The Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night earned a 4.1 Nielsen overnight rating, the same overnight rating it posted a year ago, according to the SportsBusiness Daily. Both events were shown live on Fox. Daytona 500 qualifying, which last year was televised by Fox on the Sunday following the Budweiser Shootout but was pushed this year to Saturday afternoon because of the Super Bowl, drew a 1.6 overnight rating, down 24 percent from a year ago.(jayski.com) .. ...Daily Headlines
Official: Danica Will Race
Danica Patrick will make her NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet this Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, JR Motorsports general manager Kelley Earnhardt announced today. Patrick, Earnhardt, and team officials convened Sunday following the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) event at Daytona, in which Patrick raced to a sixth-place finish in her stock-car debut. The decision for Patrick to compete in the Daytona Nationwide Series event is supported by sponsor GoDaddy.com and JRM co-owners Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Eury Jr., and Rick Hendrick. Patrick’s entry in the Drive4COPD 300 puts her in a JR Motorsports tandem with Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will drive the No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet. Patrick will continue her Nationwide Series schedule on Feb. 20 at Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, Calif.) and Feb. 27 at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. Patrick is guaranteed starting positions in all three races based off JRM’s acquisition of points from CJM Racing’s No. 11 team, which finished 15th in the 2009 Nationwide Series owners point standings. ...More
Motorsports This Week on ESPN
NASCAR Nationwide Series Opener, Danica Patrick NASCAR Debut Live from Daytona on ESPN2
The NASCAR Nationwide Series kicks off its 2010 season this weekend at Daytona International Speedway and ESPN2 will have live coverage as the series races for 300 miles on the famous Daytona high banks. The much-anticipated NASCAR debut of open wheel racing star Danica Patrick will be one of many intriguing storylines in the event. NASCAR Countdown starts ESPN2’s race day coverage on Saturday, Feb. 13, at noon ET. The race telecast starts at 1:15 p.m. with the green flag at 1:34 p.m. Marty Reid will be the lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN2’s race coverage, joined in the booth for analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Andy Petree. Pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage. ...More
Danica Will Race Next Saturday
That's Racin' is reporting that IndyCar star Danica Patrick will now make her NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in Saturday's season opener, a source close to the decision-making process confirmed Sunday night for the Observer and ThatsRacin.com. Patrick finished sixth Saturday in the Automobile Racing Club of America series opener at Daytona in her stock car racing debut. When Patrick announced her partnership with JR Motorsports to run a limited Nationwide schedule this season, she originally picked the Feb. 20 race at Auto Club Speedway of California to make her debut. A formal announcement of Patrick's decision is expected at 8 a.m. Monday. ...More
Harvick Wins Back-To-Back Shootouts
Photo Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR
Harvick celebrates winning the Bud Shootout
The Budweiser Shootout has the proper name -- a Shootout -- anybody's race -- A no-holds-barred, fistfight with stock cars -- NASCAR stock cars. Whoowee -- What a race! And what a finish. After a caution fell with just six laps remaining, the second of the race for Michael Waltrip, who was turned sideways by Ryan Newman, the stage was set for a spectacular finish and America's best professional race drivers didn't disappoint a huge crowd. Kevin Harvick, sidelined with the flu for a week leading up to Saturday night's race at Daytona International Speedway, won the race, taking the lead with just two laps remaining. The race actually ended under caution when Greg Biffle's car had a flat tire to trigger an eight-car pileup behind winner Harvick, runner-up Kasey Kahne and third-place finisher Jamie McMurray.
Just before the race, Harvick, who had never run a lap in his car before strapping in for the race, told a national FOX network television audience, "I'll earn my paycheck tonight." And that he did. Harvick ran in front or close to it the entire final 50 laps of the 75-lap race and held off some stirring challenges by Tony Stewart and McMurray, as well as a pack of other snarling drivers, who bumped and banged each other all night. The night might have been a chilly one but the action was hot and heated. Carl Edwards appeared to be the car to beat, dominating the first 25 laps, but he was shuffled out of line with about 30 laps to go and was eventually involved in the crash at the end. The win for Harvick and his Shell-sponsored Richard Childress Chevrolet team was his second in as many years and was worth $200,000. Rounding out the top 10 behind Harvick, Kahne and McMurray were Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano, Brian Vickers, Stewart and Montoya.
Pole-sitter Edwards led the first lap of the 25-lap opening segment with Vickers on his bumper in the Red Bull Toyota. After just a few laps, the cars were bunched like bananas as they darted and diced around the bumpy, two-and-a-half mile, high-banked, tri-oval. Edwards continued to lead after 10 laps with Harvick running second and Stewart third. Trailing that trio was Jimmie Johnson, Kahne, Biffle, Vickers, McMurray, Earnhardt Jr. and Kenseth. Johnson, who started 16th, slipped silently forward as he has done so often during the past four seasons when he captured the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship an unprecedented four years in a row. At 20 laps, Stewart was challenging Edwards with a push from Kahne. Meanwhile, Harvick was shoving Edwards as the four cars battled lap after lap, side by side, inches apart.
The racing was unbelievable with the biggest carburetor restrictor plate since ol’ D.W. (Darrell Waltrip) won the Daytona 500 in 1989. By the time they reached the 25-lap intermission point, when Michael Waltrip brought out the night's first caution with a spin out of Turn 2, it was Edwards still in front with Stewart a close second. Kahne was next followed by McMurray, Harvick, Vickers, Johnson, Biffle, Burton and Gordon. Although it wasn't easy, Edwards was the official leader of every one of the first 25 laps. Stewart actually challenged Edwards just about every lap towards the end of the first segment, but Edwards held him off at the start/finish line where official lead changes are recorded. ...Daily Headlines For Full Shootout Race Results...(Insider Racing News)
Ryan Newman had to make the difficult decision -- actually, he says it was more of a mutual one between him and his father, Greg -- to let the family member go, so Greg Newman was replaced as spotter for Newman by Jimmy Kitchens in the offseason. Kitchens, who drove in the Nationwide Series between 1994 and 2005, will make his Cup debut with the team during Saturday's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. -- "It was very difficult at times for my dad and I to have a father-son relationship at the race track versus a competitive relationship at the race track," Newman said. -- There are no hard feelings, according to Ryan. Now Greg Newman can go back to doing what he does best at the race track: being a supportive father.
The move merely illustrates the fine line drivers must walk with their teams when it comes to making sure communication on the track is as productive as it needs to be. The changes along those lines for Newman's team started long before last season was even over, as driver and crew chief Tony Gibson came to realize they all were a little too high-strung for their own good during races early on.
...Daily Headlines
Gerhart Wins ARCA Opener - Patrick Is Sixth
Veteran ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards driver Bobby Gerhart earned a historic sixth Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 Daytona race victory on Saturday evening, using patience and fuel strategy in ARCA's wreck-filled season opener to notch his seventh-career restrictor plate victory while IZOD INDY Car Series star Danica Patrick finished sixth in her stock car debut. Patrick, who is expected to decide on Monday if she will compete in next week's NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona, used the ARCA race to learn how to adapt to big, heavy stock cars. She showed that she is a fast learner, working the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet on the inside, outside and middle lanes of the racetrack in both the front and the back of the field throughout the 80 lap/200-mile event. Patrick ran in the lead pack for the first half of the race until getting loose in turns 1 and 2 on lap 50, losing the draft and dropping from sixth to 13th. Three laps later Nelson Piquet, Jr., the former Formula One driver who also used Saturday's ARCA race to make his stock car debut, made contact with Patrick's car coming off of turn 4, forcing her through the infield grass. Patrick slid sideways on the track and went through the infield grass but was able to avoid making contact. She made two pit stops following the spin, remaining on the lead lap, finishing sixth in her career first stock car start. "I was just kind of hanging out there for most of the race," said Patrick. "There were lots of yellows. It feels to me like I got bumped a little bit in turns one and two (on lap 53). I just held to the yellow line because I know that you're not supposed to go below the yellow line to advance your position and I took myself out unfortunately. I was pretty excited to go from last to the top five. I felt pretty good, I was going side-by-side with people. And then at the end I was running eighth and I thought what the heck so I pulled out of the line and ran high. You can see I was racing by all of the marks on the car. The GoDaddy.com Chevrolet doesn't look very pretty." ...More
Hendrick Front Row For 500
Hendrick Motorsports teammates Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have secured the front row for next week's Daytona 500. Martin, the only driver to top 191 mph during qualifying Saturday, earned the first pole of his career for the Sprint Cup Series' season-opening race. Earnhardt will start second, trying to rebound from the worst season in his Cup career. The front-row sweep continues Hendrick's domination in the sport. Not only has Jimmie Johnson won the past four Cup championships, but teammates Martin and Jeff Gordon gave Hendrick a 1-2-3 finish in the 2009 point standings. ...Daily Headlines For Full Qualifying Results...(Insider Racing News)
Kyle Busch Engaged To Be Married
NASCAR's bad boy is engaged as of last night, proposing inside the sparkling new motorcoach that the couple designed together. Here's how it went down, according to (Samantha Sarcinella) the giddy future Mrs. Kyle Busch. On Thursday night, Busch went to the Budweiser Shootout draw while Sarcinella hung out with the couple's close friends Scott and Amanda Speed. Busch returned after drawing for his qualifying spot and after awhile, Amanda Speed told Sarcinella that she should go grab her new shoes for a show-and-tell. While the unsuspecting Sarcinella returned to the motorcoach to fetch her shoes, the Speeds slipped Busch the ring, which they had picked up in North Carolina earlier in the day.The Speeds had been in on the whole plan. ...More
RCR Will Honor Richardson
Richard Childress Racing will honor former pit crew member and front tire changer D.J. Richardson with memorial decals during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. The No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet will carry the decals behind the front tires for the February 6 Budweiser Shootout. All three of RCR’s Sprint Cup Series entries will carry the decals for the 52nd annual Daytona 500 on February 14, and its Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series entries will also carry the decals for their season-opening races. Richardson passed away December 25, 2009, from complications from the H1N1 virus. He joined RCR in July 2009 and finished the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS team. The Leominster, Mass., native was 37. “D.J. should be jumping off the wall and changing tires for us again this season so we wanted to honor him in this special way,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “He was a valued member of the RCR family and is missed as we start the 2010 season.” ...Daily Headlines
Penske Donates Trucks
Penske Corporation and its family of companies announced that today it has donated over $1 million worth of diesel-powered flatbed trucks to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. "The catastrophe that has struck Haiti is almost unimaginable," said Roger Penske, Chairman of Penske Corporation. "These trucks will assist in the humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti by facilitating the distribution of critical supplies that will help ease the suffering of the Haitian people." ...More
Johnson Gets His Due
It only took an unprecedented fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, but the media finally thinks Jimmie Johnson will defend his crown, according to a preseason media poll. Incredibly, this isn't a typical outcome. Only once in the previous five preseason polls has Johnson been tapped as the favorite in 2005, the last season he didn't win the championship. In 2006 and 2008, the media picked Jeff Gordon to win it all, in 2007 it picked Tony Stewart, and last year, the press picked Carl Edwards. Rounding out the top 12: Gordon in second, Stewart in third, Kyle Busch in fourth, Edwards in fifth, Denny Hamlin in sixth, Mark Martin in seventh, Kurt Busch in eighth, Juan Pablo Montoya in ninth, Matt Kenseth in 10th, Greg Biffle in 11th and Ryan Newman in 12th. ...More
Gordons' Expecting Baby No. 2
During NASCAR Media Day coverage on ESPNEWS, #24-Jeff Gordon announced that wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, is expecting their second child due this coming summer, joining daughter Ella, currently two years old. (jayski.com).. ...Daily Headlines
Lynda Petty Ill
Richard Petty's wife, Lynda, has been diagnosed with CNS (Central Nervous System) Lymphoma. Mrs. Petty will be treated at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center. We are thankful for the medical team at Duke. My wife Lynda is in good hands," Richard Petty said Thursday in a team statement. "The doctors and our family are very optimistic that the treatment for this cancer will be successful." The Petty family appreciates the support from family, friends, and fans as well as the continued respect for their privacy during this time. Richard and Lynda Petty celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2009. ...Daily Headlines
Race Start Times Review
Telecast times for the 2010 NASCAR season have been released, and as previously announced, the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule features earlier, consistent start times throughout the year. Points races in the Eastern and Central regions of the country will begin at 1 p.m. ET, West Coast events will begin at 3 p.m. ET, and night races will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. (Note: NASCAR’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600, will start at 6 p.m. ET on May 30.) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races will be seen on either FOX, TNT, ESPN or ABC. The preseason non-points Budweiser Shootout at Daytona will be on FOX (8:10 p.m. ET on Feb. 6). In addition, two other non-points events – the Gatorade Duel at Daytona (2 p.m. ET on Feb. 11) and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (7:30 p.m. ET on May 22 at Charlotte Motor Speedway), will be on SPEED.
FOX will have the first 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup points races, beginning with the 52nd running of the Daytona 500 (Feb. 14, 1 p.m. ET) and ending with the May 30 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
TNT will have the next six events, beginning with the Pocono 500 at 1 p.m. ET on June 6 at Pocono Raceway and ending with Chicagoland Speedway’s LifeLock.com 400, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
ESPN and ABC will carry the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup events. ABC will telecast three races, including the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup “cutoff” race – the Richmond 400 on Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET. ESPN will telecast 14 races, including the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 21 at 1 p.m. ET.
The 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season will be telecast on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. ABC will have four events, ESPN will have nine and ESPN2 will have 22. ESPN2 opens the season with the DRIVE4COPD 300 at 1:15 p.m. ET on Feb. 13 at Daytona. ESPN2 also will telecast the season-finale Ford 300 on Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami (4:30 p.m. ET).
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to SPEED for an eighth consecutive season. This year, SPEED will show the entire 25-race schedule, opening with the NextEra Energy Resources 250 on Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. ET at Daytona. The series returns to Darlington Raceway this season, Aug. 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET. ...Daily Headlines
Next Nationwide Series Race * Daytona International Speedway * Daytona Beach, Florida * Saturday, February 13, 2010
Chrissy Wallace In Nationwide Car
Chrissy Wallace will be making her NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Daytona International Speedway on February 13th in the Camping World 300 in the #41 Fuel Doctor Chevy with Rick Ware Racing (RWR). Wallace debuted with RWR in the NASCAR Camping World Series at Talladega last October. She finished 13th and looks forward to the new challenge. “This is a lifelong dream to race in the Nationwide Series and will soon be a reality, and I want to thank Rick Ware Racing for making it come true,” stated Wallace. Once again marking the first time in history that a Father-Daughter will compete against each other in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Chrissy will join her father on the track to top last season’s performance at Talladega in the Camping World Truck race in 2009. ...More
Scott Riggs In One Race Deal
RAB Racing is pleased to announce that Scott Riggs will pilot the No. 09 Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 13th. Riggs, the 2002 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, will be making his 81st NNS start and his fifth NNS start at Daytona International Speedway. The Bahama, NC native has an impressive four wins, 19 top-5 and three poles to his NNS resume, and in just four starts at “The World Center of Racing” has two top-10 finishes. ...More
Braun Signs Billy Wilburn
Braun Racing is pleased to announce that Bill Wilburn has joined their organization to serve as crew chief of the No. 11 AccuDoc Solutions team with NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year contender, Brian Scott. Bringing with him a wealth of experience, Wilburn has over 25 years in the industry. A native of Kernersville, N.C. he most recently served as crew chief at Kevin Harvick Racing with driver, Ricky Carmichael. Wilburn first came onto the NASCAR scene in 1984, starting out as a parts cleaner and tire changer at Stewart Racing that led driver Rusty Wallace to Rookie of the Year honors. He quickly made a name for himself as a quick tire changer and a quicker study. ...More
MacDonald Signs McDowell
MacDonald Motorsports has signed Michael McDowell to pilot the No. 81 MacDonald Motorsports Dodge in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for the 2010 season. McDowell, who finished 13th in the Nationwide Series standings in 2009, has permanently joined a transformed MacDonald Motorsports effort that features a new race shop, new race cars, a new crew chief. Patrick Donahue, a face familiar to McDowell, will take the reigns as crew chief of the No. 81 Dodge. Donahue was the crew chief for McDowell in the ARCA Series in 2007 when McDowell scored Rookie of the Year honors on the heels of a four-win, nine-pole season. In 2008, Donahue served as crew chief for Scott Speed, who earned four wins and six poles in his first full season of Stock Car racing in ARCA. ...More
Next Camping World Truck Series Race * Daytona International Speedway * Daytona Beach, Florida * Friday, February 12, 2010
Red Horse Signs Nelson Piquet Jr.
Red Horse Racing is pleased to announce the addition of Nelson Piquet Jr. to its stable of drivers for the 2010 Camping World Truck Series season. Piquet Jr. will pilot the #1 Toyota Tundra in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. The Brazilian born, former Formula 1 driver participated in two tests for Red Horse Racing to acclimate to a different style of race vehicle. The tests at the Motor Mile in October 2009 and at New Smyrna Speedway earlier this month helped Piquet Jr. increase his comfort level in the #1 Toyota Tundra. He also drove in the ARCA RE/MAX event at Daytona International Speedway (started seventh, finished 27th) prior to the Camping World Truck Series race. ...More
Zachry To Back David Starr
Top engineering, construction and maintenance provider, Zachry Holdings, Inc. will partner with driver David Starr and Randy Moss Motorsports during the 2010 Camping World NASCAR Truck Series. Zachry looks forward to engaging employees and customers in partnership with Randy Moss Motorsports and the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra. Since 2008, Zachry has benefitted from the NASCAR arena by exhibiting at racing events to recruit new employees, create bonds among existing employees and spread brand recognition of the 85-year-old family company. As a collaborative force, Starr has joined Zachry in spreading the message of safety and value at racing events and many of the 100-plus Zachry job sites nationwide. ...More
Musgrave In One Race Deal
The 2005 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion, Ted Musgrave will make his return to the series at Daytona International Speedway piloting the No. 15 Hope for Haiti Toyota Tundra in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 for Billy Ballew Motorsports. Musgrave, who sat out the past season due to lack of sponsorship, will pilot the Billy Ballew Motorsports entry in the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opening race February 12, 2010. The series veteran has 191 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career starts with 17 wins, 80 top-five and119 top-ten finishes and12 pole starts. ...More
Truck Lineup Rules Change
NASCAR will revise its five-year-old procedure governing guaranteed starting positions for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2010. The revision will open up additional spots in the line-up for teams qualifying via time trials. Under the procedure implemented in 2005, the top 30 eligible owners’ trucks were locked into the starting lineup and guaranteed a spot among the top 35 positions in the 36-truck field. Beginning with the Feb. 12 NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway, the “lock-in” will be reduced to the top 25 eligible owners who have entered the event based upon 2009 Owner Championship point standings. The 36th and final position continues to be reserved for a past champion not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion is eligible, the position is filled by the next fastest qualifier. The reduction in guaranteed starting positions brings the series in line percentage-wise with the NASCAR Nationwide Series, which guarantees a top 30 eligible owner’s car a position among 42 of 43 starting spots. Twenty-five teams competed in all 25 races in 2009 and are thus eligible for guaranteed starting positions for the season’s first four races. Eligibility for the lock-in is set by 2010 Owner Championship points for the remainder of the season. ...More
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