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Did You Know

Felix Sabates, part-owner of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, had promised to give Jamie McMurray a $22,000 watch from his private collection if he won the 500. Sabates once promised to give Kyle Petty a Rolls Royce if he won a race at Rockingham. Petty won the race and still has the car. ... The last time the Daytona 500 took place on Feb. 20 was in 2000, when Dale Jarrett won from the pole. Jarrett start on the pole today. ... Ricky Rudd will move into the top five on the all-time Daytona 500 miles completed list if he goes at least 411 miles. Rudd enters the race having completed 11,142.5 miles. Fifth-place Bill Elliott has 11,552.5 miles. - The Tampa Tribune

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They Said What?!?
Nikki Krone

NEXTEL Cup Series – Daytona 500

“This is just an awesome win. I think everybody at Hendrick Motorsports has been motivated by, you know, trying to honor those that were lost. That’s the way we like to keep them in our memories and know that, you know, they’re looking down smiling. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
– Jeff Gordon on winning the Daytona 500 following the tragedy at Martinsville.

“I love Rusty. I’ve raced with him for 30 years, and we fought for the same turf for 30 years and we never once had a problem, and that says a lot.”
– Mark Martin’s response when asked if it meant extra to race at the end with Rusty Wallace.

“It ain’t no big deal right now, I’m telling you. I don’t have any major love for this place. Check with me at Charlotte. I’ll have a tear in my eye there.”
—On ending his NEXTEL Cup career without a Daytona 500 win.

“Hopefully this entire season we’ll be a million miles away from the luck we had last year. Right now, we have this ball of momentum rolling toward us and it’s getting bigger and bigger. This is the first time we’ve gotten the chance to show just how big it is and now it’s rolling even faster heading into next week. This is going to be a fun year for us.”
—Scott Riggs following his fourth place finish at Daytona.

Pete Rondeau (crew chief): “Nice job, nice save on that last pit stop.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I tried to avoid the 31 car (Jeff Burton). He thought I was trying to crap on him. It was my fault.”
– No. 8 radio chatter following a miscue with Jeff Burton on a lap-62 pit stop sent Earnhardt Jr. into his pit stall sideways.

“I had to use the restroom beyond belief. Yes, it did (hurt me). We were out there for five hours in the car. I think we sat out there for 45 minutes after driver intro with nothing to do except watch everybody walk by and enjoy the atmosphere.”
– Kurt Busch following the race, when asked if the late cautions hurt him.

“It’s a blast. You’re racing out there for a million-and-a-half dollars to win and you’re racing the nicest race cars in the world in front of 200,000 people live. My crew worked really hard and we overcame some really bad luck. I just had a good time. I really enjoyed it.”
– Carl Edwards on his first Daytona 500.

“We pulled the wrong gear. They were running over me. Junior knocked me off the race track early in the race because it wouldn’t run at the end of the straightaway. We finally got it to where I could drive, but it was just so frustrating because it wouldn’t go. On restarts and stuff they would just run over me. They worked their tails off to get us where we got to and we came out with a reasonable finish.”
– Dale Jarrett on his 15th place finish, after earning the pole.

Busch Series – Hershey’s Take 5 300

“I was going to the inside of him and he turned down to block me and I’m not lifting for the lead at Daytona. He wouldn’t lift either, so that’s just racing. He’s the man, though, because that was a good comeback.”
– Carl Edwards on the bump that sent eventual winner Tony Stewart through the grass.

Reed Sorenson: “Well, he (Kevin Harvick) made me nervous quite a few times there near the end (laughter). He was hitting me pretty hard.

Kevin Harvick: “I was trying to lower your spoiler. Every time I’d hit you, it would come down about a quarter inch.”
– Reed Sorenson and Kevin Harvick in the post race press conference, discussing the final laps, as Harvick ran closely behind Sorenson.
Quote's of the Week

``When it counted, ol' `Lynyrd' Skinner got me in the butt,''
– Ryan Newman, frustrated at being hit by Mike Skinner in a late-race wreck Sunday.
Comments from the Peanut Gallery

from Jack
Please tell me that this is really the Pepsi 400 coming up so we will not have to listen to the Larry and Darrell show until then.  They've worn thin already and I'm tired of them.  What a couple of overpaid underachieving, ratchet jawed nothings!
 
Jack.
 
I know you're 'slacking off' a little, but I had to vent anyhow.  Enjoy your 'vacation'.

Also from Jack........

Welcome back. 
 
Apparently some of the folks didn't read your messages early on about you not being around for awhile.
 
Your imitators just don't do it like you do.
 
Jack.

from Bob
Harvick to Penske?

Say it ain't so Roger.

Of all the rehab projects Captain Nice has taken on over the years, this is the least deserving. His driving is only occasionally at the top level, versus so many drivers who are always on "kill", not just when the mood strikes them and everything else is working in his favor. Just look at who he has defended and who he has picked fights with? Standing up for other bad actors and picking on solid performers is close to being UnAmerican (or at least undermines the spirit Randolph Scott fought for!). And his family interaction redefines disfunctional. Poor Childress has made his bed. Let him take care of the fleas.

Cheers, Bob Bits and Pieces

Goodbye Rockingham: This weekend marks the first time in many years that NASCAR has not raced at Rockingham, N.C., after its Daytona 500 season opener. The historic old North Carolina Motor Speedway was dropped from the 2005 Nextel Cup schedule and replaced by California Speedway. ''It's going to be a little bit different this week,'' North Carolina native Kyle Petty said. ''But it's the kind of difference that goes away as the week goes along. By Saturday, it will seem natural that we're not at Rockingham. ''I don't know if that's the way things should be, but it's just the way people are. You adapt to whatever the situation is.''
Marlin optimistic for 2005
Sterling Marlin was yesterday's guest on Dodge's weekly national media conference, and he was still pumped up about his eighth-place finish in Sunday's Daytona 500.
 
''When you can come out of Daytona with a good finish it really helps the rest of the season,'' Marlin said. ''I've always had confidence that if I had the car I could go, and last Sunday I had the car.''

"I made some mistakes speeding down pit road and pitting when it was closed.

"It got us coming in pit road. You're coming off the track and gearing your car down, and it's hard to judge RPMs. If you're 100 RPMs over, it's hard to judge 100 RPMs and trying to watch where you're going and watch the tach and pitting with people. So there needs to be some leeway coming in the pits.

"Going out, no problem. But coming in the pits you get to wheel-hopping, and there's just a lot going on coming on pit road."

Twenty-five more races remain to set the field for the second Chase for the Championship matching the top 10 drivers in the standings along with any others within 400 points of the leader.

''Getting in and having a chance to compete for the championship — that's the No. 1 goal,'' Marlin said.
Mark Martin Dealership offers rides with new car purchase
As construction continued Tuesday on NASCAR racing star Mark Martin's new Ford dealership in Batesville, management at the current location were offering a ride in the racer's famed No. 6 Viagra car to anyone who buys a new or used vehicle.

Martin opened the dealership in his hometown last spring, and construction started Monday on a new building that will include a museum to house his trophies and racing cars. The complex is to open in spring 2006.

Martin finished sixth in last weekend's Daytona 500.

Over the years, Martin has made it clear he never lost affection for his home town. He's backing that up with his big investment in the dealership and museum.

The museum and the experience of racing Martin's own car are his ways to let local folks touch the racer's success, said Vic Davidson, who is in charge of new car sales.

Buyers will go to the Memphis Motor Speedway, where they will take a short driver's course before driving around the track 10 times wearing a helmet and firesuit. They'll be able to reach speeds of up to 130 mph. Afterward, they will get to meet Martin, who has 34 career victories, making him 17th on NASCAR's all-time list.

"That's a retail value of $2,000 without Mark being there," Davidson said. "And with Mark being there it's priceless."

Davidson said the promotion runs through March and the racing will be June 24, but the dealership may add more days if sales make it necessary. And heavy drivers may want to slim down because not everyone will fit into Martin's famous No. 6 Roush racing car.

"Just depending on the size of the people will depend on the size of the car," Davidson said. "Of course, Mark's small, so Mark's car will be small."

Larry Shaw, who lives in Batesville and raced with Martin when they were young, said the dealership and promotions are just the racer's way to give back. For example, Shaw noted that Martin is bringing NASCAR Nextel champion Kurt Busch to Batesville on March 25 and 26 for "Mark Martin Fan Days".

"People are calling from California trying to get hotel rooms for when he is here," Batesville Mayor Joe Biard said Tuesday.

But the dealership and promotions aren't where it ends for Martin, 46, who is retiring from full-time Nextel Cup racing after this season. Martin is building a home near Batesville on the banks of the White River.

That's why Martin chose to have his high-profile promotion nearby, Shaw said.

"Mark would want to do something close to home he knows that people can leave and go to Memphis easy," Shaw said. "He wanted to do it close to home. Mark's going to be really involved in that."
Texaco to continue Autism support; announcement Friday, scheme:  ChevronTexaco, in conjunction with #42-Jamie McMurray and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, will hold a press conference this Friday, Feb 25th at California Speedway to announce ongoing financial and promotional support for the Autism Society of America (ASA) via its "Driving Autism Awareness" campaign during the 2005 NASCAR racing season and unveiling a special paint scheme. A new primary and associate sponsor on the #42 NASCAR Nextel Cup Dodge driven by Jamie McMurray and the #41 NASCAR Busch Series Dodge piloted by Raybestos Rookie Candidate Reed Sorenson will also be announced and unveiled.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)
ISC reports record revenue
International Speedway Corp. said Tuesday that it had record revenue for its Speedweeks events, which kicked off Feb. 5 and ended with Sunday's Daytona 500. Figures were not announced.

Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon has won three of the nine races at California Speedway, site of Sunday's Auto Club 500. He is the only multi- race winner on the D-shaped two-mile oval.
Newman and Borland to the skies:  On Thursday, #12-Ryan Newman and crew chief Matt Borland, will hit the skies in a jet refueling mission from March Air Force Base near the California Speedway. Neither ALLTEL team member has been involved in such a mission before. Both Newman and Borland, however, flew F-16 fighter jets last year at Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix International Raceway.(Penske Racing)

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Atlanta's corporate heavyweights rev up, attempting to attract NASCAR's planned hall of fame and museum
by Walter Woods
Atlanta Journal Constitution


A lot owned by Ted Turner, the Philips Arena Jumbotron parking deck and Underground Atlanta are among the possible pit stops for what could be NASCAR's Cooperstown in Atlanta.

Executives from some of Atlanta's corporate engines — Coke, Home Depot, BellSouth and UPS — are among local organizers negotiating with a handful of city deed holders about where to park a NASCAR hall of fame and museum.

NASCAR last month asked for proposals from Atlanta, Daytona Beach, Fla., Charlotte and Kansas City to develop a national attraction celebrating stock car racing. Richmond and the state of Michigan also put themselves in the running.

Bids are due May 31. NASCAR wants to pick a winning bidder in December, with an opening of the hall of fame by 2007 or 2008.

The attraction could draw a million visitors each year and have a $20 million impact on the city and state, said Scott Wilfong, president and chief executive of SunTrust Banks, Atlanta. "And that's before you sell one piece of merchandise," he said.

All of the bid committee's possible locations, except Underground, curve around Centennial Olympic Park like a victory lap.

Among the sites being considered are two parking decks across Centennial Olympic Park Drive from Phillips Arena (one featuring the arena's giant electronic display), Turner's Luckie Street corner next to the Tabernacle, a lot behind the Children's Museum of Atlanta and a site across Marietta Street from the Georgia Aquarium.

One site not being considered is the surplus land Coca-Cola has next to its new World of Coca-Cola museum, Robinson said. The company has said it is not pursuing uses for that site.

Organizers want the museum in the city center to feed off the 3 million convention visitors who came downtown last year, as well CNN Center and "coming soon" attractions like the aquarium (scheduled to open late this year) and the new World of Coca-Cola (expected in 2007), Wilfong said.

What's more, NASCAR wants its hall of fame to host a race weekend induction ceremony that could welcome more than 100,000 fans, said A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress, the downtown booster and a driver of Atlanta's bid.

Downtown, with its park, hotels and the Georgia World Congress Center, is the best place for such an event, he said.

Wilfong heads a blue-ribbon bid committee with representatives of Gov. Sonny Perdue and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, as well as some of metro Atlanta's biggest companies and NASCAR sponsors: Georgia-Pacific, Turner Broadcasting System and Aaron Rents.

The bid committee is looking to hire a creative design firm, as well as a consultant for a feasibility study and a formal economic impact analysis.

But the competition is on the move, too.

Kansas' governor took a Valentine's Day trip to NASCAR's headquarters in Daytona Beach to sell Kansas City. Daytona Beach's backers are asking the Florida Legislature for money. And Charlotte is banking on its roots in racing's past.

But local organizers believe Atlanta's corporate stars, population, diversity and access to the country via Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport will drive the city past the checkered flag.

As Robinson put it, "We represent a growth opportunity for NASCAR without leaving the historical roots of the whole brand."

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500 MOVING TO PRIME TIME?
The Jacksonville (Fla.) Times-Union reports that the starting time for the Daytona 500 is likely to move to 5 p.m. as early as next year to ensure that the event ends in television's prime-time period. The move would be expected to produce a bigger television audience and higher advertising rates, reporter Don Coble writes.

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30,000 Free Cars Offered By BAM, Schwan's 
One of NASCAR's top sponsors and most fan-friendly teams are offering free die-cast cars to fans. The die-cast of the #49 Schwan's Home Service Dodge of driver Ken Schrader is being offered by BAM Racing and Schwan's Home Service to fans calling 1-877-3RACE49.

"This was just a way of saying 'Thank you' to all of the fans who have supported us," said Beth Ann Morgenthau, BAM Racing's namesake who owns the team with her husband, Tony.

"BAM Racing and Schwan's Home Service really appreciate the support we've received from so many people throughout the country," she said. "We're hoping these cars will be a way of showing that appreciation."

Fans call 1-877-3RACE49 to ask for the cars, and will also receive a Schwan's Home Service catalog. The first 30,000 addresses to call will receive the die-casts. Only one car per shipping address will be allowed.

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Jeff Gordon to be get another star at California Speedway Walk of Fame
As with his two previous wins, and all California Speedway NASCAR NEXTEL Cup winners, Jeff Gordon will be inducted into the speedway's Walk of Fame for his victory in last year's Auto Club 500.
 
The ceremony, which will feature Gordon placing his footprints, signature and a bronze placard with his likeness into cement, will take place at Gate 12 on Saturday, February 26 at 11:15 a.m., before NEXTEL Cup qualifying.

In nine starts, the Vallejo, Calif. native has captured three wins (1997, 1999 and 2004), one pole (1998), five top-5 finishes, and prior to an engine failure in last September's race, he finished no worse than 16th in a Cup race at the Southern California oval. He leads the way with the best average starting position of 11.88 and average finishing position of 9.33.

Gordon has tattooed his name all over the record books at California Speedway. He's led the most career laps, 412 for a total of 30 times. As the only NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver to break into the $1 million mark from race winnings at the track, Gordon has done so by completing all race miles seven times for a total of 4,416 competitive miles notched.

The four-time NASCAR Champion is successful at California Speedway because he understands the track and what it takes to get the job done.

"It is a very fast race track with fairly flat turns and the track continues to gain character through some of the bumps and dips and some of the things that are out there, the groove it continues to widen," he said. "You carry a lot of speed into the entrances of the corners. So trying to get the car comfortable and carry the speeds in the corner and then having enough to carry the momentum through the corner is really important."

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Atwood driving the Bailey's Dodge again for California
Casey Atwood will be making his third career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start in the American Racing Wheels 200 at California Speedway.

"I have had some really good runs at California Speedway and I have had some not so good runs there. It has been a mixed bag for me on the West Coast. I qualified seventh there in a Busch car in 1999 and we ran near the front all day. I have had some good runs there in a Cup car as well, we qualified pretty good there (12th) in 2002. I will be happy to get to California with these trucks where we can race on a normal type racetrack. I don't like the type of racing where you all run together in a pack all the time like Daytona."

Atwood says he's grateful for the opportunity to drive for nis mentor Bobby Hamilton. "Bobby and I have known each other for a long time and I just think that I drive a lot like he does. He pretty much taught me how to drive. Ever since I was 12 or 13 years old I have patterned my driving style after his. I really appreciate that he has the confidence in me to give me the opportunity in this Bailey's Dodge. I just want to go to California and Atlanta and try and win for Bobby Hamilton Racing and Bailey's. This opportunity means a lot to me."

Qualifiying for the American Racing Wheels 200 will be Thursday at California Speedway with the race running the next day at 9:00 PM EDT Live on the Speed Channel.

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Marlin plans to confront Newman about corner run-in
BY MARK DeCOTIS
FLORIDA TODAY

If Ryan Newman hears a knock on the door of his hauler or motor home, or a tap on his shoulder at California this weekend, chances are it won't be anyone selling Girl Scout cookies, or looking to make a lunch date.

It most likely will be fellow Dodge pilot Sterling Marlin, who still is ticked off about Newman's slam-drafting during last Sunday's Daytona 500.

"Ryan Newman hit me going in (Turn) 3, and I about wrecked," Marlin said in Tuesday's Dodge Motorsports teleconference. "It darn near took out about 10 of us. "The point is, don't run into me going into the corner," added Marlin, who said he'll have a conversation with Newman this weekend.

"I don't care down the straightaway, but you can't be hitting somebody going into the corner. He was lucky he didn't wreck a lot of us."

Marlin, a two-time Daytona 500 winner (1994, '95) said the racing at Daytona was much hairier than in recent years, and he wasn't surprised there was a big wreck -- an accident on Lap 189 that involved 10 cars.

"It was nuts," said Marlin. "Restrictor-plate racing, if you run all day long and if you haven't had cautions to thin 'em out, with 40 to go it's just a mad house. Everybody is chopping each other off.

"I'd say it was more nuts than ever. If you were up front, it might not have been as crazy, but at the time, we'd got the penalty and had to start in the rear. We had to come through everything. It looked like they were running Martinsville, bouncing off each other. I knew it was going to happen."

If there was any consolation, it was the monetary rewards. Marlin collected $319,678 for finishing eighth, a sum that far surpassed the $258,275 he received for winning the 500 in 1994 and the $300,460 he got for winning in 1995.

"It shows how much the sport has really grown," he said. "The sport is taking off. We need to win it again and collect that million and a half."

Speaking of Daytona, Sunday's winner, the normally articulate and talkative Jeff Gordon was asked in Wednesday's NASCAR teleconference what he would like his legacy to be and his answer, once he got back on stride, was striking for both what it encapsulated and what it might have presaged.

"Oh, boy. It's not something I put a lot of effort into thinking, you know," Gordon said. "Right now, I'm just so focused on driving, trying to be a part of a great organization that provides winning cars and championship-caliber team out there.

"But, you know, obviously, I've accomplished more than I've ever dreamed of. To have the career I've had, grow up at such a young age, racing quarter midgets, go-karts, moving onto midgets and Sprint cars, having success along the way, winning big events. Then, getting into NASCAR and the Cup Series, knowing that I've won three Daytona 500s, four Brickyard 400s, four championships, a lot of other races, I mean, to me there's nothing really that I have left that I feel like I have to accomplish. I've accomplished more than I ever dreamed.

"I guess I just want to be known as somebody (who) put (his) heart and soul into driving every lap to pull off victories, (who) played a role at Hendrick Motorsports and in the sport, being a part of it as it's taken off to a whole new level."

It is interesting that Gordon, at 33, and in his 13th full season, has gotten to the point where he believes he has nothing left to prove. But don't mistake that for complacency. Anyone who watched the tiger that took hold of the wheel of the No. 24 Chevy over the frantic final laps on Sunday would agree that, while Gordon certainly has earned the right to rest on his laurels, he certainly doesn't plan on kicking back.

And, he certainly isn't expecting the booing to stop anytime soon. While the boo birds might not be as plentiful or vociferous as in the past, they still exist, something Gordon still notices.

"It was one of those things I tried to figure out a long time ago and kind of stopped somewhere along the way when I just realized that my focus is to be a part of a team that goes out and tries to win races and championships, be myself, be the best person that I can," he said.

"The people (who) follow me, I'm very grateful for because I have a great fan base. But those who don't, I think they're entitled to their opinion. They can boo, they can do whatever they want. I just learned to let it not really bother me. I think by making noise, whether you're cheering, booing, if you're putting effort into making signs up to say, 'Anybody but 24,' then obviously, I've gotten their attention and that's a good thing."

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Speedway starting another new tradition
By Louis Brewster
San Bernadino Sun
 

For the past 13 seasons, the NASCAR Cup Series has headed north after the season opener at Daytona to Rockingham, N.C. But not this year.

Instead, the stock car crowd will make its away west for Sunday's Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.

As part of the NASCAR realignment announced in 2003, Fontana was awarded the second slot on the schedule after Speedway Motorsports Inc. bought the North Carolina track from the France family and moved the racing date to Texas.  

According to a few drivers, adjusting to the new NASCAR schedule will not take much effort.

"It's going to be a little bit different this week since we're going to California instead of Rockingham,' said Kyle Petty, who drives the Georgia-Pacific Dodge. "But it's the kind of difference that tends to go away as the week goes along. By Saturday, it will start to seem natural that we're not at Rockingham.

"I don't know if that's the way things should be, but it's just the way people are. You adapt to whatever the situation is.'

Sterling Marlin is going to miss Rockingham, but for another reason.

"For travel, logistics, I'd rather be going to Rockingham,' Marlin said. "I think a lot of people would because it gives them time to be home with their families after being in Daytona for a week and a half. A lot of guys drove back and forth from Charlotte to Rockingham.'

Petty, who has been racing in the Cup Series since 1979, remembers when the season started at Riverside International Raceway or when Richmond was the traditional date after Daytona.

"Southern California is a pretty giant market, but it's the first time we've tried running in January there in 20 years,' Petty said. "We used to open the season at Riverside, then go to Daytona, but the attention paid to the sport back then was nothing compared to what is being paid these days.

"Used to be we'd go from Daytona to Richmond. Then they decided Richmond was too cold in February, so we went to Rockingham for the second race, even though Rockingham in February isn't exactly a trip to the Bahamas. We adjusted to that and we'll adjust to California, too.'

GOING RACING

For many drivers, the Auto Club 500 marks the first real racing opportunity.

"We can race the car there, and I think this is when the real racing season starts,' Jeff Green said of the 2-mile Fontana track. "We have a lot more control of circumstances on the track this week. We just aren't racing from line to line and depending on having partners to get to the front.

"That's what makes you excited about this weekend. Rockingham or California, it's just not Daytona.'

Ken Schrader agreed.

"Daytona was the first event of the season,' he said, "but, California is the first race. Nothing against Daytona; it has great history and I can't ever imagine us kicking off the season any other way; but the restrictor plates just make the racing there such a different animal. Not to mention how it seems like every time we go to race at Daytona it seems a new rule change is in place or something new that makes it slightly or not so slightly different than the time before.

"California is generally the same each time here. We don't have the plates, so the cars won't be kept in tight packs all day and we'll actually have a chance to get out and race.'

Daytona 500 winner Gordon said the Auto Club 500 may be a peek into the future.

"It's going to take horsepower, downforce, balance, handling and a total team effort with the pit crew and everything,' Gordon said. "So to me, this weekend is a true tale of who is going to be strong throughout the year.'

TEST RESULTS

Schrader was among 30 Cup drivers who participated in NASCAR Preseason Thunder at the speedway earlier this month. It was the first preseason test at Fontana and Schrader was pleased with the results.

"We had an excellent test session,' Schrader said. "I know everyone says that, but as a team we felt as good as we've ever felt leaving a test session. For me, it was as beneficial a test session as I've ever had.

"Any time you can go to a test session and pick up a full second on your lap times, you have to feel like you've accomplished something when you've left.'

Green also was pleased with the test results for his Cheerios Dodge.

"We think we've got some good things for California,' Green said. "Although we still have a lot to learn with this new Charger, it has been great right out of the box. Dodge has been helpful with all their research and development. Our Evernham Engine package has been a tremendous boost for us as well.

"I don't know if we are right on top of everything yet, but we're going down the right road.'

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Sirius signs five-year deal for NASCAR satellite radio rights
From Press Release
 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Sirius Satellite Radio on Tuesday announced a five-year agreement to give Sirius North American satellite radio rights to broadcast NASCAR racing and events that will bring unprecedented programming and marketing opportunities to NASCAR fans.

Beginning in 2007, Sirius will broadcast all Nextel Cup Series, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series races live on a specially created, 24/7 NASCAR channel, and Sirius will be the only place on satellite radio to listen to NASCAR.

As part of the agreement, Sirius will become the Official Satellite Radio Partner of NASCAR, with exclusive trademark and marketing rights, and the right to sell all advertising time on its NASCAR channel and during the race broadcasts. Sirius will pay NASCAR rights fees totaling $107.5 million over the term of the agreement, with the highest payments in the final years of the term.

"We're thrilled that NASCAR has chosen to move to Sirius," said Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius. "Without question, Sirius is the content leader in satellite radio. This decision places Sirius on track to become the content leader in all of radio, and we believe it will be an important driver of subscriber growth and advertising revenue.

"Our 24/7 NASCAR channel will super-serve NASCAR's 75 million fans nationwide in a way that's never been done before. In addition to the races, Sirius will take fans behind the scenes for inside news and bring them exclusive shows featuring their favorite drivers. It will be the ultimate NASCAR lifestyle experience."

"Sirius is the sports leader on satellite radio, and sports programming is a leading reason subscribers choose Sirius," said Brian France, Chairman and CEO of NASCAR. "When you combine NASCAR's growing popularity with Sirius' commitment to bringing the best in sports to its subscribers, it's easy to understand why we made this move. We believe that our partnership with Sirius will offer the best possible experience to NASCAR fans nationwide."

Sirius and NASCAR will work together to develop an extensive consumer marketing and outreach campaign for NASCAR fans. This effort could include advertising, cross-channel promotion throughout Sirius programming, officially licensed products, extensive at-track activation and ways for current NASCAR fans to switch to Sirius.

NASCAR is the No. 2-rated sport on television, second only to the NFL. Its 75 million fans nationwide are a testament to the sport's overall growth and broad appeal. NASCAR has the most brand loyal fans in all sports. Plus, with a 10-month season, the longest in U.S. pro sports, sponsors and advertisers are visible to NASCAR's fan base for most of the year.

"This agreement with NASCAR clearly reinforces Sirius' leadership position in sports programming," said Scott Greenstein, Sirius President of Entertainment and Sports. "With NASCAR, we will be able to develop endless creative programming and marketing opportunities, as we have with our Sirius NFL Radio channel, to benefit NASCAR fans and Sirius subscribers throughout the country."

"NASCAR and Sirius share a vision and passion for the future, and today's announcement sets the stage for a very unique partnership within our industry," said NASCAR Digital Entertainment President Paul Brooks. "For the first time ever, NASCAR is combining a national programming and content partnership with multi-channel branding opportunities and a major national marketing commitment.

"This is a new type of national media partnership that will have the resources to build amazing content every day from our drivers, teams, events and industry, and package that together with the NASCAR brand like never before to reach NASCAR fans and new audiences."

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SIRIOUSLY?
Sirius Satellite Radio will broadcast NASCAR: SEC opens probe of company


Sirius Satellite Radio on Tuesday announced a five-year agreement to give Sirius North American satellite radio rights to broadcast NASCAR racing and events.

But a stock-trading probe by the Securties and Exchange Commission may taint that deal.

The five-year deal, set to begin in 2007, will pay NASCAR $107.5 million.  

NASCAR is currently broadcast on Sirius' larger rival, XM Satellite Radio, under a deal set in 2000.

"We're thrilled that NASCAR has chosen to move to Sirius," said Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius. "Without question, Sirius is the content leader in satellite radio. This decision places Sirius on track to become the content leader in all of radio, and we believe it will be an important driver of subscriber growth and advertising revenue. Our 24/7 NASCAR channel will super-serve NASCAR's 75 million fans nationwide in a way that's never been done before."

"Sirius is the sports leader on satellite radio, and sports programming is a leading reason subscribers choose Sirius," said Brian France, Chairman and CEO of NASCAR. "When you combine NASCAR's growing popularity with Sirius' commitment to bringing the best in sports to its subscribers, it's easy to understand why we made this move. We believe that our partnership with Sirius will offer the best possible experience to NASCAR fans nationwide."

Sirius and NASCAR will work together to develop an extensive consumer marketing and outreach campaign for NASCAR fans. This effort could include advertising, cross-channel promotion throughout Sirius programming, officially licensed products, extensive at-track activation and ways for current NASCAR fans to switch to Sirius.

Asked on the weekly media conference call to compare the value of this deal with the fees paid by XM, Brian France, Chairman and Chief Executive of NASCAR, said the new deal was worth "a lot more."

An XM spokesman was not immediately available to comment.

Both Sirius and XM have been committing large sums of money to lock in programming as part of their drive to attract customers.

Last fall Sirius announced it had entered a five-year, $500 million deal to broadcast shock jock Howard Stern's radio show beginning in 2006, when his contract with Infinity Broadcasting, a division of Viacom, ends. XM signed Major League Baseball to its service last fall.

Sirius reported last month that it ended 2004 with more than 1.1 million subscribers and expected to finish 2005 with more than 2.5 million. XM, based in Washington, D.C., says it had more than 3.2 million users at the end of 2004.

But could there be a wrinkle in the NASCAR plan to switch to Sirius?

Sirius' shares begin trading lower Tuesday after news came out over the weekend that a regular on Stern's show had received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the trading of Sirius stock.

A regular guest on Stern's syndicated radio show says he will testify Today in a probe of trading of Sirius shares, which surged last fall after Stern announced he will move his program to the company.

Chaunce Hayden, who writes gossip and other celebrity news for Steppin' Out magazine, received a subpoena Thursday ordering him to appear before Securities and Exchange Commission investigators in New York to discuss "trading in securities of Sirius Satellite Radio."

Hayden said Sunday that an SEC attorney who phoned him before the subpoena was issued asked about the reactions of Stern and his staff when Stern's move to Sirius was announced in October.

Hayden told the New York Post that the SEC attorney described the probe as an investigation of insider trading. Hayden told The Associated Press that he did not remember the conversation with the attorney clearly and could not say whether that description of it was accurate.

Sirius shares soared almost 30% early on Oct. 6 when Stern announced the five-year, $500 million deal to move his program to Sirius beginning in 2006, when his contract with Infinity Broadcasting ends. The shares finished trading that day nearly 16% higher, closing at $3.87 a share, on volume that was nearly five times normal.

Hayden said he never owned Sirius stock but he had publicly predicted about two weeks before Stern's announcement that the shock jock would take his show to Sirius. He said he based that prediction on his own reporting, not inside information.

"We've all been wracking our brains to figure out why I've been subpoenaed," Hayden said.

Spokesmen for Sirius did not return phone calls and e-mails seeking comment. An SEC spokesman declined to comment.

Satellite programming is not regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, which has increasingly battled Stern over his show's racy content.

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Conversation: Tony Stewart
By Lee Montgomery, NASCAR.COM


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR.COM's Lee Montgomery talked with Tony Stewart on Saturday, just before Stewart won the Busch Series event for his second victory of Speedweeks.

I understand that you have a dislike, shall we say, for Porsche 911s. Can you explain that?

Oh, it's really not a terrible dislike. They're nice cars. But when you run the Rolex race here, and there's 800 of them out there ...

About 45 of them start the race, so they're in the way a lot, let's put it that way. After 24 hours of it, you normally don't want to see one on the road for a while.

So when you're driving home and you happen to see one, do you have a secret desire to run one of them off the road?

Yeah, a secret desire to turn them off the road, yeah.

You almost won the Rolex 24 again. Are you going to do any more prototype races this year?

Yeah, I'll be running the Watkins Glen race and the Paul Revere race here at Daytona.

Did the sports car guys welcome you with open arms? Or did they treat you with respect? Did you have to earn their respect?

Both. They treated me with respect, but you also had to earn their respect on the racetrack.

They respected the fact that I came to run in their series, but when it came time to run on the racetrack, you've got to earn their respect.
 
That word came up in regards to you last year, for whatever reason. Some other drivers said you might have lost their respect. Do you agree with that? Do you care that? Do you have to earn it back?

I think so. I think that was probably accurate. We had some races where we put ourselves in positions we probably shouldn't have and didn't need to.

But the fact that we were struggling with our program at the time made me feel like I had to put myself in some of those positions. In all reality, I shouldn't have. I think it's important to earn the drivers' respect that you're racing with.

Have you gotten it back?

I'm sure there's still some to be gained, but every time we go out there and run races the right way, we're gaining that back. It's not something that you expect to come back right away, but you hope in time that it does.

I've been wanting to know about your monkey for a while. Do you still have him?

Yeah, still do.

What's his name? When did you get him? Ever given him a ride along in the car?

Nah, he's been on a ridealong in the passenger car a lot, but he's never been in a racecar yet.

His name's Mojo. He's a padus monkey. We've had him for almost a year now. It's been pretty exciting having him. He's been a neat addition to our family.
 
Why did you get a monkey? Why not a dog or a cat?

We've had cats, we have dogs currently. I don't know, I just always thought it would be cool to have a monkey.

I finally was in a position and I had done enough homework to where I finally got one and got comfortable buying one.

With Rusty and Mark retiring this year, there's been a lot of talk about drivers getting out at an earlier age. What's your take on that? You're a guy who runs all the time. Do you see yourself being in this sport for 10-15 years?

I doubt it. I think the demands on our time now are -- justly so for our sponsors, but from NASCAR, the obligations, the hectic schedule, the testing, the amount of testing that NASCAR keeps allowing the teams to do, the extra testing that we do at facilities that we don't race at - we can test as much as we want.

That's starting to wear on a lot of us. I think you're going to see drivers retiring from NASCAR at an earlier age.

Are you a guy that whenever you do quit Cup, are you going to run trucks or Busch or knock around at dirt tracks in Indiana?

Yeah, when I do decide to leave the Nextel Cup Series, I'm still going to continue to race.

I just don't know 100 percent what I'll do. I may do a little of everything.

It may be nice to not have to be stuck running one series and be able to dabble a little bit in whatever series you want to run.

I'm guessing the Indy 500 would be among those things you'd want to be doing.

We'll definitely consider it again, for sure.
 
And just to clear this off the plate, you're not going to run that this year?

No, not at all.

By the way, a colleague and I wanted to go to Eldora during Indy week last August, but we couldn't get a press pass. Can you hook us up?

We'll try to do better with that.

We went to Bloomington Speedway, IRP and the Indianapolis Speedrome. What are some can't-miss short tracks out there?

Gas City would be a good one. Bloomington is a good one. If they have a race at Terre Haute, you've got to go to Terre Haute.

If you want to watch Late Model Stock Cars, Brownstown Speedway is a good one to go to. And obviously, Eldora is an excellent place to watch a race.

Yeah, that's the best short track in the country now, right?

I hope that's what everybody considers it.

You've got a USAC team and now a race track (Eldora). Where else can we expect the Tony Stewart empire?

I'm pretty tapped out right now. I've got plenty on my plate to digest. I don't think we'll be adding much in the near future.

I never say never, but I don't have any intentions of adding any time soon here.

You and Greg Zipadelli are the longest-tenured driver/crew chief in the sport. Yet we keep hearing about hard you are to get along with. What is it about you and Greg? Did you click from the first time you met him?

The thing that makes us a good team and why we've stayed together is we both have the same passion and desire to win race.

We both accept losing well. Zippy doesn't accept losing any better than I do. You don't see him having his moments on camera. I'm the one who does the moments on camera.

I think that's why we've gotten along so well. We both respect each other for what we both bring to the table and the program. I can honestly say I don't have intentions of driving for anybody else but Greg.

Have you ever seen him fly off the handle?

Absolutely. I've seen him fly off the handle many times. There have been a couple times when it's been directed toward me.

Those times, I guarantee you I've deserved it. I've seen a lot of times he's flown off the handle, and it's not been directed at me, thank God.

You weren't happy with your performance in the Chase last year. Have you guys been able to pinpoint might what went wrong? Is it fixed now? Obviously, there's always work to be done, but are you comfortable with everything now?

I would feel better if we did know and were able to pinpoint it.

I'm not sure that over the off-season that the team was able to do that. The good thing is they keep working.

I've got a great race team that has a never-quit, never-die attitude, so as long as we're a team, they're going to keep fighting to get us to where we need to be position-wise and performance-wise.

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NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK

NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK
NEXTEL CUP PRACTICE	7 p.m. Friday	Speed Channel
BUSCH SERIES QUALIFYING	1 p.m. Saturday	Speed Channel
NEXTEL CUP QUALIFYING	3 p.m. Saturday	FX
BUSCH SERIES STATER BROS. 300	5:30 p.m. Saturday	FX
NEXTEL CUP AUTO CLUB 500	2 p.m. Sunday	Fox
All times Eastern. Times and stations subject to change.

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Well, that's all for today.  Until the next time, I remain,
YourMomma
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast.  Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt.  Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998

"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt 

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Sandra Monacelli
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