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Happy Hump Day. I’m back! Hope everyone had a great week.
Today In Nascar History
May 7, 1989: Davey Allison takes the No. 28 to victory lane in the Winston 500 at Talladega to give Yates Racing its first NASCAR victory. Yates gets win No. 2 six races later when Allison wins the Pepsi 400 at Daytona.
Number of the Day
50: Kyle Petty's Cup races at Darlington, the most among active drivers without a victory. Petty's best finish is sixth in 1991, one of five top 10s at the track. Ken Schrader is next, winless in 43 races, followed by Michael Waltrip, who is winless in 41 races. The Sprint Cup Series is at Darlington this week for Saturday night's Dodge Challenger 500.
It’s in the squeal of rubber, the scream of the engine and the roar of humanity seeing one of its own triumph
against the odds. It’s there in a last lap duel. Joyous as Victory Lane, devastating as hitting the rail. Here, life lessons are learnt and man it’s as obvious as the number of the car in pole position.
It’s simple – NASCAR born in America.
Most Popular Driver…
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Quote of the Year
"NASCAR ain't doing nothing I like right now." "I don't like the rules they are doing...you can bump somebody and they want to fine you for it." Pearson saw the look on Carl Edwards face and made sure to say he knew that Edwards could not speak-up or he would get fined.
--David Pearson
Bits and Pieces
Wood Brothers Racing Brings Back Mercury Paint Scheme: Wood
Brothers Racing will be placing its 1971 Mercury paint scheme on the #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion in Darlington this weekend for the Dodge Challenger 500 on Saturday night, May 10th. Bill Elliott will drive the #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion with the vintage paint scheme. The candy apple red and white COT with the signature gold numbers will commemorate a time in Wood Brother's racing history when David Pearson drove the #21 to five wins and eight pole starting positions at Darlington Raceway. The #21 Purolator Mercury moved back into the racing scene when Leonard Wood recently restored the race car that was housed in the Darlington Raceway Museum for over 30 years. David Pearson and Carl Edwards brought modern and classic race cars together again in a media event for the newly surfaced raceway in April. Pearson made laps in the original Mercury as Carl Edwards followed in the new COT style race car. Leonard Wood stood by and buckled Pearson in, as he did as Pearson’s
crew chief years ago. Scenes of the special feature will air during the pre-race show NASCAR Raceday on Speed Saturday, May 10th at 5:00pm/et.(Wood Brothers Racing)
Marlin back in the #40; Franchitti update: Former CGRFS driver Sterling Marlin will drive the #40 Dodge Challenger in this Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway, while its full-time driver Dario Franchitti continues to recover from a race injury
he received in the NNS event at Talladega Superspeedway last month (April 26). At this time, Marlin is confirmed to drive for CGRFS at Darlington only. He raced full-time for CGRFS when the team started in 2001 and drove for CGRFS from 2001-2005 tallying 172 starts, four wins, three poles, 24 top-fives, 57 top-10s and led a total of 1,444 laps. Marlin also tested the #40 Monday and Tuesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway Franchitti Update: Dario Franchitti, full-time driver of the #40 CGRFS Dodge, will sit out this weekend's NSCS race at Darlington Raceway. Franchitti was fitted for a carbon fiber brace last week but will take another weekend off to give his ankle more time to heal. His status behind the wheel of the #40 Dodge will continue to be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.
Speical Scheme: The #40 Dodge will feature the new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 on its hood this weekend in Darlington, S.C. Powered by a 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 engine that produces 425 horsepower, the Challenger SRT8 is true to its historical roots, but with modern features that customers expect like SIRIUS Satellite radio, UConnect hands-free phone and MyGIG infotainment system featuring a 30 gig hard drive. For more information about the new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8, go to www.dodge.com.(CGRFS)
Waltrip to make 700th career start: #55-Michael Waltrip will be competing in his 700th Sprint Cup race when the 11th event of the 2008 Sprint Cup season, the Dodge Challenger 500, gets underway at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. He is currently tied with Buddy Baker for 13th on the all-time starts list.(MWR)
Mears says he is good thru 2009: from a Casey Mears Press Conference Transcript: In the last week or two we've had a lot of discussion about Tony Stewart and his contract situation moving forward, and your name has popped up a couple times in different discussions just because of the fact that he's going to be a free agent and obviously that would be a big coup. How do you feel about your position at Hendrick going forward, and do you think you're solid in there for the foreseeable future? "No, I feel good. We're solid for next year and definitely focused on moving forward. Rick has stated that several times, that things are where they're going to be, and we're moving forward for next year. We're just getting started again."(GM Racing)
Armed Forces Unite for Major Military Tribute by NASCAR Drivers: Six Sprint Cup drivers and two Nationwide Series drivers will lead all NASCAR fans in the USO Salute the Troops Memorial Day tribute to the armed forces on Saturday, May 24th, and Sunday, May 25th, at Lowe's Motor Speedway to kick off a nationwide effort to raise funds for military families worldwide. All will drive specially designed cars supporting branches of the military. Participating drivers include #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr., #24-Jeff Gordon, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #07-Clint Bowyer,
#8-Mark Martin, #21-Jon Wood, Brad Keselowski, Cale Gale and NHRA's Tony Schumacher. Several of those drivers, including Mark Martin, Jon Wood and Brad Keselowski were at Lowe's Motor Speedway today for the unveiling of the special cars. Distinguished members of the military kicked off the Salute the Troops tribute in grand style with a military color guard presentation and the presentation of the cars that will run in the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300, Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day and the O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals the previous weekend to show their support for America's armed forces. The USO Salute the Troops program hopes to raise funds for American military families in need through the effort. The NASCAR and NHRA team owners, sponsors, drivers and employees donated the space on their cars to collectively thank the armed forces at the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300, Coca-Cola 600 and O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Diecast models and officially licensed
merchandise of the participating drivers will be available for sale through Motorsports Authentics. "It is an honor for Motorsports Authentics to be a part of this program with Speedway Motorsports, General Sadler, Victory Management and the teams," said Mark Dyer, president of Motorsports Authentics. "All of the men and women serving selflessly in the military are heroes and we recognize their immense sacrifice. This is a great opportunity to recognize, celebrate and support them in a meaningful way. Our sincere hope is that people will come out in force to show their support of this program and to help the heroes among us." Lowe's Motor Speedway, Motorsports Authentics, Victory Management Group and the NASCAR and NHRA teams and their respective sponsors developed the program. JHE Productions and Lowe's Motor Speedway will collaborate to create a fantastic pre-race tribute presentation. Two major organizations will work together to promote the Salute the Troops Memorial
Day Tribute and support the event's fundraising efforts: The USO and Speedway Children's Charities.
Big Red back on the #42: Wrigley's Big Red brand will once again adorn the hood of the #42 Dodge Charger that Juan Pablo Montoya will pilot at Darlington Raceway this weekend. This will be the third race for the Big Red paint scheme this season.(CGRFS)
MRN to air June New Hampshire race: Motor Racing Network will handle the radio broadcast of the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races June 28-29 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway, spokesman Wes Harris of MRN parent company International Speedway Corp. said Tuesday afternoon. Motor Racing Network, owned by the France family-controlled ISC and rival Performance Racing Network are involved in lawsuits over the radio broadcast rights stemming from PRN parent company Speedway Motorpsorts Inc.'s purchase
of the track in January. PRN typically broadcasts the Nationwide and Cup races from SMI tracks. A partial settlement in their court battles has resulted in MRN being granted the exclusive broadcast rights for June and for the two sides to enter mediation in hopes of settling which network will broadcast the September 2008 weekend as well as the 2009 and 2010 weekends, Harris said. If the two sides can’t agree on a settlement on what should happen beyond June, they will return to court in 60 days, according to court documents.(SceneDaily)
Jack is back on the #07: After a three-race hiatus, Clint Bowyer's #07 Chevy returns to its traditional black and white Jack Daniel's paint scheme this weekend at Darlington. Jack Daniel's will be the primary sponsor on RCR's #07 entry for the remainder of the 2008 schedule with the exception of Dover in June and Watkins Glen in August when DIRECTV will assume the primary sponsorship position.(RCR)
Harvick approaching DNF record: #29-Kevin Harvick has not recorded a DNF in 54 consecutive races, which is the longest active streak. Harvick holds the modern era (1972-present) record with 58 consecutive races without a DNF (10/3/2002-8/1/2004).(RCR)
Waltrip Honors Friend, McDowell Pays Special Tribute to Mother: For Brain Cancer
Awareness week May 4-10, Michael Waltrip designed a special paint scheme for the #00 Toyota Camry to honor his dearly departed friend Max Helton who was instrumental in establishing Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) in 1988. "Max was a really special person in my life," Waltrip said. "I cherished the time I spent with him and the positive influence he had on me. We will miss him, but we will never forget him." Helton's vision came to life with the help of Darrell and Stevie Waltrip and so many others. Michael befriended Helton in the late 80's as he began work in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing community providing ministries for drivers, team members, family and friends. "I don't believe our racing family would have the continuity and the family atmosphere it has if it wasn't for Max and MRO," Darrell Waltrip said. "Max came to my wife Stevie and me in Riverside, California in 1987 and said he wanted to start a ministry in NASCAR. He said he was willing to move to North
Carolina. We were excited because he was an ordained minister. When he came to NASCAR, people immediately fell in love with him. I am so proud of Michael Waltrip and Michael McDowell for recognizing his accomplishments. Max meant a lot to everyone in this sport." This weekend is also Mother's Day and Michael Waltrip wanted to also pay tribute to mothers with a "Love You Mom" decal on the back of the #00 Toyota Camry. "We put a special note on McDowell's car to all the mothers watching the race on Saturday," Waltrip said. "Our mom is an important part of our lives. I love the fact that we are racing on Saturday, so that we can spend Mother's Day with her at home on Sunday." McDowell was a huge supporter of the idea because he wanted to show admiration for his mom that he lost to pancreatic cancer at age 45 when he was only 21. "I wanted to pay tribute to my mom," McDowell said. "In addition to MW's 'Love You Mom' decal, I'm also running one I designed to honor my mom. She
had such a positive impact on my life. Everybody that knew her loved her. She was just a happy person. I miss seeing her smiling face, but I know she's with me every day. My wife Jami and I want to wish all the mother's a Happy Mother's Day."(MWR)
Schrader back in the #70 UPDATE nope..it is Sauter: Ken Schrader will drive for the #70 Haas CNC Racing team at Darlington Raceway, said team competition director Matt
Borland.(SceneDaily) UPDATE: Johnny Sauter will drive the #70 Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet this weekend at Darlington Raceway, according to an updated Sprint Cup Series entry list for the Dodge Challenger 500. The original entry list had Ken Schrader driving this weekend. Sauter has driven for the team at Phoenix and Richmond this year. He has qualified for both races on speed but has been caught up in accidents in both events with finishes of 37th and 33rd.(SceneDaily)
Martin named the Wypall Wipers’ “Crew Chief of the Race” in Richmond: Gil Martin, crew chief of the #07
BB&T Chevy driven by Clint Bowyer, has been named the Wypall Wipers’ “Crew Chief of the Race” in Saturday’s Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Some say it was being in the right place at the right time, but cautious instruction from Martin is what empowered Bowyer to drive the #07 BB&T Chevy to victory in Saturday night’s race. After starting deep in the field, (31st) Bowyer carved his way up to 16th on lap 129 resulting from a successful pit stop by the Martin-led team. Increasing track position and then maintaining that spot was Martin’s main concern, coaching Bowyer to be patient as he steadily made his way to the front. Bowyer eventually took over the lead following a collision between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch with two laps to go and sailed to the victory. The 2008 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Challenge is a season-long contest that will determine the best crew chiefs in the Sprint Cup garage. Following each Cup race, a panel will vote to
determine which crew chief demonstrated the most outstanding strategy and leadership during the race. It isn’t necessarily the crew chief that goes to Victory Lane, but the crew chief that makes the biggest difference for his team. Representatives from Wypall Wipers, together with Fox/SPEED television analyst Jeff Hammond, and three of NASCAR’s top crew chiefs who represent Wypall, including Berrier of Richard Childress Racing’s #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy team, Bob Osborne of Roush Fenway Racing’s #99 Office Depot Ford team, and Kenny Francis of Gillett Evernham Motorsports’ #9 Budweiser Dodge team, make up the panel of judges. In addition to the $1,000 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly top wins will be honored as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at the season finale in Homestead, Fla. The Wypall Wipers Crew Chief
Challenge will continue throughout the remainder of the 2008 season and spotlight the men behind the machines. For more information, log onto www.Wypall.com.
Hamlin injured but OK to drive: Just when #11-Denny Hamlin thought things couldn't get any worse, he fell hard on his left hip playing basketball and could hardly walk when he arrived Monday for testing at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I'd like to say I was going up for a
dunk, but I think everybody knows that ain't true," Hamlin said. "When I went up, the person was lower than I was and I kind of clipped over his shoulder and I was horizontal to the ground -- that was bad. It popped and it doesn't feel good at all. I couldn't lay on it last night, and it ain't getting much better." The injury came roughly 24 hours after Hamlin led a record 381 of the first 382 laps at Richmond International Raceway, only to lose a coveted win on his hometown track when he cut his right front tire. He had to intentionally stop his car on the track to bring out the caution needed to head to pit road for a tire change.(full note at ESPN/AP)
Kvapil gets sponsor for Darlington: Fayetteville’s [NC] Lafayette Ford will sponsor driver #28-Travis Kvapil in the May 10 Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway. Lafayette Ford and the #28 car have a vaunted history. Fred Lorenzen, NASCAR’s “Golden Boy” of the 1960s, scored virtually all of his wins with sponsorship from the dealership while driving for the Holman-Moody team. In 1964, he won five consecutive starts, with the last being the Rebel 300 at Darlington.(Fayetteville Observer) AND: Yates Racing announced that LaFayette Ford, who sponsored the #28 with driver Fred Lorenzen from 1962-1967, will again sponsor the #28 entry but this time with driver Travis Kvapil for the Sprint Cup series race at Darlington
Raceway on May 10th. Kvapil's #28 will sport a paint scheme reminiscent to that of Fred Lorenzen's during the 60's when LaFayette Ford sponsored Lorenzen's #28 machine. The Darlington 500 will mark the first time LaFayette Ford has served as a primary sponsor in the Sprint Cup Series since the dealership was associated with Lorenzen. LaFayette Ford is proud to be Fayetteville, North Carolina's only family-owned and operated Ford dealer. They have been serving the Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, and surrounding areas since 1949.(Yates Racing)
Truex to Penske? with UPS? UPDATE UPS denies: hearing that Martin Truex, current driver of the #1 DEI Chevy, could be headed to a 4th Penske Racing team with UPS as the sponsor.(5-4-2008) UPDATE - UPS denies negotiating with any team: UPS officials released a statement Monday saying the company is not currently in negotiations with any specific Sprint Cup team or driver. UPS currently sponsors the #44 driven by David Reutimann. Michael Waltrip Racing Vice President Cal Wells has said that UPS has had preliminary discussions with six teams about what cars and drivers they would have open for 2009 and "UPS is doing exactly what they should be doing. We either earn the business back or we won’t." But to say that UPS has started negotiations with any team is not accurate, according to a company official. "As of this date, UPS is not engaged in formal active sponsorship negotiations with any NASCAR Sprint Cup driver or race team," read the statement, attributed to UPS Director of Sponsorship & Events Ron Rogowski. With Dale Jarrett's retirement this year, UPS is looking for another face for a long-term campaign. One of the drivers often mentioned is #99-Carl Edwards, who right now is sponsored by Office Depot. Roush Fenway Racing and Office Depot currently are in an exclusive negotiating period for Edwards. "UPS went to six or eight race teams, visited them, to get all the inventory that they all had," Roush Fenway President Geoff Smith said Saturday. "And from that, they told us they would cut it down amongst the teams. There's been no negotiating."(SceneDaily.com)
No additional penalties for
Hamlin, Waltrip: #11-Denny Hamlin won't be further penalized for intentionally bringing out a late caution in Saturday night's race at Richmond even though there is precedent for it. No further penalty also is expected against #55-Michael Waltrip for intentionally wrecking #5-Casey Mears, NASCAR officials said on Monday. Hamlin was given a two-lap penalty when he stopped on the track with a cut tire with less than 10 laps remaining. NASCAR officials believed it was an intentional move to bring out the caution and allow Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch the opportunity to close on then-leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. A spokesperson for the governing body said during Monday's test session at Lowe's Motor Speedway that there would be no further punishment. But in 2004, Earnhardt was docked 25 points and fined $10,000 for intentionally bringing out the caution at Bristol. In the 2002 running
of the All-Star race, Kurt Busch was fined $10,000 for intentionally spinning out Robby Gordon to bring out a caution. Meanwhile, Waltrip was parked with about 40 laps remaining when he intentionally took out Mears after Mears got into him a few laps earlier. Officials said the hit Waltrip took in points -- he finished 37th and fell a spot to 32nd in points -- was severe enough.(ESPN.com)
Kyle Busch named 1st Quarter Driver of the Year: #18-Kyle Busch crushed the competition on the track and in the ballots as he won 1st quarter Driver of the Year 2008. Busch won a total seven races in NASCAR's top-three series, Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series. Although he leads in the Cup standings with a second place this past weekend in Richmond, voting only considered results through the previous event at Talladega Speedway. In the voting Busch took 14 first-place ballots, and none lower than a third place totaling 142 points. Cup rival Roush/Fenway driver Carl Edwards' three wins earned him one first-place vote and a total of 72 points. Danica Patrick, who drives for Andretti Green Racing, whose record-setting first win in top level IndyCar Series for a woman, garnered two first place votes and totaled 51 points in third place. Ashley Force, daughter of the 1996 Driver of the Year beat her famous father, John Force last week in Atlanta in NHRA's funny car division was
fourth in the voting with 49 points. A total of 17 drivers scored points in the first quarter voting, including fifth place Jason Meyers, in the World of Outlaws who won three of the first six races. In related news, ESPN's award winning writer and broadcast journalist Terry Blount has been added to the panel.(DOTY PR)
All Star Race increased to 100 laps: Twenty-One drivers are eligible for the Sprint All-Star Race with one
race to go, three drivers from the Sprint Showdown will transfer to the All-Star race, the 1st and 2nd place drivers and one fan vote [the driver needs to finish on the lead lap]. Drivers not already eligible for the Sprint All-Star Race who have been approved by for Sprint Cup Series competition and have met all other eligibility requirements. Those requirements include, but are not limited to, competing in a Sprint Cup Series event during the 2007 or 2008 seasons; finishing in the top 50 of the final 2007 Sprint Cup Series point standings or attempting to qualify for a 2008 Sprint Cup Series event as of March 10, 2008. The Sprint Showdown will consist of 40 laps, 60 miles, and will be run in two 20-lap segments. The Sprint All-Star Race is now 100 laps [was 80 in 2007], 150 miles (run in four segments of 25 laps each). Green flag and yellow flag laps will be counted during segments 1, 2 and 3. Only green flag laps will be counted during segment 4. All restarts will be
double file and the free pass rule is maintained throughout the event. The Purse is and event record $3,308,251 with the winner getting at least $1,012,975.
Richmond Overnight TV Ratings up slightly: NASCAR on Fox notched a slight increase for the second straight week with a 4.2/8 for primetime racing from Richmond. Saturday night's 4.2/8 is a tenth of a point gain over last year's 4.1/10 when the race was rained out of its schedule window and aired on Sunday afternoon. FOX's 4.2/8 in primetime was good enough to win the night, narrowly beating out second-place CBS's 4.0/7. FOX's
primetime advantage will likely grow larger when the nationals are released and NASCAR delivers its typical meter-to-national improvement. For the season-to-date, NASCAR On FOX is averaging a 5.5/11, +2% better than last year's 5.4/11.(Fox)
Analysts say T-Mobile may acquire Sprint; T-Mobile Series? UPDATE: Sprint Nextel may be a takeover target, according to one of the nation’s largest investment banking firms. Deutsche
Telekom, owner of T-Mobile and the world’s sixth largest phone company, may consider acquiring Overland Park-based Sprint to block a price war in the mobile phone industry, analysts for Merrill Lynch said today. The Wall Street firm said Sprint’s operational problems and shaky position in the U.S. wireless industry may force the company to cut prices even further to attract customers. T-Mobile generally is considered to be the low-cost alternative among the top five U.S. mobile phone companies. Last week, Sprint introduced an unlimited voice and data wireless plan that undercut other U.S. companies. Lynch, which advises its clients to sell Sprint shares, said it is not aware of any acquisition discussions. (Kansas City Star) UPDATE: Deutsche Telekom AG is considering a bid for Sprint Nextel Corp., according to a media report Monday. Bonn-based Deutsche Telekom did not immediately comment on the report in The Wall Street Journal. Were it to make such a deal, it would
catapult its T-Mobile wireless unit to the top spot in the U.S. market. n its report, The Wall Street Journal said deliberations were at "a preliminary stage and management may very well turn away," according to the people it quoted. Any bid, the paper's sources said, "could still be weeks, or even months away."(Yahoo Biz/AP)
Indiana Jones Scheme for Kyle Busch: Kyle Busch's #18 M&M'S Toyota Camry will sport a special
Indiana Jones-themed paint scheme, and Busch will wear a matching fire suit during the Dodge Challenger 500 Sprint Cup race in Darlington, South Carolina, on May 10. The special paint scheme features: Movie title decals on the hood, trunk and TV panel; An image of Indiana Jones with his iconic hat and whip on the left rear panel; and The M&M'S Brand Red, Green and Yellow characters sporting various Indiana Jones-themed outfits. The M&M'S Brand Racing team also plans to feature fun Indiana Jones-themed activities for fans attending the Darlington race, giving them a literal taste of the adventure.(PWR New Media)
Company preserves classic races on DVD for purchase
Earnhardt's 1998 Daytona 500 victory among top sellers
By Ron Lemasters, NASCAR.COM
If you're a fan of any particular sport or team, you probably would like the chance to relive your team's great performances any time you feel like it.
Say you're a University of Georgia graduate and would like to pull out a Herschel Walker whooping to lay on your friends, graduates of that certain school in Gainesville, Fla. Or, say you're a Dale Earnhardt fan and you would like to select a whooping he gave somewhere, some time.
Clayton Nichols is the guy you want to talk to about it.
Nichols, who runs Team Marketing Inc., produces and markets videos of specific NASCAR races -- all the way from the green flag to the checkered flag. Full races, it seems, are a selling point to NASCAR fans, and Nichols and the rest of the folks at Team Marketing have taken a successful business built on college football and parlayed it into a successful NASCAR franchise as well.
"We've been working with ISC about three, three and a half years now," Nichols said. "We had gotten into the college market about five years ago, and a company that we worked with had released the ABC national championship for Ohio State, full-game version. In the past, that had never been done before. Nobody had ever done a full event on DVD. About 140,000 units later, we said, 'You know what? There's something here.'
"We went out and started grabbing other collegiate titles. We didn't really have anything to sell in the summertime. We talked about it as a company, and we said, 'Let's go after NASCAR.'"
Smart move, as it turned out. Nichols had a friend who worked at International Speedway Corp., and they started talking.
"We told them, 'We'd like to release the 1998 Daytona 500 on DVD,'" Nichols recalled. "We released it, and about 80,000 units later, we thought, 'We've got something here.' The fans like the full races, and it gives us something to sell in the months that aren't full of college sports."
For instance, the 1987 Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway was a watershed
race for NASCAR, because Bobby Allison's crash on the front straightaway brought about restrictor plates.
That race is one of the "seven or eight" races that Nichols and his Team Marketing folks have released. Another is the 50th Anniversary Daytona 500 DVD, which features clips from each of the 50 races.
"Each one of the races we do has a historic reason for doing it," Nichols said. "It was the Allison father-son 500, Elliott qualifying at more than 200 mph, Dale Earnhardt's 1998 Daytona victory, that kind of historic event."
"For the new NASCAR fan, it's not your daddy's DVD," Nichols said. "The cars are different, the drivers aren't making as much money ... it was good-ol'-boy racing. Now it's sort of different, scientific racing. We've
had really good response from it."
Even though response has been strong, Nichols said the big thing now is to find the market for the product. Currently, the DVDs are sold on NASCAR.COM and other Web-based outlets, as well as Wal-Mart and a dozen other delivery channels. That's to find out what works, Nichols said.
"Right now, it's about finding out where we go with them," he said. "NASCAR.COM is a good partner of ours, but right now, there's so much branded NASCAR product out there that people have trouble finding them among the layers."
Team Marketing, headquartered in Owensboro, Ky., has some juice when it comes to distribution, providing wholesale pricing to retailers for sports-related DVDs and having partnership and distribution
agreements with all the major studios in the entertainment industry.
The company is a division of WaxWorks Inc., one of the pioneers in the home entertainment industry since 1949. The origin of the parent company was in the retailing and wholesaling of pre-recorded music more than 50 years ago, moving through to become one of the original distributors of pre-recorded video products in 1980 with the birth of the VCR. Today, WaxWorks Inc. is the authorized wholesale distributor for all major studios and scores of independent video sources.
Rather than waiting for ESPN or one of the other networks to show a classic race such as the 1998 Daytona 500, you can now have it for your very own. Nichols said he gets hundreds of requests for particular races for a variety of reasons.
"We get e-mails that say, 'We love this ... when's the next one?' or 'Can you do this one, I was there with my dad,'" he said. "The nostalgia factor is really kicking in."
Nostalgia aside, if you're a serious NASCAR fan, you want these important, watershed events simply for reference. Who knows when a Jeff Gordon fan is going to challenge Earnhardt fans to some sort of contest. Wouldn't it be nice to slide one of these videos in the player for the purposes of another whooping?
Feud of the Week
Did Kyle Busch go too far by wrecking Junior?
CBSSports.com's Brian De Los Santos and Pete Pistone provide analysis on three weekly racing topics.
We welcome your question submissions. If you have a question or a hot auto racing topic you'd like to see discussed, post it here.
| 1. mikeyfan1599 asks: Kyle Busch vs. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- good hard racing or should Kyle have backed off and let Junior win? | |
| Brian De Los Santos | Pete Pistone |
| | |
| 2. Section_725 asks: Was the penalty for Michael Waltrip too extreme or did NASCAR do the right thing? | |
| Brian De Los Santos | Pete Pistone |
| | |
| 3. What are your expectations for a repaved Darlington? Who would you consider the favorite?
| |
| Brian De Los Santos | Pete Pistone |
| | |
Tom Higgins Scuffs
The Ballad Of Willy T. Ribbs
By Tom Higgins
The phone call came very early in the morning and I immediately sensed urgency.
On the other end of the line in the spring of 1978 was the secretary of Humpy Wheeler, president and general manager of the race track then known as Charlotte Motor Speedway.
"Tom," she said, "we're having a press conference at 10 a.m. at Charlotte/Douglas Airport. I know this is short notice, but Humpy says you absolutely have to be there."
The public relations department at the track, now called Lowe's Motor Speedway, was notorious for scheduling press conferences for the flimsiest of reasons, just to get space in the newspapers and airtime on television in advance of its 600-mile NASCAR race on Memorial Day weekend.
"I'll be there," I said. "But this better had not be another P.R. stunt."
"It isn't," she reassured.
About a dozen motorsports writers like me and two or three Charlotte sports TV crews gathered at a conference room at the old Charlotte/Douglas airport site, now a major, modern hub.
We'd been there about 20 minutes when Humpy walked in, followed by colorful, longtime NASCAR crew-chief/engine builder Harry Hyde and a promising car-builder/crew-chief Will Cronkrite.
With them, smiling broadly was the handsomest young African-American man I'd ever seen--and still to this day.
Humpy wasted no time or words.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to introduce Willy T. Ribbs!" exclaimed Humpy. "He is our latest entry in the World 600 on May 28, 1978. And he is going to make an immeasurable impact on our sport."
Wheeler then revealed that Ribbs, 23, and a native of San Jose, Calif., had been racing in Europe in the Formula Ford series. He'd won the Dunlop Championship in his first season of competition.
The microphone then was turned over to Ribbs.
He proved articulate, charming and funny. He won over everyone in the press corps--plus tough old NASCAR veteran Harry Hyde and Will Cronkrite.
I wrote a glowing, very positive column about
Ribbs.
Said Humpy Wheeler, "Willy is what we promoters have been waiting for since Wendell Scott. An African-American driver who can compete. That's like discovering oil in your ground."
Two nights later, I'm at home and the phone rings again.
"Tom, this is a sergeant with the Charlotte Police Department," a voice says. "We have a guy here under arrest on several traffic violations and he says he wanted us to call you. By the way, he was driving a Charlotte Motor Speedway pace car."
Thoughts raced through my mind.
"Is he black, glib and funny?" I asked.
The sergeant bellowed.
"Is he ever!"
I said, put him on.
"Willy T., what in the world!? What have they got you
for?"
"Well," said Willy, "I made a wrong turn down a one-way street and when they blue-lighted me I tried to outrun them. I wanted to see what these Charlotte cops had."
"Oh, no!" I said.
"Do you need me to come bail you out or get you a
lawyer?"
"No," said Willy. "I'm fine."
"Then why did you call me instead of Humpy?"
"I just thought you'd like to know about me getting nabbed."
I immediately sensed the scheming Charlotte Motor Speedway PR machine at work. Any news is good news--including controversies--so long as it gets space in newspapers or time on TV.
Had the track people put Willy up to it?
We’ll never know.
But only later did I learn that Willy outran the cops to the swanky Queens neighborhood of Charlotte. He ditched the pace car and sprinted into the gym at Queens College. When the officers found him there he was shooting basketballs. He professed to be a student and expressed surprise when they began arresting him. "Sorry, son," one officer reportedly said, "This is an all-girls school, and it's lily-white."
A couple weeks after Willy's introduction at the Charlotte airport, Wheeler took him to the Winston 500 at
Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. They attended the pre-race driver's meeting on May 14, 1978.
At the conclusion, tough ol' Bill Gazaway, then the Winston Cup Series director of competition, asked if there were any questions.
Only Willy T. raised his hand.
"Is it OK to pass in the grass?" asked Willy, who wasn't in the race.
The crowded room erupted in laughter.
Getting into the grass along the backstretch or homestretch at ultra-fast Talladega is a strict no-no-, almost certain to create a colossal crash.
A chartered bus took the starters from the drivers' meeting to the start/finish line, where they were to be introduced. Driver Darrell Waltrip started singing, "Pass in the grass and bust your a--!" The bus rocked with mirth.
The incident inspired two country music songwriters from Statesville, N.C., to record "The Ballad Of Willy T.," which was popularly played on radio for a few weeks.
Willy T. subsequently missed two scheduled
practice sessions for the 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Wheeler scrubbed his ride. It went instead to a young-up-and-comer named Dale Earnhardt, who placed 17th in the race won by Waltrip on May 28.
What since of Willy T. Ribbs?
In 1983 he won five races in the Trans-Am Series. In '86 he ran three Winston Cup Series events in an underpowered car with a best finish of 22nd at North Wilkesboro.
In 1990 He joined the CART circuit and in '91 became the first African-American to qualify for the Indy 500.
Later on, in 2000, Ribbs drove in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for team owner Bobby Hamilton in 23 of 24 races. He had a best finish of 13th and was 16th in points.
Ribbs once
said, meaning colorful and outspoken, that he would like to become "The black Darrell Waltrip of NASCAR."
Given a decent chance, I think he relatively could have become that.
Wherever you are, Willy T., from your old friend and admirer, Godspeed.
1 on 1:
Joe Nemechek
By Josh Pate, NASCAR.COM
His hauler sat discretely to the side of the Richmond infield, along with four or five others in the same
position. The reason they were in garage purgatory: they're outside of the top 35 in owner points.
It's a tough life for drivers like Joe Nemechek.
It's even tougher as a single-car team. But two weeks ago at Talladega, Nemechek put those difficulties aside and then put his No. 78 Chevrolet on the pole. The word "upset" was thrown around frequently, but to Nemechek, it was what
his team has been building toward.
He says his team can win a Cup Series race this season. Sound surprising? So did having Front Row Joe lead the field to green at Talladega.
Heading into Mother's Day weekend, Nemechek talked about how his team is progressing as a single-car outfit, the importance of prayer and having it on his hood, and what exactly he has in mind to get his mother, Martha.
Q: Two weeks ago you sat on the pole at Talladega as a single-car team. How important was that for the team?
Definitely sitting on the pole was really big for this whole Furniture Row Racing team. To do it with a sponsor on board with the National Day of Prayer meant a whole lot. That was good stuff. The finish wasn't quite like it should have been. We were right there, going to have a top-10 run. The last lap is crazy out there, and we got caught in the Big One. It's part of it.
Q: Thursday was National Day of
Prayer, and that's what you had as your sponsor at Talladega. How appropriate was it for you to have your car front and center with that message on the hood?
It makes me feel good. It's good stuff. It seems like you're not allowed to talk about the Lord Jesus Christ anymore. That's messed up. That's not how I was brought up. I'm trying to teach my kids the right values, and I'm going to do whatever I can to do that.
Q: We see a lot of different sponsors in the Cup Series, but a day as a sponsor is somewhat unique. What was behind the decision to put that on the car?
Barney Visser, my owner, he's heavily involved in a lot of Christian functions and very involved in the National Day of Prayer and he put it on the car. He said this will kind of remind everybody that Jesus still loves them. So take time and say a prayer. We all do it, we take things for granted. You can't man, it's too
important.
Q: Furniture Row Racing is a one-car operation. How difficult is it to survive in the Cup Series without a teammate in your garage?
Man, it's hard. It's very, very hard. You just don't have the resources available to you. There's so
much that needs to be going on. You look at what the big teams have, they have test drivers that are going every week testing somewhere. They have testing setups and teams going to the wind tunnel and proving grounds. It's a constant deal.
Q: Obviously it affects how you approach a weekend, but specifically how do you handle the pressure each week?
We're doing good for what we have. We're getting smarter and better every week. It's just tough. You get stuck there not locked in the top 35 you have to worry more about qualifying. And then you get into race trim and you're that much farther behind. It's a crazy deal. It's definitely a hard climb. But I think we can have success. I still think we can win a race this year. If we get the car right to where I can drive it, we can win a race.
Q: Mother's Day is this
weekend, and your mother has been heavily involved in supporting your career. How important is that for you?
I just can't thank my mom enough for what she's done for me over the years. It's really special having her around. I know all the stuff that my wife does for my kids, so I hope they appreciate it as much when they grow up.
Q: Is it true she makes her own shirts as a sign she's a Nemechek supporter?
She's constantly getting new shirts made. She has them for everybody. She has them for my son's lacrosse games. She has them for motorcycle racing. It's pretty funny.
Q: Have you gotten her a gift yet for Mother's Day, and if so, do you care to share with us what it is? We promise not to spill the beans.
Nope. I can't say I have it yet. We're working on that because we're working on stuff for my wife with my kids. We have some cool stuff going on. Can not spill the beans.
Busch becomes Public Enemy No. 1 for wrecking Earnhardt
By Jenna Fryer, AP Auto Racing
CONCORD, N.C. — Three security guards followed Kyle Busch around Lowe's Motor Speedway, where his safety was presumably still in danger from a victory-starved "Junior Nation" incensed over the late-race accident that cost Dale Earnhardt Jr. a victory.
Grow up, folks.
What happened with three laps to go Saturday night in Richmond was nothing more than hard racing, and persecuting Busch for it is hypocrisy at its worst. Sure, it's been two long years since Earnhardt last visited Victory Lane, and the checkered flag was certainly in sight as he and Busch jostled for position in their determined bid to claim it.
But as they battled for the lead on old tires in the waning laps of a slug-it-out short track race, Busch went a tad too high and creeped into Earnhardt's space as they entered the third turn. It sucked the air from the back of Busch's car, causing his rear to wiggle. In his effort to save it, he made contact with Earnhardt, who was drifting into Busch's line anyway.
The touch - which was so
clearly a racing accident and anything but intentional - caused Earnhardt to spin up the track and back into the wall, stretching his losing streak to an agonizing 72 straight races. He was devastated and his fans were enraged, prompting Richmond security to escort Busch out of the track for his own protection.
Where was the outcry, though, when Earnhardt dumped Busch last October in Kansas?
That accident in the early laps of the third Chase race effectively ended Busch's title hopes, dropping him from 10 points out of the championship lead to sixth in the standings, 136 out.
But there was no backlash against Junior, who ran all over the back of Busch that day in an accident far easier to assign blame than Saturday night's little love tap. Earnhardt didn't need an escort out of the track, wasn't subjected to dangerous threats on message boards and most certainly wasn't
held to the same scrutiny Busch is currently under.
And he escaped widespread blame again in the season finale, when Earnhardt drove through the grass entering pit road and cut off Busch in his frantic dart back onto the surface. The damage to Busch's front-end ensured he wouldn't finish third in the final season standings - denying Hendrick Motorsports the 1-2-3 points sweep it had been seeking - and caused him to close his Hendrick career with a disappointing 20th-place run.
Granted, being NASCAR's most popular driver affords Earnhardt an ardent fan base convinced its driver never does anything wrong. So it's rather easy to bash Busch and blame him for robbing Junior of what could have been an easy victory if Busch had dutifully lifted off the gas and conceded the win to the crowd favorite.
But that's not how racing works, and most certainly not what Joe Gibbs Racing is paying Busch to do
this year.
Given a day to think about it, Earnhardt arrived Monday at Lowe's two-day test session reluctant to dissect the Richmond incident any more. He admitted the circumstances have been reversed before, and casting blame on Busch wasn't the right thing to do.
"I took him
out at Kansas last year during the Chase. That's really why I wouldn't be any more vocal or angry about it, because I would just be hypocritical in that sense," Earnhardt said. "We both kind of been on each side of it now."
Regardless, track promoter Humpy Wheeler couldn't resist fanning the flames Monday by sending his trio of unarmed guards into the track to "protect" Busch, who found the whole thing rather comical. It was an accident, one he's apologized for, and he's reached out to Earnhardt to privately discuss what each driver could have done differently.
"There's not been any death threats, that would be ludicrous," Busch said. "Maybe they're out there, but I haven't seen them. I hope that my well-being is safe in this deal and since Junior ended up OK. Hopefully I can end up OK."
The irony of the whole situation is that Earnhardt's anger was never even really directed at Busch. His
problem lies more with Denny Hamlin, who intentionally brought out a caution that set the circumstances for Earnhardt to wreck.
Hamlin was going to win Saturday night's race until a slow leak in his right front tire allowed Earnhardt and Busch to pass him with 18 laps to go. As the tire continued to deflate, a frustrated Hamlin struggled to find a clear lane to head into the pits.
So he simply stopped his car on the track and waited for NASCAR to call the caution. The yellow came out, Hamlin was penalized two laps for his intentional maneuver, and the stage was set for Earnhardt and Busch to race for the win.
Earnhardt viewed Hamlin's deliberate act as unprofessional, and recognized the role it played in him losing the race.
"Everybody knows the deal on that one. Everybody knows that's wrong," he snapped at reporters Saturday night after finishing 15th. "Y'all know what to write. I ain't writing it for you."
Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon also questioned the move, speculating Hamlin likely snapped after leading a record 381 of the first 382 laps, only to see his certain win vanish by a cut tire.
"It looked very obvious to me that he was overly frustrated," Gordon said. "He was pretty much going to win the race and I think he was extremely upset and frustrated and didn't do what most people would do - which is come to pit road long before the tire blows."
But there are no beer cans being hurled at Hamlin. No need
for security, either.
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