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Happy Hump day! Today In Nascar History October 1, 1967: Richard Petty wins the Wilkes 400 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway to close out his Cup-record 10-race winning streak. Petty leads 256 of 400 laps on the .625-mile track and wins by more than two laps over Dick Hutcherson. Number of the Day
61: Dave Marcis' record number of Cup starts at Talladega Superspeedway. He started all but two races at the track from April 1970 to April 2001. He won one race (August 1976) and posted three top fives and 11 top 10s. He also won three poles.
Sandra, Please let all your race fans know about this great event Greg Biffle has going on. Pass it on. www.gregbiffleforpets.com . Thank you
http://www.scenedaily.com/mostpopulardriver/ or http://www.votemostpopulardriver.com/ Nationwide Most Popular Driver Poll
Craftsman Truck Most Popular Driver Poll
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
New look for the #24 in 2009 UPDATE: Jeff Gordon announced on QVC's shopping show "For Race Fans Only" that the primary paint scheme will change on the #24 DuPont Chevy in 2009. The primary scheme seemingly changes whenever there's a new occupant in The White House. Gordon raced the rainbow-themed DuPont Chevrolet from 1993-2000 while Bill Clinton occupied the highest office in the land. Gordon experienced his greatest career success in the rainbow car. In 2001, he changed to the fire and flames scheme and raced that for the next 8 years while George Bush ran the country. And now, the third -- and likely, final -- incarnation of the DuPoint paint scheme will be raced in 2009 and beyond. The new 2009 DuPont paint
scheme is expected to be unveiled during the week leading up to the October 11 race at Lowes Motor Speedway.(Gordonline.com), am hearing the base color will be BLACK. UPDATE: #24-Jeff Gordon and sponsor DuPont are scheduled to unveil his 2009 (and beyond) paint scheme live on the NBC's Today Show Thursday [Oct 2nd] morning at 7:00am/et, Rockefeller Center, New York. It’s his first paint scheme change since 2001 and only the third since 1993. Labonte, White to be inducted into Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame: Fans voted in July for the 2008 Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame honorees, and on Saturday, Oct. 4 during Talladega Superspeedway’s AMP Energy 500 weekend, two new names will be added to this prestigious list: Bobby Labonte and Rex White. The Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame in downtown Talladega is both a focal point saluting NASCAR’s greatest names and a tribute to one of racing’s brightest stars – the late Davey Allison. Developed in 1994, the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame has inducted one active driver and up to two inactive drivers since 1995 based on the fans’ vote chosen from a ballot of nominees selected by strict guidelines. In the
park, Davey Allison is remembered with a large marble monument, while drivers inducted into the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame have bronze plaques placed around the park, accessible by walkways that form the shape of Talladega Superspeedway. Ten 2007 pole winners yet to get a pole in 2008: with seven races to go, ten drivers have not won a pole in 2008, jeopardizing some long streaks: Harvick tests in Ohio: #29-Kevin Harvick is driving laps in his Chevy Impala Monday at the Sandusky Speedway. Harvick and his crew are preparing for an upcoming Sprint Cup series race in Martinsville, Va. which has a track similar to the one in Sandusky. Craftsman Truck Series Champion Ron Hornaday, a driver with Kevin Harvick Inc., is also taking laps with Ricky Carmichael. Carmichael is a new member of the KHI truck series team. The drivers will be at the speedway again today [Tuesday], according to speedway owner Kevin Jaycox.(Sandusky Register) AND Kevin Harvick and the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Racing RCR team tested at the Sandusky (Ohio) Speedway on Monday and Tuesday of this week in preparation for the
remaining seven races on the 2008 NSCS schedule.(RCR PR) Rusty back to Cup? with DEI? from an article at SPEEDtv.com by Kenny Wallace: The hot NASCAR rumor right now is not something you’d hear anywhere other than around the race shops in Mooresville, N.C. Everyone wants to know if my brother Rusty Wallace is coming out of retirement to drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc. next season. I’m running the #00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega and was at Michael’s shop Tuesday being fitted for my seat. Six different crew members came up to me and said they’d heard a rumor Rusty was coming back to drive for DEI. These rumors get started in the Mooresville area because the shops are so close to each other and nothing can be kept
secret for long. All I can say is that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And he is definitely considering stepping back into a race car. He’s considering this huge move because he watched Brett Favre come out of retirement in the NFL and his good friend Mark Martin is giving it another shot next year at Hendrick. If Mark had quit, Rusty would have been comfortable with his retirement. But watching Mark, who is a couple of years younger than my brother, stage this comeback has really tugged on Rusty’s heartstrings. Rusty has told me numerous times he can outrun half the drivers in the Cup Series and he truly is giving a lot of thought to returning to the track. If he wants to make that commitment, I’ll support him 110-percent. The decision is Rusty’s and his wife Patti’s, but I think the whole possibility is very inspirational and I’m looking forward to his answer. If he comes back, I think he’ll be a bit surprised by the new car. I
predict Rusty will be successful but he’ll be shocked that he won’t have control of the chassis the way he used to. He’ll have an adjustment period because the cars are controlled by engineers, bump-stops and seven-post machines, technology that wasn’t in such great use when he left the sport. There is no doubt Rusty has the talent to run well but he’ll probably be upset he won’t be able to set up the car on his own or tell the team how to do it. Maybe we’ll know sometime soon if I’m right or not.(SPEEDtv) Kenny Wallace in the #00 at Talladega: Michael Waltrip Racing announced that Kenny Wallace will attempt to qualify the #00 Champion Mortgage Toyota at Talladega Superspeedway for the Sprint Cup Series AMP Energy 500 on Sunday. Michael Waltrip Racing made the decision to make a driver change starting this weekend. The team is regrouping after failing to qualify last weekend at Kansas Speedway. The status for the remaining six races this year is being determined. Michael McDowell, who has five top-25 finishes in 20 starts during his rookie season, is still an option. Each event will be determined by who may be able to best help the #00 Champion Mortgage Toyota team reach their goal of finishing the season in the
top 35 owner points standings. "We have a singular focus with the #00 team now and that is to get it in the top 35 in owner’s points when the checkered flag falls at Homestead-Miami," Waltrip said. "This is not about an individual, it is about an organization. Kenny has a lot of experience restrictor plate racing and a lot of friends who trust him, which is critical at that race. He has a great record at Talladega and we felt like he was our best shot at scoring maximum points. We’re going to make the same evaluation for the remaining 2008 Sprint Cup races," Waltrip continued. "That could include multiple drivers based on their experiences at particular tracks. Teams have done this at road course events and we have the flexibility to do this with the remaining oval races." Wallace drove the #00 Aaron’s Dream Machine for Waltrip at Talladega Superspeedway in 2004. Now, Wallace returns to the organization looking to top his runner-up finish he
scored at the 2.66-mile tri-oval in 2000 where he pushed the late Dale Earnhardt to his final Cup victory. Wallace was driving for Andy Petree in the #55 numbered car. Wallace’s best qualifying effort at Talladega to date is third (October 1999) and in his most recent attempt (April 2007) he started sixth. Logano to run Truck race at Talladega: Joey Logano will make his Craftsman Truck Series debut as he will drive the #59 HT Motorsports Toyota in the Mountain Dew 250 this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Logano replaces Ted Musgrave, who parted ways with the team during the Las Vegas race weekend.(SceneDaily) Burton to visit a school in AL: Before heading to Talladega, Ala., for the running of the AMP Energy 500, #31-Jeff Burton will stop in Birmingham, Ala., on Thurs., Oct. 2 to be a guest speaker at Shades Valley High School. Burton will speak to approximately 150 students about AT&T's Be Sensible program. This program teaches novice drivers how to manage all distractions and includes a video, detailed educator's guide, educational wall poster, and classroom activities.(RCR PR) Hall of Fame Racing, JGR decide to remove Logano from #96: Joey Logano will no longer pilot Hall of Fame Racing's #96 Toyota in 2008, team co-owner Tom Garfinkel told ESPN.com Tuesday. Garfinkel said the decision was mutual between his team and Joe Gibbs Racing, for whom Logano is under a multi-year driving contract. "It's a joint decision," Garfinkel said. "We talked to Gibbs and both decided that, for [Logano's] development and for our team, this the best thing for all of us. The best thing for all of us is for them to focus on Joey's development, and us to focus on our team." Seeking to gain experience in preparation for his 2009 rookie campaign in Gibbs' #20 Toyota, Logano was scheduled to run five of the
final 10 races of the current season in the Hall of Fame #96 -- a Gibbs satellite operation. He was to return to the #96 at Lowe's Motor Speedway next week, and also was scheduled to drive for Hall of Fame at Martinsville Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. Sprint Cup veteran Ken Schrader will drive the #96 at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend, and likely the rest of the season. Joe Gibbs Racing officials were not immediately available for comment.(ESPN.com) Army to Newman? UPDATE: sources said Army is close to finalizing a deal to be a partial co-sponsor of Ryan Newman's [#39 Chevy] car at Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009.(ESPN.com) UPDATE: Sources close to the situation confirmed today that the U.S. Army would not be renewing their sponsorship with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. after the 2008 season. Representatives from the U.S. Army let Dale Earnhardt, Inc. know this afternoon that they would not be returning to the #8 for 2009. Beginning in 2009 the U.S. Army will be the primary sponsor of Ryan Newman in the newly formed Stewart-HAAS Racing venture led by two-time Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart. The formal announcement will be delivered at the Lowe’s Motor
Speedway on Friday October 10th when Stewart-HAAS Racing and the U.S. Army unveil Newman’s new #39 racecar. Sources also said that representatives from the U.S. Army have asked Dale Earnhardt, Inc. for permission to make the announcement, and that the U.S. Army did not have an interest in negotiating with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. about future opportunities.(Captain Thunder Racing) Monopoly is off to a racing start at McDonald's: On Oct. 7, 2008, Monopoly is back at McDonald's. Elliott Sadler will get behind the wheel of the #19 McDonald's Dodge Charger with a special guest along for the ride. Mr. Monopoly will grace the hood of the McDonald's car in the Oct. 5, 2008 Sprint Cup Series Race at Talladega Superspeedway. The car will prominently feature PlayatMcD.com, where not only can consumers learn more about the exciting prizes in this year's game, but they can play the Online Game, too! There's a $100,000 cash prize up for grabs every day in the promotion - 28 days, 28 prizes. When the game kicks off on Oct. 7, customers can stop into McDonald's to get game stamps on some of their
favorite menu items. All they have to do is peel their Game Stamp - and they are in the game! They could collect a property, or win instantly. A 10-digit code on the stamp gets them one dice roll in the Online Game, where there are tons of other great prizes.(McDonald's PR) Ganassi testing at Milwaukee: The Sprint Cup Series team of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sebates is testing at The Milwaukee Mile on Tues., Sept. 30 and Wed., Oct. 1. Tuesday's driving duties belong to Juan Pablo Montoya. On Wednesday, the team will have development/test driver Kevin Hamlin behind the wheel. Grandstands are open both days, free to public until 5:00 p.m. Enter Grandstand Gate 8, near center grandstand.(The Milwaukee Mile PR) Menard to leave DEI UPDATE 2: Paul Menard will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the end of the season to drive for Yates Racing, The Associated Press has learned. Menard is expected to announce Tuesday that both he and his sponsorship will move to Yates, a person familiar with Menard's decision told The AP. The person requested anonymity because Menard had yet to make his announcement. DEI officials were not immediately available to comment Monday night. Without Menard, DEI has just one full sponsor in Bass Pro Shops for #1-Martin Truex Jr. He recently agreed to a one-year extension with DEI that takes him through 2009. Sponsorship from the U.S. Army is expected to leave DEI at the end of the year - perhaps for Tony
Stewart's new team [#39-Ryan Newman is rumored] - and that leaves DEI without funding for the #8 Chevy that Aric Almirola will pilot. #01-Regan Smith, the fourth driver in DEI's current stable, has had very limited sponsorship all season. Yates has been fielding two cars this year with no full-time sponsorship. Instead, it's pieced together several different limited programs for #38-David Gilliland and #28-Travis Kvapil while receiving support from Roush Fenway Racing.(in part from the Associated Press), hearing an announcement could come sometime this week. (UPDATE: Menard's presence secures them [Yates Racing] funding for at least one full-time team in 2009, but will mean the axe for either #28-Travis Kvapil or #38-David Gilliland if enough sponsorship isn't found to expand to three cars. In the meantime, contraction is now almost a certainty for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., who now must find sponsors for Menard's #15, Regan Smith's #01, and Aric
Almirola's #8. A source tells Frontstretch.com Smith's #01 has been floated around to possible investors, and it's almost a certainty Smith will not return to the team in 2009. Menard and DEI could not be reached for comment.(Frontstretch) UPDATE 2: Paul Menard has reached an agreement to drive for Yates Racing in the Sprint Cup Series beginning with the 2009 season. “This is a great opportunity and I’m glad to be joining the Yates Racing organization next season,” said Menard. “I think a lot of what Doug Yates and Max Jones are doing over there building for continued success. I’m excited to be a part of their future and excited to work with Travis (Kvapil) and David (Gilliland). You look at what Doug and the Ford Motor Company have done in this sport, they’ve created a lot of horsepower and hoisted quite a few trophies over the years. I’d like to help continue that for both of them.” Paul Menard’s Ford Fusion will feature
sponsorship from Menards, as well as associate sponsors including: Johns Manville, Super Clean, Quaker State, Pittsburgh Paints, Moen, Sylvania, Energizer, Turtle Wax, Vertis, Peak and Nibco. Yates Racing General Manager Max Jones sees Menard as a fresh addition to his current roster. “Paul is one of those guys I’ve personally been watching for the last two years; I think he’s ready to take the next step in this series and become a driver we hear a lot about on the track in 2009.” While details of Menard’s car design and car number have yet to be finalized, Team principal Doug Yates sees Paul really fitting in at Yates Racing. “It’s a positive addition for us to get a guy like Paul in camp here," said Yates. "He’s been through adversity in his first year in Cup and shown tremendous improvement in his second year. He’s a racer, a guy who likes to be at the shop a lot, from what I understand, and that’s what we like here. Plus, he
already has a good relationship with our current drivers, so adding that third source of data should help our entire team rise up.”(Menards Racing/Co-Pilot PR) Chad Knaus named Wypall crew chief of the Kansas race Scenedaily.com Chad Knaus, crew chief of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson, has been named the Wypall Wipers crew chief of the race after Sunday’s victory in the Camping World RV 400 at Kansas Speedway. Johnson started on the pole and led a total of 124 laps. He also was able to fend off a final-lap pass by Carl Edwards to pick up his fifth victory of the season. The 2008 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Challenge is a season-long contest to determine the best crew chiefs in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage. The honor doesn't necessarily go to the crew chief who goes to victory lane but to the one deemed by a panel to have made the biggest difference for his team. Gas shortages, lines at pump being watched by track officials DAVID POOLE/The Charlotte Observer Officials at Talladega Superspeedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway say they're keeping a hopeful watch on the gasoline situation in their areas and believe fans will be able to find fuel to get to and from the races over the next two weekends. In Alabama, Talladega general manager Rick Humphries said officials there tell him there will be a "sufficient supply" for this weekend in spite of reports of shortages in areas east of the track, including the Oxford-Anniston are as well as Atlanta. "The folks we have been in contact with tell us things are getting better daily," Humphries said. "The more challenged areas appear to be east of the track; things appear to be better west of us toward Birmingham." Humphries said one advantage Talladega has is that a large portion of its fans come in over the week leading up to Sunday's Amp Energy 500 and camp near the track. "So they don't all come in at once," he said. "There's more of a gradual build-up than at some other tracks." Cars have been sitting in long lines to buy gas in Charlotte for more than a week, despite frequent promises that more fuel is on the way to the city. Scott Cooper, vice president of communications for Lowe's Motor Speedway, said officials remain confident that the situation will improve before the Bank of America 500 on the weekend of Oct. 9-11. "Our government officials have assured us this situation is temporary and that tankers and pipelines are focused on North Carolina," Cooper said. "Last week we had fans drive six hours to watch testing. We've already got campers from Wisconsin on property who are ready for the Bank of America 500. "People are still passionate about NASCAR." MWR forms alliance with JTG-Daugherty team By Official Release CORNELIUS, N.C. -- JTG-Daugherty Racing on Wednesday announced it has chosen to field Toyotas during its inaugural Sprint Cup campaign in 2009, after forming a technical alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota Racing Development. JTG-Daugherty, co-owned by Tad and Jodi Geschickter and former NBA All-Star and current ESPN broadcaster Brad Daugherty, will enter the No. 47 Toyota Camry sponsored by primary sponsors, Kingsford Charcoal, Clorox Laundry and Household Products, and Little Debbie's Snack Cakes. JTG-Daugherty will move its Sprint Cup operation into MWR's 140,000-square-foot facility in Cornelius, N.C., and receive cars, engineering, mechanical and other technical support from MWR's existing infrastructure. TRD will support the JTG-Daugherty team with engines from its Costa Mesa, Calif., facility, and vehicle engineering support from its Salisbury, N.C., facility. "We are extremely excited that Toyota chose to support us as we move to the Sprint Cup Series. Their engineering expertise and commitment to excellence is sure to expedite our development into a competitive Cup team," Tad Geschickter said. Geschickter formed the company in 1994 and has competed in the Nationwide Series during the past 14 seasons. Team drivers have included most notably, Mike Dillon, Stacy Compton, Robert Pressley and current drivers Kelly Bires and Marcos Ambrose. Ambrose, a former Australian V-8 Supercar champion, has been named driver of the 47 Sprint Cup entry. He scored his first NASCAR victory earlier this season at Watkins Glen and is currently 10th in points in the Nationwide series. Frank Kerr has been named crew chief of the 47 car. MWR will enter its third season as a full-time Sprint Cup operation and currently fields the No. 55 with Waltrip, the No. 44 with David Reutimann and the #00 driven this year by rookie Michael McDowell. MWR secured itself as a charter team for Toyota in 2007, helping launch the Camry brand in NASCAR's premier racing
division. "The alliance with Tad, Jodi and Brad happened because MWR has shown over the past few months that we can field a competitive product. This allows MWR to maintain the economies of scale we currently enjoy as a three-car team," Waltrip said. "We continue to invest in our development and this alliance helps keep the momentum we've gained in our fabrication and engineering departments this summer. "We wanted to help Tad and Brad in their transition into NASCAR Sprint Cup ownership. If anyone can identify the hidden demons of a start-up team it is me. Having JTG-Daugherty operating in our shop helps our NAPA Toyota and our Aaron's Toyota with David Reutimann. So this is one of the classic examples of win-win-win for everyone involved, most importantly JTG-Daugherty and MWR employees. This alliance does not change MWR's desire to run a fourth car in 2009. "This doesn't change anything from our original plans as our sales team is working hard on securing sponsorship for another MWR Cup entry. And those plans currently include McDowell. That's the same position we were in before the JTG-Daugherty alliance was formed." Barker to be crew chief for Waltrip's 55 car in 2009
By Official Release CORNELIUS, N.C. -- Michael Waltrip Racing on Wednesday announced that Robert "Bootie" Barker will be the crew chief of the No. 55 Toyota driven by Michael Waltrip for the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season. Bobby Kennedy, who has worked with Waltrip in multiple roles for more than a decade, is moving into a management position at MWR. "Our organization continues to grow and add depth in several key areas," Waltrip said. "Bringing Bootie on as my crew chief is part of a larger plan that enables Bobby Kennedy to move into a critical management position. We have discussed this move since the summer, but waited until we were able to hire a crew chief of Bootie's caliber and we're really glad to have him join MWR." Barker, who graduated from Old Dominion University with a degree in mechanical engineering, is a native of Halifax, Va., and has been a regular in the NASCAR garage for 12 years. His experience spans across all three major divisions of NASCAR. He got his start in 1996 building shocks for Kurt Roehrig's Truck Series team and after honing his skills, Barker advanced to the Cup Series to work for such teams as Bill Davis Racing and Hendrick Motorsports. While at Hendrick, Barker visited Victory Lane five times with Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 team as a shock specialist. In 2000, Barker got his first chance at calling the shots for driver Scott Wimmer in the Nationwide Series. He went on to win four races in the 2002 season. For the past five seasons, Barker has built one of the best reputations in the Cup ranks as the crew chief for drivers including Dave Blaney, Jason Leffler, Mike Bliss, Jeff Green and Scott Riggs. Barker's first Cup Series opportunity occurred when he moved to Jasper Motorsports in 2003 to work with Blaney. Near the end of the year, Barker joined Haas CNC Racing to help develop its Nationwide Series program. During the 2004 season, Barker led the team to its first series victory with Leffler at Nashville. At end of the season, Barker advanced to lead Haas CNC Racing's Cup Series team with driver Bliss. While at Haas, Barker also worked with Green and more recently Riggs. Barker's best finish this season with Riggs is a fourth-place effort at New Hampshire. "I really appreciate the confidence that Michael has in me," Barker said. "He has accomplished a lot in his racing career and the fact that he wanted me to be his crew chief goes a long way for me personally. Everyone I met from the crew chiefs to the management team are very welcoming and they are all racers. I'm looking forward to being able to help the No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry team achieve their short-term and long-term goals." Thompson In Turn 5 Menard's Departure To Yates Leaves DEI In Need Of Help Tommy Thompson · Frontstretch.com News that driver Paul Menard and his father’s sponsor dollars will soon part ways with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. seems to lend credence to the prediction by many that the company’s demise was inevitable. Old prophecies spurred by DEI owner Teresa Earnhardt’s failure to come to contract terms with her stepson have returned, with observers saying the worst is still to come for an organization which they claim forced the sport’s most popular and bankable personality to leave them behind. I still believe that the extent to which Dale Jr.’s defection to Hendrick Motorsports has affected DEI’s seeming implosion can be debated. However, the issue of whether the company will experience serious business challenges in the near future no longer can. There’s no question that Tuesday’s official announcement concerning the desertion of Paul Menard and his valuable family sponsorship (Menards) to Yates Racing marks a substantial blow to DEI’s financial bottom line. Couple that with the expected loss of funding by the U.S. Army for the No. 8 team at season’s end, along with the lack of primary sponsorship for their No. 01 car, and the organization’s financial solvency is suddenly in serious jeopardy. At present, the primary
sponsorship lineup for DEI’s four teams paints a pretty dismal picture, as Bass Pro Shop’s support of the No. 1 of Martin Truex, Jr. is the only funding set in stone for next year. That’s right; Menard’s departure leaves just one announced primary sponsor for four full-time race teams looking forward to the Daytona 500 in February. Businesswise, that’s not a desirable position for DEI or any Cup-level organization to be in. At this juncture, smart money would bet on further bad news coming out of the DEI camp in the next several weeks… namely in the announcement of the suspension of operations of one or more of its teams by season’s end. Without a Top 5 finish in 29 starts this season, Regan Smith’s No. 01 is likely the first to be axed. Though the team has run primarily out of the company’s own pockets this season, that’s not an arrangement DEI can or will continue long-term. So far this year, Smith has only had a handful of primary sponsors, with DEI appearing on the hood of the race car for more than two-thirds of all races run. Their estimated $700,000 effort per race to self-fund the operation while
continuing to court a full-time sponsor is admirable; but it’s a plan that common sense dictates will soon come to an end should a financial backer not be found. So, yesterday’s official announcement of Paul Menard and his family’s fortunes move to Yates Racing next season has most assuredly sealed the fate of either the No. 01 or No. 15 team… or both. With so much financial backing left to search for in 2009, a strong possibility exists DEI will scale back to even a two-car operation in the coming months. And that’s even assuming the company can manage to put together enough funding to keep the No. 8 team — the “flagship” of DEI — afloat. A late afternoon request for a statement from the company by Frontstretch.com to the Menard / Yates Racing announcement received no response; but in public comments to David Newton and ESPN, DEI President Max Siegel tried to make the best of a difficult situation. But at its core, Siegel’s comments suggested that the company is working towards shoring up team sponsorships for 2009, and that further details will be forthcoming. And why wouldn’t they? It’s much like proclamations we hear from struggling teams all the time, regardless of whether there’s any
truth behind it. Of course, there is nothing wrong with staying positive and not giving up; but try as they may, DEI finding two, let alone three quality corporate partners willing to jump on board at this late date would border on being a miracle in even the best of times. And with a $700 billion bailout package for the U.S. Economy being debated by Congress as you read this, it’s clear these are far from the best of times to convince companies to invest in race teams at around $20 million at a pop. Of course, those teams don’t need a national news flash at this point to know the economy is… shaky, to say the least. With the financial sector meltdowns of the past few months, companies like Washington Mutual, Wachovia, or Countrywide are no longer potential racing partners for investors to get the cash they need. And besides the trouble lenders are now experiencing, many companies that might otherwise be potential sponsor candidates are now circling the wagons to weather the tightening credit supply. Clearly, it will not be easy to convince them in these lean economic times that going “big time” racing is a prudent financial decision. But that is where DEI now finds itself … begging for help in a climate where companies are looking for help from someone else simply to stay afloat. It’s a tough enough climate to begin with; but the root of DEI’s problem runs far deeper, with a decline in performance of their race teams over the past several years now impossible to ignore. The teams consistently running up front are the ones who are able to obtain and maintain lucrative sponsorship deals these days; but with no cars in the Chase and no wins since Martin Truex, Jr.‘s triumph at Dover last June, it’s no longer as easy a sell for DEI as it used to be. With the exception of Bass Pro Shops, no sponsor is stepping forward to
obligate themselves to a lengthy deal with an organization that is by and large fielding also-rans in the final race results. Instead, this organization is falling into the category of NASCAR’s dreaded “lower middle class” — a group that is quickly watching all their financial support get stripped away by those above them. Note that Richard Childress Racing, with all three of its drivers in contention for the Sprint Cup championship, have taken the valuable Caterpillar support from Bill Davis Racing, another subpar performing team. Likewise, UPS will set sail from Michael Waltrip Racing to the powerhouse Roush Fenway organization in 2009, one that can presently boast of having three of its five teams in the 12-car Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. These companies are both examples of two plum corporate sponsors that undoubtedly
never gave DEI a thought, as they pursued the best race teams available in which to spend their huge marketing dollars. So with the walls crumbling fast and furious, would DEI had been better off had Teresa Earnhardt conceded control of the race team to her stepson as he demanded? The answer is probably yes – at least to an extent. There’s no doubt that the sport’s Most Popular Driver would have been a cinch to continue to attract sponsors to the No. 8 team; but beyond that, who knows? The bottom line is this is a performance-based business; and the fact remains that in 2008, DEI has not performed to the standards of what was once considered a top-tier organization. And that’s not to say they haven’t tried, either. On the technical side, in a move that Junior endorsed, DEI has partnered with RCR on their engine program over the past 12 months. Facility upgrades and new equipment, as Dale Jr. believed were needed, have also been obtained, in large part through the acquisition of Ginn Racing at what is believed to have been “fire sale” prices. But even with additional resources, it is difficult to predict what Dale Jr. would have contributed to the operation of four race teams that hasn’t now already been done at DEI. In the end, he can only drive one car … and you need four successful teams to have four prominent sponsors at your
side. Indeed, had Dale Jr. succeeded in his negotiations to wrestle control of DEI from his stepmother he would have, as he has with his own Nationwide Series race team, realized that it is difficult for a program to go it alone without outside financial and marketing support during lean times. Like the alliance between JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports he’s successfully constructed today, Junior would likely be doing the same thing DEI President Max Siegel is doing now — searching for partners that would make the perfect fit for this organization. In one word, Junior would be looking for… help. And with or without his leadership, help is exactly what is now needed at DEI — be it in the form of an even closer partnership with RCR, taking on a co-owner capable of infusing the organization with money and assistance in recruiting lucrative sponsors, or making a shrewd move in picking up a big-name driver — like the rumored comeback of Rusty Wallace that surfaced on SPEED TV late Tuesday night. But even under that best-case scenario, Teresa Earnhardt will still have to make some tough decisions over the next few months. Will she give up her ownership autonomy by allowing for additional investor support, or risk the longterm health of the
organization like BDR, Chip Ganassi Racing, or the Wood Brothers have already done? Before Tuesday, she wasn’t in a position where she had to make that choice. But now … it’s definitely an option on the table. And that’s my view from Turn 5. SPEEDTV.com: Will Rusty Wallace return? Kenny Wallace/special to Foxsports.com The hot NASCAR rumor right now is not something you'd hear anywhere other than around the race shops in Mooresville, N.C. Everyone wants to know if my brother Rusty Wallace is coming out of retirement to drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc. next season. I'm running the No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota in Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega and was at Michael's shop Tuesday being fitted for my seat. Six different crew members came up to me and said they'd heard a rumor Rusty was coming back to drive for DEI. These rumors get started in the Mooresville area because the shops are so close to each other and nothing can be kept secret for long. All I can say is that where there's smoke, there's fire. And he is definitely considering stepping back into a race car. I love my brother dearly and only want the best for him. If it weren't for Rusty, I would have never made it out of St. Louis and into NASCAR. I literally owe all my success to him because he moved me down here, set me up in a brand new, single-wide mobile home, got me a car and sent me on my way. So, it really breaks my heart that when Rusty retired at 49 years old, it was a mistake. He thought he was ready to quit because he was tired of the routine of being at the track and in the motor home every week. He had done it for so many years that he thought he couldn't do it anymore. But I really respect Rusty for going out on top — he was among the top 10 in the Chase that year and had a good season. But he pulled the plug on his NASCAR career a year or two too early and he knew it six months after he quit. I was in Rusty's corner when he retired because he was almost 50 years old and all the focus was on the "young guns." I think he felt he was being pushed out a little because he wasn't a kid anymore. But everyone has their era and I think the NASCAR drivers have come full circle. It's the old guys' turn again. The Indy car guys had their time; the young guns currently are the hottest thing around but lately we've seen that teams want experience. That's why Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, Terry Labonte and now Rusty's name have resurfaced. Teams are under enormous pressure to keep their cars inside the top 35 in points and land sponsorships, and they want champions and guys like Rusty to help them accomplish these goals. He's considering this huge move because he watched Brett Favre come out of retirement in the NFL and his good friend Mark Martin is giving it another shot next year at Hendrick. If Mark had quit, Rusty would have been comfortable with his retirement. But watching Mark, who is a couple of years younger than my brother, stage this comeback has really tugged on Rusty's heartstrings. Rusty has told me numerous times he can outrun half the drivers in the Cup Series and he truly is giving a lot of thought to returning to the track. If he wants to make that commitment, I'll support him 110 percent. The decision is Rusty's and his wife Patti's, but I think the whole possibility is very inspirational and I'm looking forward to his answer. If he comes back, I think he'll be a bit surprised by the new car. I predict Rusty will be successful but he'll be shocked that he won't have control of the chassis the way he used to. He'll have an adjustment period because the cars are controlled by engineers, bump-stops and seven-post machines, technology that wasn't in such great use when he left the sport. There is no doubt Rusty has the talent to run well but he'll probably be upset he won't be able to set up the car on his own or tell the team how to do it. Maybe we'll know sometime soon if I'm right or not. Before I go, I'd really like to thank Michael Waltrip for tapping me for the No. 00 car at Talladega this weekend. The car is only 29 points outside the top 35 and my job is to get it back inside the top 35. I've got a good record at Talladega and Michael wanted someone with experience to help his organization out. Next to racing my way into the Daytona 500 in February, this is the second-best highlight of my year. Every dog needs a bone once in a while and I want thank Michael for throwing one to me. Did You Notice? Petty's Like Waltrip, Drivers Get Paid Too Much, And Parity's Lost Thomas Bowles · Frontstretch.com Did You Notice? … That the way Kyle Petty’s career is ending is very reminiscent of … Darrell Waltrip? Before I covered this sport through TV and print, I made no secret of the fact Waltrip was my favorite driver. His fall from grace in the years leading up to retirement (save for a few races in ’98 with DEI) was painful to watch, especially for a kid that idolized him growing up. During that rough stretch, there’s an article I read from motorsports writer Bones Bourcier that I’ll always treasure. It was written at the end of ’96, when Waltrip brought everyone together to announce his 25th anniversary celebration in motorsports. At the time, people believed 1997 would also be his last full-time season in the Cup Series. Waltrip was just coming off the worst year of his career at the time, with only two Top 10s and eleven DNFs that saw him plummet to 29th in points. So, when to everyone’s surprise Waltrip said ’97 would be a celebration – not a retirement tour – Bourcier wrote an incredible piece about the habit for drivers to hang on too long. He interviewed David Pearson, who had a difficult end to his own career and gave some remarkable quotes about how when the end does come, no one can stop it… but even fewer believe it. The piece turned philosophical, raising the question that the difference between drivers who retire on top and those who leave kicking and screaming is how much they understand their inability to change the hands of Father Time. But Waltrip never believed time was against him; and because of it, you saw him running junk for years, finishing ten, twelve, twenty laps off the pace at race tracks where he wasn’t competitive for 35th, let alone 15th. Looking back, he was given one last, great chance with DEI in competitive equipment and made the best of it in ’98. After a handful of Top 15 finishes, he should have stepped out when Steve Park stepped back into the No. 1 car. The problem was, Waltrip refused to believe it was over, thinking he could go out on top while even his basic skills were diminishing. That led him into a “double whammy” type of scenario. Waltrip took rides that even the best drivers at the time couldn’t win with, when even the most competitive
equipment wouldn’t give him more than a Top 10 run a time or two. Which brings us to Petty’s current problem. No one denies his right to keep racing in honor of son Adam, killed in a terrible accident at Loudon in 2000. For years, longtime fans have hoped for that one miracle moment, where Petty enters Victory Lane and is finally able to tearfully dedicate a win to his fallen child. But wishful thinking doesn’t always grant the wish. We’re eight years removed from that fateful day, and at 48, Petty is running each week like Waltrip used to run at the end of his career – struggling to even keep the car at minimum speed. Yes, I understand Petty Enterprises equipment has struggled for several years now. But there’s a difference between finishing a fighting 35th, and running so many laps down it’s clear you’re barely
keeping up with the race track. So far this season, Petty’s finished on the lead lap just once in 14 starts; and in nine of them, he’s ended the race three or more laps behind. In a series where the Lucky Dog has led to record numbers of cars finishing within striking distance of the leader, that’s nothing short of astounding. Patti Petty hopes Kyle gets picked up by someone else in 2009. Well, I’m not so excited about that prospect. Waltrip at least had a brief renaissance in B+ quality equipment. But right now, in this economic climate, what team is going to make that available for Kyle? Universally praised as a booth analyst, he could retire and have a long, fruitful career influencing our sport in television, just like Waltrip has done in the last eight years. Instead, he’s looking Father Time directly in the face … and just hoping he’ll go away. Bones, I think it’s time for you to write another piece … Did You Notice? … That 29 races into the season, 35 different drivers have scored a Top 10 finish. Why do I bring that up? The year before the Car of Tomorrow (i.e. – Car of Parity) debuted in 2006, 38 different drivers scored a Top 10 over the course of a full season. So, unless there’s a rash of surprise performers over the next seven races, the number of drivers cracking the Top 10 barrier each year is going to end up about the same, with or without the “CoP.” But what about if we turned back the clock to 2001 – well before the era of the Chase, multi-car team dominance, and the CoT? You had – get this — a total of 45 drivers score a Top 10 finish over the course of the season. Of course, those men came from over two dozen different Cup teams, as well, nearly twice the number of car owners who have broken the Top 10 barrier so far this season. Hmm … more owners meant more driving opportunities, increased competition, and greater parity. I’m sensing a trend. And in case you’re wondering, nineteen different drivers from thirteen different teams won a Cup Series race in 2001. Seven years later, we have eleven winning drivers coming from just six different teams – a drop of over 50%. Did You Notice? … That while we’re on the subject of consistency, Kyle Busch is the only one of the 12 drivers in the Chase not to score a Top 10 finish? Consider that he’d never gone more than two consecutive races outside the Top 10 until the playoffs. Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time … Did You Notice? … How much famous drivers charge simply to talk to people? While doing some research, I stumbled across this site allamericanspeakers.com, which matches up motivational speakers with an opportunity that fits for them. So, I started poking around and before I knew it, I was browsing the names of famous drivers and figuring out how much their time would cost. Did you know … that to bring Joe Nemechek into your favorite birthday party or college event, it’s going to cost you between $10,001 and $20,000? Shockingly, he’s going at the same rate as Chaser Kevin Harvick, who’s had a whole lot more success on the track to speak of. No offense to Joe, but how can you be a motivational speaker when you haven’t been motivated by recent success? Here’s the ultimate kicker, though: the most expensive driver list on that website isn’t Harvick or former drivers Mario and Michael Andretti. It’s – get this — Robby Gordon. That’s right, for the discount price of $50,001 and above, you can get Gordon to speak at your special event! How in the heck could Gordon be worth $40,000 more than Harvick; does he throw a helmet at the crowd or something? And keep in mind these guys make a living on the race track, not in front of a microphone. How polished are these speaking appearances? Wouldn’t you like to see someone like Robby speak for one hour in front of a crowd? I don’t know
about you, but the Cup banquet is usually awkward enough for me … and how refreshing is it that in one hour of speaking, Robby makes more than several Americans make in just one year! I think I know where he’ll get his money to run the No. 7 car in 2009. Wondering what your favorite driver was worth? Feel free to browse the site by clicking here. Man, I knew I should have jumpstarted my driving career when I started kicking butt at NASCAR ‘05 … Top Ten Reasons Sponsors and Drivers Are Leaving DEI Jeff Meyer · Frontstretch.com 10. They are hoping to get in with a good team… like Ganassi or Michael Waltrip Racing. 9. They are tired of all the “TEI” jokes. You know, like “The End is Imminent.” 8. Assigning them double duty as the janitorial crew was the last straw. 7. They are realizing that if all the “real” Earnhardts left, something must be up. 6. Two letters: T. E. 5. They decided that with all the recent talk of a “bailout,” the time was ripe. 4. The Army is already under enough pressure to pull out, so they thought they’d practice with DEI. Baby steps! 3. DEI recently hired Billy Mays to sell the team to potential sponsors – “But wait! We’ll give you another car and driver for a onetime payment of $19 million!” 2. They want to win, or at least have a chance to win. 1. They can “save big money at Yates” and there is no mail-in rebate! Talladega Superspeedway and Dale Earnhardt Jr.: A love affair Lee Montgomery/scenedaily.com For a lot of drivers, a race at Talladega Superspeedway really is just another race. They have to treat it that way, it seems, simply because they hate racing there. Chase glance: Talladega Superspeedway Rea White/scenedaily.com Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson gained the edge in NASCAR's Chase For The Sprint Cup with his winning performance at Kansas Speedway in a race that once more showcased a stunning duel at the finish. The Roush Fenway Racing drivers are making the Chase one of the liveliest segments of the season to date. First, the team’s Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth engaged in a spirited duel with eventual winner and teammate Greg Biffle in the closing laps at Dover. At Kansas, it was Edwards bringing the fans to their feet once more with his banzai attempt to pass Johnson on the final lap - a move that briefly worked but then failed when Edwards slapped the wall and settled for second. Now comes Talladega Superspeedway, a track noted as much for its ability to end a driver's championship dreams as the competition on it. The 12 Chase drivers head to the restrictor-plate race knowing that they need to stay out of trouble and avoid the inevitable big crash. Thinking about doing so is easy, but staying out of trouble at Talladega can be impossible as the cars swarm in right packs where an ill-timed move by one competitor can result in damage to many. Here’s a look at how the 12 Chase drivers have fared to date this season, and how they've performed at Talladega in the past: 2. Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford (minus-10 points): Edwards, 29, has six victories this season, 14 top-five and 22 top-10s. He finished 40th earlier this year at Talladega, where he has one top-five and three top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 24.0. 3. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford (minus-30): Biffle, 38, has three finishes of third or better, including a pair of wins, in the opening three Chase races. He has 14 top-10 finishes and 11 top-fives this season, with only two DNFs. He finished 18th at Talladega in April and has an average finish of 25.3 at the track. 7. Clint Bowyer, No. 07 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (minus-164): Bowyer, 29, has one win, four top-five and 13 top-10 finishes this season. He finished ninth at Talladega in April, his lone top-10 at the track. Bowyer has an average finish of 26.0 at the track. 8. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (minus-190): Earnhardt, 33, has one victory, nine top-five and 14 top-10 finishes this season. He finished 10th at Talladega in April and has five wins, seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes at the track. Earnhardt Jr. has an average finish of 14.1 at Talladega. 10. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (minus-243): Hamlin, 27, has one victory, nine top-five and 15 top-10 finishes this season. He finished third at Talladega in April, one of two top-five finishes for him at the track. He has an average finish of 14.2 there. 11. Tony Stewart, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota: (minus-255) Stewart, 37, has nine top-five and 14 top-10 finishes this season. The two-time Cup champion remains winless this season. He finished 38th at Talladega in April and has eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes at the track. He has an average finish of 15.0 there. 12. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (minus-311): Busch, 23, has the most victories this season (eight), with 15 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. He won the April race at Talladega and has an average finish of 27.3 at the track. Tom Higgins Scuffs Benny and Banjo
By Tom Higgins When Benny Parsons was trudging 10 miles home after football practice at rural Millers Creek High School in Wilkes County, N.C., during the 1950s he didn't dare dream of someday being in a hall of fame of any kind. Sadly, both Parsons and Matthews will be honored posthumously. NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK
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