The 54th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 26 will carry a record purse of more than $19 million as well as a new contingency award that will payout $200,000 to the driver leading at the completion of Lap 100. If the race is under caution at Lap 100, the leader of the race at the completion of the fifth consecutive green flag lap following the caution will receive the award.
Telling a North Carolina judge that they have learned their lesson, two former Earnhardt Ganassi Racing crewmen avoided jail and were sentenced to 18 months probation yesterday for possession of marijuana. Trevor Lysne and Jerome Frey appeared on charges stemming from their arrest Aug. 9, 2011, after authorities seized 10.62 pounds of marijuana from an apartment. The judge could have sentenced each of them to up to 15 months in jail. Lysne and Frey could return to NASCAR by completing NASCAR's Road to Recovery program, where they must complete a prescribed rehabilitation program following an evaluation by a substance abuse professional.
Nicola Sue Kenseth, age 63, beloved daughter, wife, mother and grandmother, died in Wisconsin Tuesday morning, following a long battle with Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease. She was the mother to NASCAR driver Matthew Kenseth. Funeral services for Nicki Kenseth will be held Friday morning; in lieu of flowers, memorials have been established in Nicki's name to the Alzheimer's Association.
myla min 2-1
Feb 1 2012 8:38AM
Posted 3 days 9 hrs 23 mins ago
Go ahead and pencil Danica Patrick into the Daytona 500 starting lineup. Stewart Haas Racing has finalized an alliance with Tommy Baldwin Racing that guarantees Patrick a starting spot in the Sprint Cup opener and keeps her #10 car on the track for the entire Cup schedule, team owner Tommy Baldwin said yesterday. Patrick will be locked into the Feb. 26 race with the owner's points accumulated last season by TBR driver Dave Blaney, who was 33rd. The top 35 in owner's points from last season are guaranteed a starting spot in the first five races, meaning Blaney now will have to qualify his way into the 500 field.
Several people were treated for smoke inhalation at Joe Gibbs Racing yesterday afternoon. According to a police report, some machinery at the racing compound caught fire. Firefighters were called in to battle the blaze-medic officials said units responded to the fire, but had not yet transported anyone. No one has commented on what caused the fire or how much damage was done as a result of the fire.
International Speedway Corp. saw an increase in profits in 2011 while also cutting seating capacity at nine of its 12 tracks that play host to Sprint Cup races. ISC, a publicly traded company with more than 71 percent of its stock owned by the NASCAR-controlling France family, saw its stock remain in the $26 dollar range since the release of its annual financial report.
Ryan Newman and wife Krissie began discussing plans for an animal rescue facility in Iredell County a few years ago, and the first step in the process took place a couple of miles from their home in Statesville, NC. The facility is called "Rescue Ranch" and will lay on 87 acres off NC Highway 21 and has been a dream of Krissie's. The Ranch will have similarities to the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. where a good friend Mike Arms is the President. The facility will have a number of phases; the first consisting of offices and classrooms. Future phases will consist of a boarding facility, veterinary clinic, horse stalls and pastures, riding trails, educational camps and a small animal and creepy/crawly building. The first phase of the project has been awarded to Mooresville based R.L. Smith, Inc. owned by Ronnie Smith. The projected completion date is early fall 2012. "My wife Lee and I [parents of Regan Smith] have been supporters of the Ryan Newman Foundation from the beginning," Smith noted. "We are huge animal lovers and honored to be part of Rescue Ranch and the building of phase one. The facility is something that I believe our county will be proud of and I commend Ryan and Krissie for their efforts.
myla min 1-31
Jan 31 2012 8:26AM
Posted 4 days 9 hrs 35 mins ago
Danica Patrick will be a guaranteed starter in the 2012 Daytona 500, using owner points from Tommy Baldwin Racing. Multiple sources say a deal is nearly complete to make Patrick a guaranteed starter in Stewart Haas Racing's #10 Chevy in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season opener, using owner points accrued last season by driver Dave Blaney in TBR's #36 Chevy. Blaney will now be forced to qualify for the "Great American Race" on time.
Patrick is scheduled to run approximately 10 Sprint Cup races this season, and TBR driver David Reutimann will run many of the events Patrick does not; also in the #10 machine. While Patrick will drive Stewart Haas cars purchased from Hendrick Motorsports in her 10 races, Reutimann will steer Baldwin's cars in his outings. The 2012 Daytona 500 will take place February 26th.
Kyle Busch had to hold off some of the top short track talent in the country to do it, but Sunday afternoon he scored his career third SpeedFest Super Late Model victory at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, GA. He had to keep a hard charging Bubba Pollard at bay to record the win. Also in the top 10: David Ragan finished 3rd, Chase Elliott finished 6th, Ross Kenseth finished 19th.
Since the system isn’t broken, NASCAR officials have no plans to change it — at least nothing radical.
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said the sport is “in a very good place” as it moves toward another season beginning next month with the Daytona 500. But France also believes it can be even better. So while NASCAR will pretty much leave well enough alone, they will make a few minor tweaks including taking some measures to address reducing two-car tandem racing at Daytona and Talladega.
France said the two-car tandem racing “evolved into something that no one saw coming.”, and now we’re going to deal with that. ”NASCAR’s vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said some changes will be made to the cars including adding a slightly larger restrictor plate, a smaller spoiler and softer springs.
myla min 1-30
Jan 30 2012 8:28AM
Posted 5 days 9 hrs 33 mins ago
On his ninth attempt, team owner Michael Shank finally captured America's most prestigious sports car race the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona. The #60 Michael Shank Racing survived a tight battle for the lead in the final hours to take home the grueling twice-around-the-clock challenge. Finishing a few seconds behind the #60 Ford was the pole-winning #8 Starworks Motorsport Ford.
Rick Hendrick wants to squelch the idea that his Hendrick Motorsports team might be seen as gaining an unfair advantage through its relationship with #51 Phoenix Racing and owner James Finch. Hendrick said the Finch single-car team is not a satellite operation of his own four-team program and some may see it as a fifth entry for the 10-time championship group. "Every car he runs, he owns," Hendrick said of Finch. "Every motor he gets, he pays for."
A.J. Foyt has been hospitalized in Houston for complications from knee surgery and skipped the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The 77-year-old Foyt had knee surgery two weeks ago, and an infection sent him to the hospital. Foyt was scheduled to be the grand marshal Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
Walmart announced it is expanding its Race Time 2012 program to give fans more accessibility to discounted race tickets, driver appearances and fan events at stores, a greater selection of authentic NASCAR merchandise and a special sponsorship of Bill Elliott at the Coke Zero 400. This year, Walmart has more than tripled the number of companies offering displays of authentic merchandise, doubled the number of fan events at stores and increased the race markets where the $99 Walmart Family Track Pack will be offered.
Sep 28 2011 8:27AM
Posted 129 days 10 hrs 34 mins ago
NASCAR will unveil the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule today at 11:00am local time.
NASCAR will also host a Q & A Twitter chat for fans, media, teams and tracks are encouraged to participate throughout the one-hour interactive Twitter forum.
Pattie Petty, the wife of former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty, has revealed that she has Parkinson's disease. It was confirmed through a new test at the University of Kansas Hospital. Petty says Parkinson's won't stop her efforts to build a camp in Kansas City for kids with chronic illnesses. Victory Junction, a camp for sick kids.
Red Bull Racing expects to layoff 152 employees when it shutters operations in December.
Red Bull Racing filed a notice this week that the layoffs were expected by Dec. 17, 2011. Red Bull is a two-car team that entered NASCAR in 2007. The Austrian-based energy drink company both owns and sponsors the team, which presently fields cars for Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers.
Kahne is moving to Hendrick Motorsports next season, and Vickers is in the final year of his contract.
Red Bull says the closure is permanent.
Paducah International Raceway will be holding the Season Championships this week-end; In the UMP Super Late Model division, “The Race of the Season” will take place with all eyes at the track on Tim Brown of Benton Ky., who will be trying to end Kevin Coles reign as UMP Super Late Model track Champion for the past two years.
Also on the program for the night will be the Kentucky Vintage Cars.As an added feature to the evening the Mini Sprints will be returning to the 1/5th. mile track at PIR.Tickets are $12 for Adults and Children 12 and under are Free. Pit Admission is $25.info online at www.paducahracing.com
Turner Motorsports will swap the road crews of its No. 4 and No. 32 Camping World Truck Series teams for this weekend's Kentucky 225 at Kentucky Speedway.
Doug George will assume the crew chief duties for Ricky Carmichael's No. 4 while Mark Rette will call the shots for rookie Blake Feese.
The Kentucky 225 from Kentucky Speedway is scheduled to start at 7:18 p.m.
It is a weekend of racing at Ky Speedway at Dover;
Sat, Oct 1 -2:30 PM Nationwide Dover ESPN2
7:00 PM Truck Kentucky SPEED
Sun, Oct 2 -1:00 PM Indycar KentuckyVERSUS
1:00 PM Sprint Cup Dover ESPN
Sep 1 2011 8:28AM
Posted 156 days 10 hrs 33 mins ago
Two races remain before the complete 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is set; Six drivers have clinched a Chase spot in some fashion. Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards have locked up top-10 spots. Kevin Harvick (three wins) and Jeff Gordon (two wins) both have clinched, at the least, Wild Card spots; both will likely cement top-10 berths in Sunday night's AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
After race No. 26 at Richmond, the top-10 drivers in points will fill out the first portion of the 12-driver Chase. Spots 11 and 12 go to drivers outside the top 10 with the most victories provided they are in the top 20. The Wild Card tiebreaker is point’s position.
Unless something unforeseen occurs Andy Lally, will be the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year. Lally, a three-time GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series champion, is the only freshman left competing for the award since #92-Brian Keselowski and #50-T.J. Bell failed to meet the minimum competition requirements. Lally, finished 25th in Saturday's IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, his fifth consecutive run in the top 30.
Front Row Motorsports' #38 Ford will have a different look at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, hitting the track with a new sponsor and a different driver. Front Row driver J.J. Yeley will take the wheel of the #38 Ford for Sunday's race.Travis Kvapil, will drive the #55 Front Row Motorsports Ford for the weekend.
It’s off to Hotlanta for a holiday wk-end of racing;
