled water or even toothpicks, chances are Rick Kilbride will support the product.

The 50-year-old fan was standing among about 100 people outside Junior's souvenir trailers on Sunday after adding key chains and a hat to what he called an "extreme" collection.

"I've got six or eight leather coats that I bought and just hang on the wall. I'll buy anything that has Jr. on it - toilet paper, Kleenex," Kilbride said. "When he goes to Hendrick's, I'll keep buying more of his stuff. It doesn't matter who he's driving with."

Souvenir trailers throughout the Irish Hills, located about 75 miles west of Detroit, paid tribute to the fan base known as the "Red Army," sporting Junior's name, number or beer of choice on bandanas, hats, T-shirts, jerseys, bikinis, sunglasses and headphones.

Ron Arnold said he's going to save Junior's old merchandise, especially a collection of his diecast cars that includes Busch models from the late 1990s.

"They're going to be collector's items down the road," the 40-year-old fan from Kalamazoo said. "When he makes the move, I'll buy his new stuff. When it comes out, I'll get it."

Arnold's obsession is not unique.

Junior-related merchandise accounts for about 30 percent of NASCAR's sales.

Earnhardt makes an estimated $20 million annually, half of which is believed to come from merchandise sales.

When Earnhardt announced May 10 he was leaving DEI, he worried about how his loyal followers would react.

He didn't have to fret long.

Sales of Earnhardt merchandise at race tracks are up 17 percent since his May 10 announcement, industry analysts said. At NASCAR.com, where his figures spiked 107 percent the first week, sales have now leveled off but are still slightly above last season's pace.

On the wall of Junior's pit at MIS, one of the written messages included: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Welcome to a winning team. HMS."

Junior said he has been surprised by the support.

"You didn't really know what their reaction was going to be, but they've always been supportive in the past," he said. "Certainly, this is a little bit bigger deal than anything else I've ever done, and they continue to be supportive."

Rudd driven to defend teammate Gilliland

By BILL FLEISCHMAN/For the Daily News

A couple of veteran drivers with superior road-racing skills are scheduled to participate in Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Sonoma, Calif.

After a year off, Ricky Rudd is back driving for Robert Yates Racing. Rudd won the 2002 race at Sonoma while driving for Yates.

Terry Labonte, in his first year of retirement, is scheduled to fill in for Michael Waltrip in the No. 55 Toyota, even though Waltrip has completed the most laps (1,658) of any driver at Sonoma. Waltrip expects Labonte to bring a fresh perspective to the team.

Rudd and Labonte, both 50, know their way around the 11-turn Infineon Raceway. Labonte, driving part-time in 2006, finished third in last year's race. The two-time Cup champion led 17 laps late in the race before Jeff Gordon passed him and won.

Rudd also believes in speaking up when he thinks a teammate has been unjustly accused. Rookie David Gilliland is Rudd's teammate. The 31-year-old Californian attracted attention by earning the pole position for the season-opening Daytona 500.

Since finishing eighth at Daytona, however, Gilliland has struggled. His best finish was fourth at Talladega, the only other restrictor-plate race on the schedule. He is 32nd in the points standings.

Gilliland angered Tony Stewart with a late-race bump at Talladega. Stewart also was upset with Gilliland after an incident in last Saturday's practice session before the Michigan race. Stewart indicated that Gilliland slowed down without alerting his fellow drivers. Stewart's Chevrolet required repair after clipping the left rear corner of Gilliland's Ford.

Referring to Stewart, Rudd said in a conference call Tuesday: "You can't question his driver ability. Everybody knows he's one of the best, if not the best, out there. But he has a habit of running his mouth at the wrong time.

"David got blamed for that wreck, but it wasn't David's fault. The videotape clearly shows what happened and Tony screwed up. He just misjudged his distance and ran into the back of David. David doesn't really have a presence [in the Cup series]. He can't fight that battle."

Late in the Cup race earlier this month at Dover, Del., Gilliland and Rudd were involved in a wreck when neither was contending for the win.

"If David was guilty of anything," Rudd explained, "it was trying too hard. He actually moved down on the racetrack to let me pass. When he moved down, he picked the worst spot to do it because there's a really slick spot coming off Turn 4. It broke his car loose. He overcorrected and hit me and took me out of the race."

Before Daytona, Rudd was clearly impressed by Gilliland's racing ability. Despite experiencing typical rookie problems, Rudd is still impressed with him.

"David definitely belongs in Cup racing," Rudd said. "He has all the talents and he adapts quicker than anybody I've ever seen when we go to a [new] race track. He's right up to speed immediately."

Good choice for Junior

Terry Labonte drove for Rick Hendrick for his final 13 years in the Cup series (one title, 1996) so it's timely to ask Labonte his opinion on Dale Earnhardt Jr. joining Hendrick Motorsports next year.

"I think it is absolutely the best place for [Junior] to go," Labonte said. "That is going to be a great relationship."

Can he control Kurt?

Kurt Busch's racing talent ranks with the best in NASCAR. But the 2004 Cup champion has a flaw when it comes to controlling his emotions.

Busch was fined $100,000 by NASCAR, lost 100 points and was placed on probation for endangering a member of Tony Stewart's crew on pit road during the Cup race at Dover earlier this month.

Now, it's Pat Tryson's responsibility to keep Busch under control. Tryson, a veteran Cup crew chief from Malvern, joined Busch's Dodge team at Penske Racing on Tuesday.

"Kurt is a competitor," Tryson said. "He wants to win. His desire to win is so great that he gets himself in trouble some times. Hopefully, we can help him with that. He's a really good guy."

Through last year, Tryson was Mark Martin's crew chief. Martin, Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson are the only three drivers to qualify for all three Chases for the Championship.

"Mark has done a lot for me," Tryson said. "He talked highly about me to other teams."

This year, Tryson switched to Greg Biffle's team in the Roush Fenway stable. After 11 races, Tryson was released.

WIN-WIN SITUATION

Rookie shares duties with Mark Martin and makes the most of his opportunity

By JIM PEDLEY/The Kansas City Star

Yes, Regan Smith says, of course he wants to be a full-time driver in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series.

But part-time opportunities like the one he has been handed this year don’t come knocking all that often.

In exchange for racing just 16 times in a Cup car this season, and helping to offset the fact that he will give up his only chance to become a rookie of the year, Smith is being mentored by Mark Martin. It is an opportunity that no amount of money could buy.

“For me,” Smith said, “this is the best-case scenario. The pressure is off. It’s not like I’m being thrown to the wolves.”

From the look of things so far, the scenario looks like it also is going to be a great-case scenario for Ginn Racing, the team which has paired him with Martin.

Smith is a 23-year-old native of Cato, N.Y. He started racing quarter-midget cars at age 4 and after the first couple of laps, he knew what he wanted to do with his life.

“I liked it because I was good at it,” Smith said. “At first, it was just something to do with my family. Saturday afternoons at the track. But I was doing really, really well at it. Other guys were good at football, baseball and that kind of stuff. I was good at racing.”

The thing is, lots of youngsters are good at racing. There are enough local, regional and national youth-racing series and cheesy plastic trophies out there, that thousands of kids spend their early years thinking about driving careers.

Smith, however, climbed as others dreamed. Karts, ProCup stocks and finally, in 2003, he got a ride in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series. From there, it was up to Busch in 2002.

A lot of promising careers stop right there — in the slow cars of second-tier teams which founder and fade one step from the top. Smith looked like a candidate for that fate as he had one top-10 finish in 85 career Busch races at the end of 2006.

But he also caught the eye of Jay Frye, the chief executive officer and general manager of Ginn Racing.

Without a set plan for him, Frye hired Smith.

“We’ve watched him,” Frye said of Smith. “We knew his teams had struggled. I don’t want to say anything bad about those teams, but they were single-car teams.”

Last fall, Smith got his marching orders. He would drive a full-time Busch car and, best of all, pull up a chair under Martin’s wing.

“It kind of floored me when he (Frye) laid it all out, when he sat me down and told me I was going to be sharing a car with Mark Martin,” Smith said. “Pretty awesome. We’ve definitely become good friends. Any questions, he said, just call and he’d help. He said it’s an open line.”

Smith popped the line open for the first time last October. After a couple of days summoning up courage, Smith called Martin.

“I didn’t want to say anything stupid,” Smith said. “I was talking for the first time to one of the giants of the sport.”

Martin reports that nothing stupid was said.

“Regan and I had a great conversation and we were on the same page,” Martin said. “He’s eager and wants to learn. But at the same time, he knows that patience is vital in enjoying future success. This is an exciting time for the both of us.”

After the call, Smith looked down at his hands.

“I kind of compared that call to a qualifying lap in Atlanta or someplace where we run wide open,” Smith said. “When you come in after a good lap in Atlanta, your hands should be shaking and the palms sweaty. That’s just the way I felt after the phone call with Mark.”

Smith has driven three Cup races in Martin’s No. 01 Army-sponsored car this season. His best finish is 24th, but the three races have been some of the toughest on the schedule — Bristol, Martinsville and Talladega. His next Cup race is scheduled for Sunday on the road course at Infineon Raceway.

In the Busch series, Smith has been terrific. He is fifth in the standings and is the highest-ranked driver among those not racing full time in Cup.

“He’s a sponge,” Frye said. “He listens to everything he’s told. Absolutely he is the future of this team.”

Martin did not dissent.

“I like everything that I see about him,” Martin said. “He’s the real deal.” 

Dale Jr.’s one choice; Kyle Busch’s many options

Darrell Waltrip/AllWaltrip.com

Folks, I've watched the last few weeks at Dover and then Michigan, and you're seeing why Dale Earnhardt Jr. was so upset with Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Forget the personal relationships and all of the other things. Dale Jr. has been saying for quite some time now that the organization just wasn't getting the results. Their cars weren't performing, and the teams weren't doing what they needed to be successful. With the strong runs that Martin Truex Jr.'s car has had recently, it justifies Dale Jr.'s frustration.

Junior knew that they had the potential to run up front, but they just weren't getting it done. His departure has really motivated everybody at DEI to step it up and make their cars better. They've done it. Obviously, Martin has been awesome the last few weeks, and Junior hasn't been bad. Once they realized that he was out of there, it was a wake-up call. That's why you're seeing the kind of results you're seeing. Both cars ran well at Michigan, and Martin almost won again.

A lot of people have e-mailed, called and stopped me on the street to say, "How did you know that Junior was going to Hendrick?" Folks, just stop and think about it. When Dale Jr. announced that he was going to leave DEI, he and I talked for quite some time about what he was going to do. At that point, he hadn't made up his mind and really didn't know what he was going to do. He just knew he was leaving DEI, and we talked about a lot of different scenarios.

He asked me how I felt about driving the No. 3 car. As a fan, I thought the racing world would be right if Dale Jr. got in that car and drove it for Childress. Then, he explained to me why he didn't feel good about it and how it was his dad's car, number and legacy. He didn't want to go back and relive it all. I can understand why he feels that way.

If he had gotten behind the wheel of the black No. 3, he would have been living in the shadows of someone as great as Dale Sr., and he would have been compared to him all the time. People would have said, "Well, Dale Jr. doesn't drive the car like Dale Sr. did." Or "Well, Dale Jr. never won a championship in the No. 3 car."

Then, it just became a matter of him asking what I thought he should do. I told him that if I could do a deal with anybody, I would do a deal with Rick Hendrick. He said, "Yeah, I just don't know if that's going to be possible." I said, "Well, take my advice if you can. Cale Yarborough advised me back in '81 to drive for Junior Johnson, and I did. That's the best advice anybody ever gave me. If there's any way possible, I'm advising you to drive for Rick Hendrick."

It's not like I had a crystal ball or inside information. I knew where Dale Jr. stood, and I knew how he felt. I knew that Hendrick Motorsports was the right place for him. I'm glad they were able to work it out. As far as his sponsors and his number go, anything with an 8 is going to work. And I think that's his opinion, too. He has said 81, and I said 08. And who knows? Maybe Teresa will feel charitable and work out something with Hendrick Motorsports so they can keep the 8 number. That would be special to Dale Jr. because that's his number, and he would like it a lot. Out of the goodness of her heart, I'd like to see Teresa do that for him.

People keep speculating about the sponsor, and again, I have no inside information. But I do think that there are a number of really good potential sponsors, not that Budweiser hasn't been good to Dale Jr. And Dale Jr. has been good to Budweiser. I just believe that he wants to wipe the slate clean and start with a clean sheet of paper, and he'll do that by finding another sponsor, instead of Budweiser. That's what they're thinking about doing.

I just love his sister Kelley. She's been by his side the whole time. My sister Carolyn has stuck by me through thick and thin. When I didn't have enough money to pay my bills, she helped me manage my money, keep me out of debt and keep me out of trouble. She gave me a lot of good advice through the years so I love my sister Carolyn just like Junior loves Kelley. When their parents sent Junior to military school, he was lonely, and he wasn't getting along too well. What did Kelley do? She went down there and stood by him. She's been standing by him and standing with him ever since. It's great to have a sister that loves and cares about you. I'm really proud of the way Kelley has worked through this whole situation so I tip my hat to her.

Oh, by the way

People keep wanting to know where Kyle Busch is going to go. I think he may go to Ginn Racing or Haas/CNC Racing. I really feel like he'll go to a team that's affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports. Rick may be trying to find a ride that's still sort of in the family. I know for a fact that Rick thinks a lot of Kyle. They've just had some real issues with his attitude and some problems that they just can't seem to get corrected. But it's not for a lack of effort on Rick's part.

I don't think Rick is just going to dump on him and kick him out the door. I think he's going to try to help him land where he can get some more experience, get a handle on his attitude and get a handle on his temper. You'll hear a lot about that kid because he can win races anywhere he goes. He's just got to learn how to control his emotions. At 22 years of age, it's a pretty daunting task, but he'll figure it out.

It reminds me of something Robert Gee, Dale Jr.'s grandfather, always said when somebody would get mad, fly off the handle and storm around. Robert would ask, "What's wrong with you, boy? Did you lose your temper?" Of course whoever it was would say, "Yeah." Robert would reply, "Well, I'm here to help you find it." Kyle needs somebody to help him find his temper because tempered he's going to be a whale of a driver. He's got a great future ahead of him and a lot of years to get it right. I'm sure he will.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

By The Numbers

Infineon

By Jarrod Breeze, NASCAR.COM

Jeff Gordon will be the talk of Sonoma this week when the Nextel Cup Series goes road racing for the first time this season.

Not because he leads the points. He's been in that position since the fifth week of the season.

Partly because he just became a father for the first time. Wife Ingrid Vandebosch gave birth to daughter Ella Sofia Gordon on Wednesday morning.

But mostly because Gordon is the king of the road. His nine career road-course victories are the most of any active driver and matched only by Bobby Allison.

Gordon has five career wins at Infineon Raceway, all coming in the past nine races. He is the only driver in the track's 18-race history to win in consecutive years, which he did from 1998-2000. In 14 career starts at Infineon, Gordon has nine top-fives and 10 top-10s.

On the other end of the spectrum, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth each have made seven starts at Infineon without a top-10 finish.

For Junior, it's just one of only two tracks that hold such a distinction in his career (Homestead-Miami). His 23.3 average finish at Sonoma is the worst of any current track at which he has competed.

Infineon is the only track where Kenseth have never finished in the top 10 and only of of two (Homestead-Miami) at which he has failed to lead a lap.

Interesting Fact

Fun Fact

All the Facts

NASCAR teams smoking less thanks to QUIT Crew

By Ron Lemasters Jr.

Four years ago, you couldn't go 10 feet in the NASCAR garage area without seeing someone smoking a cigarette, fiddling with the pack or searching for a lighter.

Now, you can go 10 miles. At least that's the way it seems. Since Winston left as the series sponsor at the end of the 2003 season, it's something you hardly see anymore. Of course, now everyone has a cell phone instead.

Part of the reason for this is that Winston no longer brought bales and boxes of cigarettes to the track. The other reason is programs like the QUIT Crew, from official NASCAR sponsor Nicorette.

Beginning in 2005, Nicorette came aboard as an official sponsor and developed associate sponsorships with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Petty Enterprises, Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and more.

How ironic is it that a company that would have been shown the gates under Winston sponsorship is now enjoying not only a solid business platform with NASCAR, but is actively helping the community as a whole?

"Honestly, when we entered the sport, I don't think we knew at what level we'd be accepted," said Steve Kapur, senior promotion manager for Nicorette. "We have tried to be respectful and there to help when people are ready to quit. We haven't elbowed our way in or pushed our way in. What's happening, and we experience this in the exhibit area every weekend, is that people are approaching us and asking for help. Overall, people are more interested in healthy lifestyles, and these are products that are consistent with what they're looking for."

Kapur oversees a program that not only brings answers to hundreds of thousands of fans every year, but has generated quite a following inside the garage area as well.

"The QUIT Crew began with us helping the guys on the race team quit smoking, not just the over-the-wall guys, but even the people back in the office and at the shop," he said. "It started when one of the guys on the Ganassi Racing crew approached us about quitting smoking. We worked with him, and a guy named Frank Vitale, who trains smoking cessation counselors all over the world on how to do this. We put together a program with Ganassi that we tested, and we had a lot of people sign up and we had terrific results in terms of people being successful."

That success led to expansion, Kapur said.

"The next year we added the program; in addition to doing it with Ganassi for another year we added Petty, Hendrick, Childress, Gibbs, a dozen people in the media center and a dozen NASCAR officials. We have been experiencing success rates with the NASCAR community that are more than double what the general population experiences. We think it's because it's a family, and people support each other."

The NASCAR community has been getting healthier for years, with many of the teams involved in competitive sports like softball, flag football and the like. Several drivers are serious runners, and most have workout regimens designed to improve their performances in the car.

Kapur said the QUIT Crew was designed to take advantage of both the team nature of the sport itself and the natural competitiveness of the team members.

"Race teams are as much a team as any football team or baseball team," he said. "They care about each other, they understand the interaction between what each of the jobs do to contribute to success. And, by the way, they are a pretty competitive bunch, too. That helps."

That competition has spread its way around the garage area.

"We had more than 200 people on the program last year, and all the shops that ran the program are re-running it; we have five more shops that are taking the program, so it's expanding to the point where probably 75 percent of the cars on the track, those organizations have somebody in the program."

One of the biggest coups Kapur and his QUIT Crew have managed is NASCAR itself. According to Kapur, NASCAR is running the QUIT Crew program at its main office in Daytona Beach, Fla., and in the New York office.

We're really excited at the expansion," Kapur said. "We're going from six teams last year to probably 12 teams this year and NASCAR running the program for all its employees."

The traveling exhibit makes 30 stops a year with NASCAR, and it is full of counselors who can assist anyone who wishes on the program, using Nicorette gum, the NicoDerm CQ transdermal patch and Commit lozenges.

"We have a mixture of fun, a simulator car and professional counselors who coach people on how to quit smoking," Kapur said. "It's really been expanding every year."

Kapur also noted that the company's special paint schemes, this year on Jeff Gordon's DuPont Chevrolets, have boosted awareness exponentially.

HELLO:  NASCAR baggage hits Bay area

By Mike Mulhern/JOURNALL REPORTER

As NASCAR teams descend upon San Francisco today, to celebrate the first day of summer and the 40th anniversary of the “Summer of Love” in the 1960s’ center of the universe, it doesn’t appear that they’re bringing much good karma.

For one, there’s the AT&T challenge to the France family’s rule.

And NASCAR is watching the success of Lewis Hamilton in Formula One racing, while its efforts to create such successful diversity founders.

And the still controversial car of tomorrow will make its road-course debut this weekend.

Three years ago, NASCAR executives emphatically killed AT&T’s plans to put its blue oval logo on any Nextel Cup cars, and that brush-off may be partly behind AT&T’s in-your-face charge back into the sport with a legal attack on NASCAR’s exclusivity sponsorship deal with Nextel.

Neither side appears to be backing down.

This battle has all the earmarks of two proud companies willing to send legions of lawyers into the fray just to make a point. Compromise seems unlikely. The France family, which owns NASCAR, has won most of its legal battles over the years, but this one could be the costliest one yet, because AT&T has very deep pockets.

Yet, it isn’t at all clear whether a NASCAR loss would be a plus or a minus for the sport in the big picture. Is exclusivity really good for the sport, or would a level playing field, more open, actually generate better returns?

One reason for this showdown is NASCAR’s search for a company willing to fork over $30 million a year to sponsor its Busch series, with Anheuser-Busch pulling out at the end of the season after 25 years. Whether the Busch series is actually worth that much money is questionable, and the new Montreal stop in a few weeks could provide some answers.

But it’s hard to see how NASCAR could come up with anything in Montreal to top Hamilton’s victory there. It’s considered one of the biggest wins by a black driver in the history of motorsports, a win that Hamilton proved was no fluke with a rousing victory in the U.S. Grand Prix this past Sunday.

It is another subtle reminder of NASCAR’s lack of success in its diversity efforts.

Wouldn’t a win here by Juan Pablo Montoya, the former Formula One star now a NASCAR rookie, be a neat stopper?’

Too neat, of course.

And Sunday’s Save Mart 350 is a car-of-tomorrow race, the first on a road course.

Drivers, who are still displeased with the handling of the new car, expect a handful here. Most troublesome is the prospect of brake problems, on a track where about the only way to pass is to try to out-brake someone into the corner. This could be the nastiest road course race in some time, and qualifying could be particularly brutal.

Head2Head

Ringers

Is it good for teams to use road-course ringers?

By NASCAR.COM

This week's hot-button debate focuses on road-course ringers.

Each time the Nextel Cup Series hits one of the two road courses on the schedule, a group of specialists show up either in their own cars or with a team that uses them as hired guns instead of their normal driver.

Is it good for teams to hire road-course ringers?