Having problems with message search?
Happy Hump Day! You're half way there!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Today In Nascar History
3/09/1969-David Pearson wins at Rockingham, win #2 of the season, and #48 of his career.
3/09/1980-Cale Yarborough wins at Rockingham, win #1 of the season, and #64 of his career.
3/09/1997-Dale Jarrett wins at Atlanta, win #1 of the season, and #9 of his career.
3/09/1998-Bobby Labonte wins at Atlanta, win #1 of the season, and #6 of his career.
3/09/2003-Bobby Labonte wins at Atlanta, win #1 of the season, and #20 of his career..
3/09/1969-David Pearson wins at Rockingham, win #2 of the season, and #48 of his career.
3/09/1980-Cale Yarborough wins at Rockingham, win #1 of the season, and #64 of his career.
3/09/1997-Dale Jarrett wins at Atlanta, win #1 of the season, and #9 of his career.
3/09/1998-Bobby Labonte wins at Atlanta, win #1 of the season, and #6 of his career.
3/09/2003-Bobby Labonte wins at Atlanta, win #1 of the season, and #20 of his career..
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
New Poll
Where Should The NASCAR Hall of Fame be Located?
Only 1 Vote Per Day Will Be Counted!
NASCAR is Considering Four Cities as a Site for a NASCAR HALL of FAME. Which City Should it Choose?
Atlanta
Daytona Beach
Charlotte
Kansas City
No Opinion
Where Should The NASCAR Hall of Fame be Located?
Only 1 Vote Per Day Will Be Counted!
NASCAR is Considering Four Cities as a Site for a NASCAR HALL of FAME. Which City Should it Choose?
Atlanta
Daytona Beach
Charlotte
Kansas City
No Opinion
Click here to vote! http://de3fan4.tripod.com/
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Quote of the Day
``On the race track, you have a lot of people who want to be Richard Petty. On the highway, you have a lot of people who think they are Richard Petty.''
- Nextel Cup rookie Eric McClure on which is more demanding mentally, driving on a racetrack or the interstate.
- Nextel Cup rookie Eric McClure on which is more demanding mentally, driving on a racetrack or the interstate.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Comments from the Peanut Gallery
from Darrel
So does that mean no more Cup races in Japan and forget the one planed for Canada
Darrel
Bits and Pieces
Jimmy Spencer To Attempt Triple Duty At Atlanta Motor Speedway: Jimmy Spencer will triple his chances of heading to Victory Lane during next weekend’s Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, since he will be competing in all three of the NASCAR series races. Spencer will begin his weekend on Friday, March 18, with the World Financial Group 200. He has returned full-time this season to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he is concentrating on trying to win a championship with his No. 2 Team ASE Dodge. On Saturday, March 19, Spencer will take over Michael Waltrip’s No. 98 Busch Series car to compete in the Aaron’s 312. By Sunday, when Spencer plans to run the No. 50 Arnold Motorsports Dodge in the Golden Corral 500 NEXTEL Cup race, he’ll have every bump in the fast track memorized. But with no points or provisionals to fall back on for the Aaron’s 312 and the Golden Corral 500, Spencer knows he will have to qualify well in order to complete the triple.
Jimmy Spencer To Attempt Triple Duty At Atlanta Motor Speedway: Jimmy Spencer will triple his chances of heading to Victory Lane during next weekend’s Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, since he will be competing in all three of the NASCAR series races. Spencer will begin his weekend on Friday, March 18, with the World Financial Group 200. He has returned full-time this season to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he is concentrating on trying to win a championship with his No. 2 Team ASE Dodge. On Saturday, March 19, Spencer will take over Michael Waltrip’s No. 98 Busch Series car to compete in the Aaron’s 312. By Sunday, when Spencer plans to run the No. 50 Arnold Motorsports Dodge in the Golden Corral 500 NEXTEL Cup race, he’ll have every bump in the fast track memorized. But with no points or provisionals to fall back on for the Aaron’s 312 and the Golden Corral 500, Spencer knows he will have to qualify well in order to complete the triple.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
NASCAR Hires Former Kerry/Edwards Advisor to Manage Media Outreach - Marcus Jadotte to help set strategy for national outreach: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced today the hiring of Marcus Jadotte to manage NASCAR’s national media outreach efforts. Jadotte will be based in NASCAR’s Daytona Beach headquarters and will be responsible for strategic planning and execution of all media outreach efforts nationally. “Marcus’ experience on the national stage along with his leadership ability is going to be a great asset for all of NASCAR,” said NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter. Most recently, Marcus worked for the Kerry-Edwards 2004 Campaign as the Deputy Campaign Manager. Prior to the campaign, Marcus was the Chief of Staff for the United States House of Representatives, Office of Congressman Peter Deutsch. Marcus brings with him over ten years of communications/political experience and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from Florida State University. - NASCAR PR
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rudd Crew Chief "Fatback" Won't Be At Las Vegas; Will Call The Shots From Home Once Again: Michael "Fatback" McSwain, crew chief of the #21 Motorcraft Genuine Parts Ford Taurus, won't be at the race track at Las Vegas this weekend, missing his second straight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event, as he continues to recover from back surgery. A couple of weeks ago, McSwain called the California race from his home in North Carolina, utilizing communications technology from series sponsors NEXTEL and Racing Radios. "I won't be in Vegas so we'll be doing the same thing we did at California."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Domino's Pizza Delivers NASCAR Commercial Outtakes to Race Fans - 'Official Pizza of NASCAR' Releases Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Bloopers Online: Domino's Pizza (NYSE: DPZ), the recognized world leader in pizza delivery and the "Official Pizza of NASCAR," today made available the outtakes and bloopers from its new Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip commercial on dominos.com . "Domino's knows NASCAR fans love behind-the-scenes access to their favorite drivers," said Ken Calwell, chief marketing officer, Domino's Pizza. "And we're happy to give fans the rare sneak peek they crave." The new commercial stars the talent of the two Daytona-winning drivers with the Domino's star, the delivery driver. Waltrip and Earnhardt engage in some friendly banter when the delivery driver shows up to deliver a pizza to "Mr. NASCAR." The duo created some hilarious moments during the shoot and neither driver seemed to mind the numerous takes before wrapping for the day. The commercial will air during race times on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the race season. "Junior and I had a lot of fun shooting the new Domino's commercial," said Waltrip. "Fighting over who got the pizza was the easy part." Fans can access the bloopers by visiting dominos.com and clicking on the commercial link. The footage will be available on the Domino's Pizza Web site from Feb. 23 to Mar. 21, 2005. Race day is Domino's Pizza day. Consumers can take advantage of Domino's 555 Deal -- three medium, one-topping pizzas for $5 each and order pizza while they watch the races all season long. - Domino's Pizza PR
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
New Scoring Tower Will Make Tracking Lead Changes Easier for Fans at NASCAR's Most Competitive Track: A giant, state-of-the-art scoring tower will rise soon from the infield at Talladega Superspeedway, just in time to enable fans here for the Aaron's Dream Weekend April 28-May 1 to keep up with the high volume of lead changes for which NASCAR's Most Competitive Track is widely known. The mammoth, 148-foot tower will be centrally located and will display scoring in a format standard to stock car racing, with the length of the tower emphasizing in bright lights the lap number and the numbers of the top 10 cars contending for the lead each lap. At the bottom of the row, the positions of the remainder of the field will progress in sets within two additional spaces. Flood lights will shine brightly atop the tower, showcasing rotating signage emblazoned with select sponsor logos.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Marlin tests at Bristol: With snow flurries swirling, Sterling Marlin turned laps in his #40 Dodge Charger at Bristol Motor Speedway on Tuesday afternoon to prepare for April’s NASCAR race. For the first time in his 29-year NASCAR career, Marlin tested the settings on his car in the snow. "It takes a lap or two for the tires to come in," Marlin said about driving in the freezing temperatures. "When it’s 25 degrees, it takes a little time to get some heat in the tires to get some more grip. After three or four laps, you are back where you normally are."(Bristol Herald Courier)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
What is up with Irvan? asked of Jeff Hammond at FoxSports.com: "As far as Ernie is concerned, we do see him at the track from time to time. He tries to help out several drivers in the ARCA Series. He's tried to put some deals together for them and make things happen. Kevin Conway has been one of the drivers that he's taken under his wing. Conway shows up from time to time for Busch [#03 Team] and Craftsman Truck races. Ernie's doing well. He still loves racing and wishes he could be more involved. It's good to see him still hanging around the sport.(FoxSports), Irvan has also started an organization, Race2Safety, working head protection equipment.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Just about 50 years ago...a race in Vegas: Nearly 50 years ago, on Oct. 16, 1955, a 200-mile event, the 43rd race on the NASCAR schedule, was held at the Las Vegas Park Speedway. The track was originally built as the Las Vegas Jockey Club horse track. Only three motorsports events were held at the mile-long dirt track before it was razed to make way for the Las Vegas Hilton: An IndyCar championship race in 1954, a USAC stock car race in 1959 and the NASCAR event of 1955. The race featured drivers mainly from the West Coast. It was scheduled for the same day as Martinsville Speedway’s event and although the Las Vegas purse was larger, most of NASCAR’s top drivers chose not to travel west. There was, though, a field of 27 cars, including many notable drivers of the day. Johnny Mantz, winner of the 1950 Southern 500, qualified his 1955 Mercury in the sixth starting position. Mantz was known primarily as an open-wheel driver who found occasional success in stock cars. Bill Amick of Portland, Ore., had a 1955 Oldsmobile coming off the line in 13th spot. Californian Eddie Pagan started 11th in his new Chevrolet. One driver who drew attention was a short-track specialist from Wisconsin named Norm Nelson. Nelson was driving a powerful Chrysler 300 for car owner Carl Kiekhaefer. A fellow Wisconsin native, Keikhaefer had made a fortune with his Mercury outboard motors. Kiekhaefer, who was looking for a new way to advertise his outboard motors, chose to form NASCAR’s first “super team” in 1955. The plan paid off as Kiekhaefer-prepared cars won 21 of the season’s first 42 races leading up to the Las Vegas event. Nelson put his Chrysler on the pole with a speed of 74.518 mph. Bill Hyde from Portland, Ore. started on the outside of the front row in a two year old Oldsmobile. Nelson, who was leading the race, was declared the winner as darkness was closing in and the race was called on Lap 111 for his first and only NASCAR premier series victory with Hyde coming home in second two laps behind. Nelson picked up $1,325 for the win. Nelson left NASCAR and Kiekhaefer in 1956, choosing to compete with his own equipment on the Midwestern circuits of USAC and IMCA. Nelson won several championships in both organizations, often giving praise to his engine builder, Jerry Kulwicki, father of 1992 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion Alan Kulwicki.(NASCAR PR)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So.....what is WinFuel? seen the commercials with Dale Jr. and Shane Hmiel? Seen the website? seen them on the #32 Busch Series Chevy? what is WinFuel.....hearing it is a new energy drink from the folks at TrimSPA.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Remember Bob Jenkins? from the old ESPN/ABC NASCAR Broadcasts and the long gone Speedworld show [usually on at midnight on Saturday...ten years ago], he is now co-host of Speed Channel's Speed News [Saturday and Sunday's 7pm/et]
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hamilton plans to retire after 2006 season; Cup team for Jr.: #4-Bobby Hamilton plans to hang up his own helmet at the end of next season. ''I'll race this year and next year, that's my plan,'' he said. ''I've got some bright young drivers racing for me and it's going to be fun to devote my time to running the team and helping them develop. ''I've got hundreds of trophies from the early days stored at home,'' Hamilton said. ''Eventually I plan to bring them all here and fill an entire wall with the stuff that Little Bobby and I have collected over the years.''
:'Little Bobby'' is Bobby Hamilton Jr., Hamilton's 27-year-old son who is in his first full season in Nextel Cup [#32 Tide Chevy]. Sometime in the future Hamilton hopes to expand his team into the Nextel Cup Series, with his son doing the driving.(Tennessean)
:'Little Bobby'' is Bobby Hamilton Jr., Hamilton's 27-year-old son who is in his first full season in Nextel Cup [#32 Tide Chevy]. Sometime in the future Hamilton hopes to expand his team into the Nextel Cup Series, with his son doing the driving.(Tennessean)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Home Depot to Debut New NASCAR Television Campaign - Ads Featuring Tony Stewart and The Home Depot #20 Racing Team Use Playful Humor to Illustrate the Company's Home Improvement Know-How: The Home Depot®, NASCAR's® official home improvement warehouse, will debut a new NASCAR-themed broadcast campaign during FOX's coverage of the March 13 UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 in Las Vegas. The first 30-second spot, "Port-o-Pot," features driver Tony Stewart, crew chief Greg Zipadelli, and other members of The Home Depot Chevrolet #20 racing team accentuating home improvement innovation and know-how in a humorous manner. Also appearing is Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing Inc. The spot will run on major sports networks throughout the 2005 NASCAR season. Other spots in the campaign are currently in development. "In this new broadcast campaign, we are able to link our NASCAR sponsorship to The Home Depot's products and services in a fun, memorable way," said John Costello, executive vice president of Merchandising and Marketing, The Home Depot. "It was a lot of fun having the entire team together in the spots, but as far as acting goes, we probably ought to stick to the track," said Stewart. In "Port-o-Pot," Tony Stewart discovers a trackside port-o-pot that has been remodeled into a full-size, state-of-the-art bathroom, complete with tile, shower, toilet, two sinks and decorative lighting fixtures. The commercials close with, "Whether it's NASCAR or home improvement, the difference is know-how." - The Home Depot PR
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Riggs heads back to Busch this weekend
It's been 16 months since Nextel Cup Series regular Scott Riggs competed in the NASCAR Busch Series.
This weekend, on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway 1.5-mile tri-oval, Riggs returns to the series in which he earned Rookie of the Year honors back in 2002 as the first driver to pilot the #30 Smith & Wesson Chevrolet of SKI Motorsports for Saturday's Sam's Town 300.
Naturally, the 34-year-old regular driver of the #10 Valvoline Nextel Cup Chevrolet is bound and determined to make the all-new Smith & Wesson Busch Series entry's first impression an unforgettable one.
"Coming back to the Busch Series for an occasional race is something I've wanted to do since I left, but I just haven't been able to find the right situation until this great opportunity came along," said Riggs, who finished fourth in this year's season-opening Daytona 500 in his Valvoline car. "It's the beginnings of what I have every reason to believe will be a very competitive program, and I'm going to do everything I can to help make it successful. This weekend, I definitely want to help get Smith & Wesson and everybody involved with this program off on the right foot."
As has been the growing trend among more and more of his Nextel Cup compatriots, adding a Busch race to their Nextel Cup weekends has turned out to pay dividends on both Saturdays and Sundays as a result of the added track time. Riggs, naturally, hopes the same holds true for him.
"I feel good about this weekend already because I tested my 'Cup car at Las Vegas for two days last month and it went very well," he said. "So we'll have a little head start as far as the driving goes. (Crew chief) Jeff Spraker and his people have been hard at work preparing the Smith & Wesson car. All the pieces should be in place for a solid run."
Saturday's race will be the first of four this season for Riggs in the Smith & Wesson Chevrolet. Two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday will take over the following weekend at Atlanta. Race time Saturday is 1 p.m. local time (4 p.m. EST) with a live broadcast set for the FX cable network.
It's been 16 months since Nextel Cup Series regular Scott Riggs competed in the NASCAR Busch Series.
This weekend, on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway 1.5-mile tri-oval, Riggs returns to the series in which he earned Rookie of the Year honors back in 2002 as the first driver to pilot the #30 Smith & Wesson Chevrolet of SKI Motorsports for Saturday's Sam's Town 300.
Naturally, the 34-year-old regular driver of the #10 Valvoline Nextel Cup Chevrolet is bound and determined to make the all-new Smith & Wesson Busch Series entry's first impression an unforgettable one.
"Coming back to the Busch Series for an occasional race is something I've wanted to do since I left, but I just haven't been able to find the right situation until this great opportunity came along," said Riggs, who finished fourth in this year's season-opening Daytona 500 in his Valvoline car. "It's the beginnings of what I have every reason to believe will be a very competitive program, and I'm going to do everything I can to help make it successful. This weekend, I definitely want to help get Smith & Wesson and everybody involved with this program off on the right foot."
As has been the growing trend among more and more of his Nextel Cup compatriots, adding a Busch race to their Nextel Cup weekends has turned out to pay dividends on both Saturdays and Sundays as a result of the added track time. Riggs, naturally, hopes the same holds true for him.
"I feel good about this weekend already because I tested my 'Cup car at Las Vegas for two days last month and it went very well," he said. "So we'll have a little head start as far as the driving goes. (Crew chief) Jeff Spraker and his people have been hard at work preparing the Smith & Wesson car. All the pieces should be in place for a solid run."
Saturday's race will be the first of four this season for Riggs in the Smith & Wesson Chevrolet. Two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday will take over the following weekend at Atlanta. Race time Saturday is 1 p.m. local time (4 p.m. EST) with a live broadcast set for the FX cable network.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
NASCAR hires national media outreach rep
NASCAR announced Tuesday the hiring of Marcus Jadotte to manage its national media outreach efforts.
Jadotte worked most recently as deputy campaign manager for the Democratic presidential ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards.
NASCAR announced Tuesday the hiring of Marcus Jadotte to manage its national media outreach efforts.
Jadotte worked most recently as deputy campaign manager for the Democratic presidential ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
10 Questions: Kasey Kahne
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
In 2004, Kasey Kahne emerged as one of the brightest new personalities in NASCAR, becoming a heartthrob and a bonifide star.
Kahne backed that up with his performance on the racetrack by winning the Nextel Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award, finishing second five times in Evernham Motorsports' No. 9 Dodge and narrowly missing the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
During January's Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona, Kahne sat down to answer 10 questions with NASCAR.COM.
1. What's your dream vehicle that you don't already own?
I don't know -- I think an airplane would be something I'd dream to have. I don't know if that's a vehicle or not, so I don't know.
Vehicle-wise, I have a Dodge Durango and that's an all-right car, but I wouldn't mind getting something a little fancier than that. But I don't know what.
Q: The Ford guys, almost to a man, craved a Ford GT -- Ford's new sports car. I would think you might want something like a Dodge Viper, since it is a DaimlerChrysler product and a pretty sporty vehicle?
It's a good vehicle and I've driven one a lot and done a lot of things in 'em so they're fun to drive, for sure. Ray Evernham's got a real nice Dodge Viper and I wouldn't mind having that.
2. If time on the road weren't an issue, what would be your ideal pet?
It would probably be some type of a dog. I'm not really big into animals so I don't know a lot about 'em -- but if I had a dog it'd probably be pretty cool.
Q: Any kind of breed you prefer?
Maybe a Boxer. Greg Biffle's got Boxers and he really does love them.
3. Speaking of pets -- what's your biggest pet peeve driving on the road?
Somebody just riding along in the fast lane is annoying. If you're just riding along, you should get in the slow lane and let everyone else go in the fast lane.
4. Nextel Cup racing means travel, so what is your worst hotel experience?
My worst experience was my first year in Busch and I had to stay at this hotel in Darlington, S.C. I decided to sleep in my clothes -- my socks and my shoes.
I didn't even take a shower in the morning -- I just got up and left. It wasn't much of a motel, so we got out of there as quick as possible.
Q: It begs the follow-up -- did they give you a break on the room rate?
They probably did, actually. I was paying for my rooms then so I probably did get a break. I hope I did, for sure.
5. What's your favorite food?
My mom's homemade mashed potatoes and gravy and baked chicken.
Q: It's funny. You don't look like you put a lot of weight on for eating all that good stuff.
Yeah, I can eat it, though. I can eat plenty.
6. If you had to choose, would it be being honest or being nice?
I'd say being honest. It's easy to be nice and sometimes it's tougher to be honest. I feel a lot better being honest, for sure.
7. You and your brother, Kale are a pretty famous pair around Nextel Cup racing, but what's your fondest childhood memory?
I don't know -- I've got some pretty good ones of him and me fighting, probably. We had some good times doing that.
But probably racing four-wheelers would be it. I had cousins and friends and my brother and we all just raced so much. We'd build our own tracks or my dad would build us tracks.
Whatever we did -- we had a lot of land so we had a lot of fun on four-wheelers, just racing around.
Q: Is the most outrageous memory a great race, or a great wreck?
Well, the wrecks stand out probably a little more than the races. At that time we had so many races they were all just fun. The wrecks probably stand out more than anything else
Q: No injuries, though -- right?
None to my brother or myself. But my friend Aram would always hurt himself -- break a wrist or something.
8. What would be your dream date: Where and with whom?
I'd say Jennifer Aniston and where? I don't care -- anywhere.
Q: Holy smokes, is it a coincidence that she's available now?
No, it's been Jennifer Aniston well before she was available (laughing).
9. Racing and pranks -- particularly among those USAC guys -- seem to go hand in hand. What's the worst prank that you either perpetrated or was played on you?
Man, I really don't know. I can't think of anything, though I know there's been plenty. I can't think of even seeing anything done to anyone else. I don't know.
10. And finally, what would you consider your "Welcome to NASCAR moment?"
Probably in last year's Twin 125s at Daytona, coming down pit road when Jeff Gordon spun me out on pit road. I was going the opposite way and everybody was doing their pit stops and taking off, and I was still sitting there pointed the wrong way down pit road.
So that was probably my welcome to NASCAR, right there.
Q: When that occurred, what was going through your head?
I was just wondering how I was going the wrong way. It wasn't a good spot to be in and I felt pretty stupid being backwards on pit road in my first race.
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
In 2004, Kasey Kahne emerged as one of the brightest new personalities in NASCAR, becoming a heartthrob and a bonifide star.
Kahne backed that up with his performance on the racetrack by winning the Nextel Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award, finishing second five times in Evernham Motorsports' No. 9 Dodge and narrowly missing the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
During January's Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona, Kahne sat down to answer 10 questions with NASCAR.COM.
1. What's your dream vehicle that you don't already own?
I don't know -- I think an airplane would be something I'd dream to have. I don't know if that's a vehicle or not, so I don't know.
Vehicle-wise, I have a Dodge Durango and that's an all-right car, but I wouldn't mind getting something a little fancier than that. But I don't know what.
Q: The Ford guys, almost to a man, craved a Ford GT -- Ford's new sports car. I would think you might want something like a Dodge Viper, since it is a DaimlerChrysler product and a pretty sporty vehicle?
It's a good vehicle and I've driven one a lot and done a lot of things in 'em so they're fun to drive, for sure. Ray Evernham's got a real nice Dodge Viper and I wouldn't mind having that.
2. If time on the road weren't an issue, what would be your ideal pet?
It would probably be some type of a dog. I'm not really big into animals so I don't know a lot about 'em -- but if I had a dog it'd probably be pretty cool.
Q: Any kind of breed you prefer?
Maybe a Boxer. Greg Biffle's got Boxers and he really does love them.
3. Speaking of pets -- what's your biggest pet peeve driving on the road?
Somebody just riding along in the fast lane is annoying. If you're just riding along, you should get in the slow lane and let everyone else go in the fast lane.
4. Nextel Cup racing means travel, so what is your worst hotel experience?
My worst experience was my first year in Busch and I had to stay at this hotel in Darlington, S.C. I decided to sleep in my clothes -- my socks and my shoes.
I didn't even take a shower in the morning -- I just got up and left. It wasn't much of a motel, so we got out of there as quick as possible.
Q: It begs the follow-up -- did they give you a break on the room rate?
They probably did, actually. I was paying for my rooms then so I probably did get a break. I hope I did, for sure.
5. What's your favorite food?
My mom's homemade mashed potatoes and gravy and baked chicken.
Q: It's funny. You don't look like you put a lot of weight on for eating all that good stuff.
Yeah, I can eat it, though. I can eat plenty.
6. If you had to choose, would it be being honest or being nice?
I'd say being honest. It's easy to be nice and sometimes it's tougher to be honest. I feel a lot better being honest, for sure.
7. You and your brother, Kale are a pretty famous pair around Nextel Cup racing, but what's your fondest childhood memory?
I don't know -- I've got some pretty good ones of him and me fighting, probably. We had some good times doing that.
But probably racing four-wheelers would be it. I had cousins and friends and my brother and we all just raced so much. We'd build our own tracks or my dad would build us tracks.
Whatever we did -- we had a lot of land so we had a lot of fun on four-wheelers, just racing around.
Q: Is the most outrageous memory a great race, or a great wreck?
Well, the wrecks stand out probably a little more than the races. At that time we had so many races they were all just fun. The wrecks probably stand out more than anything else
Q: No injuries, though -- right?
None to my brother or myself. But my friend Aram would always hurt himself -- break a wrist or something.
8. What would be your dream date: Where and with whom?
I'd say Jennifer Aniston and where? I don't care -- anywhere.
Q: Holy smokes, is it a coincidence that she's available now?
No, it's been Jennifer Aniston well before she was available (laughing).
9. Racing and pranks -- particularly among those USAC guys -- seem to go hand in hand. What's the worst prank that you either perpetrated or was played on you?
Man, I really don't know. I can't think of anything, though I know there's been plenty. I can't think of even seeing anything done to anyone else. I don't know.
10. And finally, what would you consider your "Welcome to NASCAR moment?"
Probably in last year's Twin 125s at Daytona, coming down pit road when Jeff Gordon spun me out on pit road. I was going the opposite way and everybody was doing their pit stops and taking off, and I was still sitting there pointed the wrong way down pit road.
So that was probably my welcome to NASCAR, right there.
Q: When that occurred, what was going through your head?
I was just wondering how I was going the wrong way. It wasn't a good spot to be in and I felt pretty stupid being backwards on pit road in my first race.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
For safety's sake, some drivers prefer the track
By Jeff Gluck
Rocky Mount Telegram
The drive down to Daytona just about killed me.
Cruising toward Florida on Interstate-95, a construction zone sprung up suddenly somewhere in South Carolina or Georgia. It was accompanied by a left-lane closure and merge sign, which the car in the right lane failed to see.
As I put on my turn signal and drifted into the right lane, the other car tried to pass a truck, squeezing me out of the rapidly ending stretch of pavement.
I honked once, accelerated onto the shoulder and made the pass — just missing the first orange construction barrel.
The surge of adrenaline was exactly the kind of thrill NASCAR fans get when they act like their favorite drivers on the highway. But race car drivers say the comparisons between racing and interstate driving are few.
"Both are tough for different reasons," NASCAR driver Eric McClure said. "On the track, you have a lot of people who want to be Richard Petty. On the highway, you have a lot of people who think they already are Richard Petty."
McClure is one of the drivers who employs the Williams Company, a public relations firm featuring media ace Chip Williams.
Williams asked several of his clients to address the traffic vs. racing question after two Mexican drivers missed a Mexico City news conference leading up to last Saturday's Busch Series race in that country. The reason? They were caught in traffic.
It's something fans often wonder about — how do NASCAR drivers fare off the track? Do they speed? Do they get in accidents?
The ultimate irony, obviously, would be the race car driver who gets injured or killed in a street vehicle.
There's a reason that rarely happens — race car drivers are experts at avoiding wrecks.
"Nobody is perfect, but you see a whole lot fewer mistakes on the race track than you do the interstate," said Chris Festa, who drives in the Infiniti Pro Series. "If somebody does make a mistake on the race track, the other drivers are usually pretty good at avoiding it — keeping that one mistake from being a much bigger mess.
It seems hard to believe, but Festa said he feels safer from accidents on a race track than a highway like I-95.
“I'd say there are a lot more chances to have a wreck if you are driving down a public road than on the race track," he said. "On the race track, though, the consequences of mistakes are a whole lot more severe.”
Auto accident fatalities have held relatively steady over the past 10 years. According to the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration, 36,254 people were killed in vehicle crashes in 1994. Only a small increase to 38,252 fatalities were reported in 2003, the most recent data.
Meanwhile, race track safety has continued to improve dramatically, especially in NASCAR. The addition of the SAFER barriers or "soft walls" at every track has prevented countless injuries or deaths.
Last year, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta attended a NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Richmond, examining the SAFER barriers and suggesting they could someday be used on highways.
"The main difference I have seen is the ‘awareness factor,'" Infiniti Pro Series driver Travis Gregg said. "Race car drivers know who is around them and can usually tell you who else is near, whether they can see them or not. Too many people driving passenger cars are under the constant assumption they are the only car on the road.”
Of course, as Busch Series driver Stanton Barrett pointed out, the biggest difference is the amount of people watching.
"You mess up on the highway, and there are three witnesses and a state trooper to figure it all out, and your insurance company to answer to," he said. "Make a mistake on the race track, and 100,000 people in the grandstands and a million or so more watching on television will tell you how you could have avoided the whole thing.”
By Jeff Gluck
Rocky Mount Telegram
The drive down to Daytona just about killed me.
Cruising toward Florida on Interstate-95, a construction zone sprung up suddenly somewhere in South Carolina or Georgia. It was accompanied by a left-lane closure and merge sign, which the car in the right lane failed to see.
As I put on my turn signal and drifted into the right lane, the other car tried to pass a truck, squeezing me out of the rapidly ending stretch of pavement.
I honked once, accelerated onto the shoulder and made the pass — just missing the first orange construction barrel.
The surge of adrenaline was exactly the kind of thrill NASCAR fans get when they act like their favorite drivers on the highway. But race car drivers say the comparisons between racing and interstate driving are few.
"Both are tough for different reasons," NASCAR driver Eric McClure said. "On the track, you have a lot of people who want to be Richard Petty. On the highway, you have a lot of people who think they already are Richard Petty."
McClure is one of the drivers who employs the Williams Company, a public relations firm featuring media ace Chip Williams.
Williams asked several of his clients to address the traffic vs. racing question after two Mexican drivers missed a Mexico City news conference leading up to last Saturday's Busch Series race in that country. The reason? They were caught in traffic.
It's something fans often wonder about — how do NASCAR drivers fare off the track? Do they speed? Do they get in accidents?
The ultimate irony, obviously, would be the race car driver who gets injured or killed in a street vehicle.
There's a reason that rarely happens — race car drivers are experts at avoiding wrecks.
"Nobody is perfect, but you see a whole lot fewer mistakes on the race track than you do the interstate," said Chris Festa, who drives in the Infiniti Pro Series. "If somebody does make a mistake on the race track, the other drivers are usually pretty good at avoiding it — keeping that one mistake from being a much bigger mess.
It seems hard to believe, but Festa said he feels safer from accidents on a race track than a highway like I-95.
“I'd say there are a lot more chances to have a wreck if you are driving down a public road than on the race track," he said. "On the race track, though, the consequences of mistakes are a whole lot more severe.”
Auto accident fatalities have held relatively steady over the past 10 years. According to the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration, 36,254 people were killed in vehicle crashes in 1994. Only a small increase to 38,252 fatalities were reported in 2003, the most recent data.
Meanwhile, race track safety has continued to improve dramatically, especially in NASCAR. The addition of the SAFER barriers or "soft walls" at every track has prevented countless injuries or deaths.
Last year, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta attended a NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Richmond, examining the SAFER barriers and suggesting they could someday be used on highways.
"The main difference I have seen is the ‘awareness factor,'" Infiniti Pro Series driver Travis Gregg said. "Race car drivers know who is around them and can usually tell you who else is near, whether they can see them or not. Too many people driving passenger cars are under the constant assumption they are the only car on the road.”
Of course, as Busch Series driver Stanton Barrett pointed out, the biggest difference is the amount of people watching.
"You mess up on the highway, and there are three witnesses and a state trooper to figure it all out, and your insurance company to answer to," he said. "Make a mistake on the race track, and 100,000 people in the grandstands and a million or so more watching on television will tell you how you could have avoided the whole thing.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
NASCAR Nation's top five grudge matches
Ryan McGee / FOXSports.com
Watch NASCAR Nation, Monday through Thursday at 7 p.m. ET/PT on SPEED Channel, for the latest on NASCAR investigation into the Robby Gordon-Brad Parrott scuffle at Mexico City.
It is a stock car practice that has existed since Glenn Dunaway took NASCAR to court to appeal his disqualification from the very first "Strictly Stock" event in 1949. And the earliest post-race fisticuffs were fought by World War II veterans.
Before you start getting all hot and bothered and take a swing at me, here are the top five NASCAR grudge matches of all time:
5. Bruton Smith vs. NASCAR
In 1960, car salesman Smith and driving superstar Curtis Turner were plunged into bankruptcy during construction of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa agreed to bail the two out financially, but only if Turner organized a NASCAR drivers union. Bill France Sr. swept in, crushing the union, banning Turner for life, defeating Hoffa in court and alienating Smith forever. These days, France's sanctioning body and Smith's Speedway Motorsports Incorporated circle each other buzzard-style in a tense yet dependent coexistence.
4. Darrell Waltrip vs. Cale Yarborough
When DW exploded onto the NASCAR scene in 1973, he was young, brash and braggadocious. None of sport's big four stars -- Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough -- much cared for him, but only one went out of his way to voice such an opinion early and often... Yarborough. "He was always running his mouth, and he was always eating up race cars," says the three-time champ. "So I nicknamed him 'Jaws' because he was always flapping his jaws. I respected him as a driver, but I wasn't going to let him run over me, too."
"I understood the value of publicity," says DW, who eventually took over Yarborough's title-winning ride with Junior Johnson and won three Winston Cups himself. "I was just joking around most of the time, poking at guys and having a little good-natured fun. But everybody started taking it too seriously, and it turned ugly."
High Noon Moment: With 100 laps to go in the 1977 Southern 500 at Darlington, race leaders Waltrip and Yarborough went into turn three five-wide with lap traffic while battling for the lead. Both wrecked hard and ended any shot at the win.
3. Cale Yarborough vs. The Alabama Gang
In all fairness, we could list The Allisons versus a lot of different people, typically those who came from regions north of the Mason-Dixon Line to go racing. But of the great 1970's era of Allison vs. Petty vs. Pearson vs. Yarborough, no grudge was more flammable than that of the Allisons and Yarborough, as non-northern a man as there has ever been.
High Noon Moment: Bobby, Donnie and Cale all wrecked in the early going of the 1979 Daytona 500, but Donnie and Cale rallied to run 1-2 in the closing laps of NASCAR's first flag-to-flag live televised 500. After they wrecked each other in turn three of the final lap, Bobby pulled over in the infield to check on his little brother. Words were exchanged between Bobby and Cale before all hell broke loose live on CBS with Ken Squier doing play-by-play. "And... It's a fight! It's a fight!" It's still the most famous brawl in NASCAR history.
2. Smokey Yunick vs. NASCAR Inspectors
Yunick's mechanical mastery left NASCAR's technical inspectors flustered and frustrated for the better part of two decades, winning with drivers such as Herb Thomas, Fireball Roberts, Marvin Panch, Banjo Matthews and Bobby Isaac. He won races in cars that were widely accepted as illegal, but were never formally proven so by NASCAR.
High Noon Moment: After a Daytona race in the early 1960's, NASCAR picked Yunick's car apart, eventually draining the fuel tank completely dry in an effort to force the need to tow it back to his garage. Without saying a word, Yunick climbed behind the wheel, cranked it up and drove away. He later admitted "I could have driven it all the way to Jacksonville and back."
1. Dale Earnhardt vs. Rusty Wallace
During the 1970's and 80's, Earnhardt ruffled the feathers of everyone from Richard Petty to Bill Elliott. But none of those rivalries could hold a candle to his duels with Wallace from 1988 through the mid-1990's. In 1989, Wallace edged Earnhardt by 12 points to win the Winston Cup title. Four years later, The Intimidator returned the favor by 80 points. In between, a sea of black T-shirts divided the grandstand into a camp full of 2's and a camp full of 3's.
High Noon Moment: August 26, 1995, Goody's 500 at Bristol. Earnhardt spun Wallace in the early going and was confronted by Wallace in the infield after the race. With crewmen and NASCAR officials pulling them apart, Wallace shouted "I won't forget this just like I haven't forgotten Talladega!" (Harking back to a last-lap incident two years earlier.) Wallace then bounced a bottle of water off of The Intimidator's nose.
Honorable Mentions: Kevin Harvick vs. Greg Biffle, Geoff Bodine vs. Brett Bodine, Lee Petty vs. the Kiekhaefer Chryslers, Junior Johnson vs. The United States Government, Tony Stewart vs. Jeff Gordon, Tiny Lund vs. Elizabeth Petty (Lee's wife & Richard's mom)
Ryan McGee / FOXSports.com
Watch NASCAR Nation, Monday through Thursday at 7 p.m. ET/PT on SPEED Channel, for the latest on NASCAR investigation into the Robby Gordon-Brad Parrott scuffle at Mexico City.
It is a stock car practice that has existed since Glenn Dunaway took NASCAR to court to appeal his disqualification from the very first "Strictly Stock" event in 1949. And the earliest post-race fisticuffs were fought by World War II veterans.
Before you start getting all hot and bothered and take a swing at me, here are the top five NASCAR grudge matches of all time:
5. Bruton Smith vs. NASCAR
In 1960, car salesman Smith and driving superstar Curtis Turner were plunged into bankruptcy during construction of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa agreed to bail the two out financially, but only if Turner organized a NASCAR drivers union. Bill France Sr. swept in, crushing the union, banning Turner for life, defeating Hoffa in court and alienating Smith forever. These days, France's sanctioning body and Smith's Speedway Motorsports Incorporated circle each other buzzard-style in a tense yet dependent coexistence.
4. Darrell Waltrip vs. Cale Yarborough
When DW exploded onto the NASCAR scene in 1973, he was young, brash and braggadocious. None of sport's big four stars -- Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough -- much cared for him, but only one went out of his way to voice such an opinion early and often... Yarborough. "He was always running his mouth, and he was always eating up race cars," says the three-time champ. "So I nicknamed him 'Jaws' because he was always flapping his jaws. I respected him as a driver, but I wasn't going to let him run over me, too."
"I understood the value of publicity," says DW, who eventually took over Yarborough's title-winning ride with Junior Johnson and won three Winston Cups himself. "I was just joking around most of the time, poking at guys and having a little good-natured fun. But everybody started taking it too seriously, and it turned ugly."
High Noon Moment: With 100 laps to go in the 1977 Southern 500 at Darlington, race leaders Waltrip and Yarborough went into turn three five-wide with lap traffic while battling for the lead. Both wrecked hard and ended any shot at the win.
3. Cale Yarborough vs. The Alabama Gang
In all fairness, we could list The Allisons versus a lot of different people, typically those who came from regions north of the Mason-Dixon Line to go racing. But of the great 1970's era of Allison vs. Petty vs. Pearson vs. Yarborough, no grudge was more flammable than that of the Allisons and Yarborough, as non-northern a man as there has ever been.
High Noon Moment: Bobby, Donnie and Cale all wrecked in the early going of the 1979 Daytona 500, but Donnie and Cale rallied to run 1-2 in the closing laps of NASCAR's first flag-to-flag live televised 500. After they wrecked each other in turn three of the final lap, Bobby pulled over in the infield to check on his little brother. Words were exchanged between Bobby and Cale before all hell broke loose live on CBS with Ken Squier doing play-by-play. "And... It's a fight! It's a fight!" It's still the most famous brawl in NASCAR history.
2. Smokey Yunick vs. NASCAR Inspectors
Yunick's mechanical mastery left NASCAR's technical inspectors flustered and frustrated for the better part of two decades, winning with drivers such as Herb Thomas, Fireball Roberts, Marvin Panch, Banjo Matthews and Bobby Isaac. He won races in cars that were widely accepted as illegal, but were never formally proven so by NASCAR.
High Noon Moment: After a Daytona race in the early 1960's, NASCAR picked Yunick's car apart, eventually draining the fuel tank completely dry in an effort to force the need to tow it back to his garage. Without saying a word, Yunick climbed behind the wheel, cranked it up and drove away. He later admitted "I could have driven it all the way to Jacksonville and back."
1. Dale Earnhardt vs. Rusty Wallace
During the 1970's and 80's, Earnhardt ruffled the feathers of everyone from Richard Petty to Bill Elliott. But none of those rivalries could hold a candle to his duels with Wallace from 1988 through the mid-1990's. In 1989, Wallace edged Earnhardt by 12 points to win the Winston Cup title. Four years later, The Intimidator returned the favor by 80 points. In between, a sea of black T-shirts divided the grandstand into a camp full of 2's and a camp full of 3's.
High Noon Moment: August 26, 1995, Goody's 500 at Bristol. Earnhardt spun Wallace in the early going and was confronted by Wallace in the infield after the race. With crewmen and NASCAR officials pulling them apart, Wallace shouted "I won't forget this just like I haven't forgotten Talladega!" (Harking back to a last-lap incident two years earlier.) Wallace then bounced a bottle of water off of The Intimidator's nose.
Honorable Mentions: Kevin Harvick vs. Greg Biffle, Geoff Bodine vs. Brett Bodine, Lee Petty vs. the Kiekhaefer Chryslers, Junior Johnson vs. The United States Government, Tony Stewart vs. Jeff Gordon, Tiny Lund vs. Elizabeth Petty (Lee's wife & Richard's mom)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK
| NEXTEL CUP QUALIFYING | 6 p.m. Friday | Speed Channel |
| BUSCH SERIES QUALIFYING | 8 p.m. Friday | Speed Channel |
| BUSCH SERIES SAM'S TOWN 300 | 3:30 p.m. Saturday | FX |
| NEXTEL CUP UAW/DAIMLERCHRYSLER 400 | 2 p.m. Sunday | Fox |
| All times Eastern. Times and stations subject to change. | ||
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain, Your
Momma "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
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Subscribe: KnowYourNascar-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe: KnowYourNascar-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
List owner: KnowYourNascar-owner@yahoogroups.com
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
221 W. 57th Street 18B
Loveland, CO 80538
970/663-6967
**This e-mail is sent by The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries, and may contain information that is privileged and/ or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not review, disclose, copy or distribute. Please delete the e-mail and any attachments and notify us immediately.**
Offline 
Send Email