NASCAR Statement Regarding Sanford, Fla. Plane Crash
"This morning, at approximately 8:40 a.m. Eastern Time, a Cessna 310 registered to Competitor Liaison Bureau, Inc. of Daytona Beach, crashed in a Sanford, Florida, area neighborhood. At this time, we can confirm there were two people on-board, including the pilot, Dr. Bruce Kennedy and Michael Klemm, a senior captain with NASCAR Aviation. Both were killed in the crash.

“Dr. Kennedy was the husband of NASCAR Board Member and ISC President Lesa France Kennedy.

“It is clear that numerous families were affected by this terrible tragedy and unfortunately several people were deceased or seriously injured. Our deepest sympathies and prayers are with all of those who were involved in this tragic accident and their families. We will provide additional information as it becomes available.”

NASCAR Plane Crashes
The husband of NASCAR official Lesa France Kennedy was one of two people tied to NASCAR killed this morning when a small plane struggling to land at Orlando-Sanford International Airport crashed into a home and burst into flames. Three family members in that Sanford home suffered critical burns in the fireball after the crash that killed Dr. Bruce Kennedy and a passenger. A 4-year-old girl who was also in the home is listed as missing.

The Daytona Beach News Journal is reporting that Dr. Bruce Kennedy was the pilot of the twin-engine Cessna 310 that took off at 8:23 a.m. from Daytona Beach International Airport with one passenger on board. Kennedy, a plastic surgeon, is married to France Kennedy, who is president of International Speedway Corp., and also vice president and assistant treasurer of NASCAR. The co-pilot was not identified, though NASCAR officials told the Orlando Sentinel that there was no driver on board.

The plane was bound for Lakeland when Kennedy declared an emergency with smoke in the cockpit just after 8:30 a.m., said Federal Aviation Authority spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.

"They were directing it to Sanford (International Airport) when a mile to two miles north-northwest of the airport, it crashed into a house," Bergen said.

Four people were in the home at the time, including two adults, a 10-year-old boy and the 4-year-old girl. A firefighter who lived in the neighborhood rushed into the house and pulled the father and boy from the flames. Ryan Cooper, a firefighter/paramedic with Lake Mary Fire Department, has his bunker gear at home and put it on to run in to the burning house. Without his breathing apparatus, he was unable to go deep into the smoke-filled house to see if he could find the younger girl.

Instead, he ran into the second home that was aflame but did not find anyone inside. Cooper, who is married with two kids, rushed back outside and began treating the 10-year boy for his burns. The boy, his father and another adult were taken by helicopter to Orlando Regional Medical Center with critical burns. The 4-year-old has not yet been found.

The boy appears to be the most seriously injured, with 3rd-degree burns over 80 to 90 percent of his body, said Matt Minnetto, a Sanford Fire Investigator at scene..

"(He's) a pretty tough kid," Minnetto said of the boy, who gave firefighters a thumbs up as he was taken away in the ambulance.

Cooper suffered heat exhaustion from the rescue effort. He and another person suffering from chest pains were taken to Central Florida Regional Hospital, where both were in stable condition:...MORE AT...(newsday.com)

Goodyear Renews For Five Years
The NASCAR circuit, whose Nextel, Busch and Craftsman Truck series rely exclusively on Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. tires, means high visibility for Goodyear, and an important job for craftsmen who spend years developing and building the precision tires. There's a lot at stake for Akron-based Goodyear and employees like Joe Nutter, 40, a tire builder since January 1998 at the company's Technical Center, the only place Goodyear makes specialized race tires, including those supplied to NASCAR.

Goodyear's deal as the sole supplier of tires to NASCAR's top three racing series was renewed this year for another five years. Each of the 43 race teams lease up to 14 sets of four tires for use on any race day. Goodyear makes 150,000 or more NASCAR radial tires annually at its Akron Technical Center. That means revenue of about $62.4 million.

Goodyear said it is developing tires that will work better with what is called NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow, a redesign aimed at better protecting drivers. That probably will mean the drivers who race next year will be getting differently designed tires. (ohio.com)

Racing For A Reason
On July 12th NASCAR stars Ray Evernham, Scott Riggs, Erin Crocker, Bob Dillner and Andy Petree will be Racing for a Reason at Farley Speedway in Iowa. This hometown short track night of action will feature the stars in a dirt modified race with a portion of the night’s proceeds benefiting Evernham’s foundation, Racing for a Reason.

Racing for a Reason’s mission is to help those in need and fund the ongoing research to find a cure for cancer. The main beneficiary of the foundation is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a cause close to home for Evernham as his own son Ray J is a leukemia survivor.

In addition to the feature racing event there will be more Thursday night fun including a silent auction filled with NASCAR memorabilia and a VIP meet and greet option. Gates open at 3:30 p.m. and general admission tickets will run $20 per person. The first 200 guest through the gates will receive autographs from event VIP’s Ray Evernham, Scott Riggs, Erin Crocker, Bob Dillner and Andy Petree. For further event information visit Farley Speedways’ website at (www.simmonspromotionsinc.com/newsroom.php?newsid=205).

This event is one of many fundraising efforts in 2007 that Evernham’s foundation will partake in to support their mission. For more information on how to catch Racing for a Reason’s draft, visit (www.racingforareason.org).

Kyle Petty Charity Ride This Week
As the 13th annual Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America embarks Saturday (July 14) on a seven-day, 2,800-mile trek down the East Coast, the familiar colors of SunTrust Bank will be riding along for the third consecutive year as proud sponsor of the popular fundraiser benefiting the Victory Junction Gang Camp and other children’s charities.

Since its inception, the Charity Ride has raised more than $9 million for countless numbers of causes as more than 5,350 riders, including NASCAR celebrities, ride sponsors and motorcycle enthusiasts, have logged more than 45,000 miles covering various routes all across the U.S. -- This year’s route begins Saturday in Bar Harbor, Maine, will make overnight stops in Woodstock, Vt., Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Gettysburg, Pa., Hot Springs, Va., Augusta, Ga., St. Augustine, Fla., and concludes July 20 in Hollywood, Fla.

SunTrust will officially welcome riders into Augusta on July 18 with a host of activities and promotions through the Augusta- and Thomson-area branches. SunTrust clients will be offered an exclusive opportunity to serve as grand marshal of the ride through Augusta, as well as the chance to meet veteran NASCAR driver and event founder Kyle Petty and other celebrity riders.

“The Kyle Petty Charity Ride has become one of the most exciting and most anticipated charity events on the racing calendar each year,” said William Thompson, president and CEO of SunTrust Bank, Augusta. “We at SunTrust are extremely proud to welcome riders to our city for the first time and enable our customers and the surrounding community to help the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the many charitable causes that benefit from it.”

In addition, for the second year, David Pijot, senior vice president with the SunTrust Sports and Entertainment specialty group, will take part in the entire ride and will be filing remote journal entries and photos along the route that can be viewed at (www.suntrustracing.com)

The primary beneficiary of the 2007 Charity Ride is the Victory Junction Gang Camp, a year-round retreat in Randleman, N.C., founded by Petty and his wife, Pattie, which is dedicated to enriching the lives of children with chronic medical conditions and serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe and medically sound environment. Through corporate sponsorship and events like the Charity Ride, the camp provides an environment that children with severe health issues would not normally be able to enjoy because of their medical needs and costs. Proceeds from the 2006 Charity Ride have funded a five-day camp session, free of charge, for 125 children with burn, skin and craniofacial disorders who will be on site when the ride passes through Randleman on July 18.

“Every year, we think the ride just can’t get any bigger. But thanks to the unbelievable support of our riders, fans and sponsors like SunTrust, it just keeps growing and growing,” said Kyle Petty, who first combined his passion for helping others with his love of motorcycles by creating the Charity Ride in 1995. “We’re trying something all new this year with the ride traveling down the entire East Coast, which gives us the opportunity to see new faces for the first time. We’re especially looking forward to riding through Augusta for the first time and visiting with our friends and family from SunTrust. Pattie and I deeply appreciate their support in helping us continue to touch the lives of deserving children and their families.”

The Victory Junction Gang Camp is also a beneficiary of the annual Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust – A Music and Motorsports Celebration – which combines country music stars, NASCAR drivers and personalities, and exciting show cars each January in downtown Nashville. For information and updates on the 2007 Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, visit (www.kylepettycharityride.com).

Patrick Carpentier In Busch Race
Patrick Carpentier officially announced Tuesday at a press conference held in Montreal that he will compete in the inaugural NASCAR Series Busch race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on August 4, 2007. Sitting next to his new sponsors on the podium, the Quebec-born driver made public his plans to race in front of his home crowd in the two major events held the first weekend of August. The media conference was designed to update the Canadian media on the support of major companies such as Zellers, Komatsu, Dodge Quebec Dealer Advertising Association and Cinemas Guzzo in his new foray in NASCAR.

A regular driver in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, Carpentier was already scheduled to race in round 11 of the 2007 Daytona Prototype schedule, which will be held in Montreal on Friday August 3rd. At the press conference, the French Canadian driver also revealed that he will drive the Fitz Motorsports Dodge in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 - Presented by Dodge. Based in Mooresville, North Carolina and owned by Armando Fitz, the team has been competing in the Busch Series since 2001 and is considered one of the leading independent teams in the division.

Addressing the media, Carpentier thanked all the sponsors and the intervening parties who relentlessly worked to make this Montreal race program come to term.

"Prior to the press conference, I personally thanked all the sponsors and everyone that worked so hard to make this come through," said Carpentier. "I am very happy to have the support of Zellers, a major retail store chain with locations across Canada, Federal Equipment and the Komatsu group, the Dodge Quebec Dealer Advertising Association and Cinemas Guzzo, a Montreal chain of theatres. Without their support, my dream of running in the NASCAR Busch Series would have never happened."

"I think running in both series on the same weekend will be a plus for me, even though the racing lines will not be quite the same in several turns. However, this advantage shouldn't last forever as my opponents are all talented professionals and they won't take too much time to figure out the track. The competition will be tough, but I do believe that I will be competitive and that the team and I will quickly adjust the car to my liking," concluded Carpentier.