Tracks Need To Work Harder
Tracks are going to have to work harder if they hope to maintain or increase attendance figures, Speedway Motorsports Inc. President H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler said Wednesday. Briefing financial analysts about the company's third-quarter results, Wheeler said the October Nextel Cup race in Charlotte did "quite well," the Atlanta race was down and last week's Texas event saw an increase in revenues.

"Admissions are going to stay stable at most of our race tracks," Wheeler said. "But we're going to have to work harder to keep those same dollars in '08. I think a significant part of that is due to the increase in gasoline prices."

While admissions have not risen, corporate spending keeps going up, Wheeler said. SMI - which owns tracks in or near Charlotte, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Bristol (Tenn.), Sonoma (Calif.), Dallas-Fort Worth and soon will own New Hampshire - has signed sponsors for all of its 2008 Nationwide (formerly Busch) Series events, all but one Sprint Cup race next year and two of its truck events.

With the rise in gas prices, fans are purchasing fewer souvenirs and concessions, Wheeler said.

Souvenir company Motorsports Authentics, which SMI owns half of with International Speedway Corp., continues to lose money. The company could lose $20-$25 million this year.

"The results are not as we had hoped, and the turnaround is more difficult than we anticipated, but we are making significant progress," SMI Executive Vice President Marcus Smith said.(scenedaily.com)

Changes At DEI
Dale Earnhardt Inc. continued to strengthen its motorsports operation with the promotion of several key industry experts and the addition of a veteran crew chief to its roster.

Dave Charpentier, current crew chief of the No. 15 Chevrolet, has been promoted to technical director, and Doug Randolph, current crew chief of the No. 43 Petty Enterprises car driven by Bobby Labonte, will take over as crew chief for Paul Menard and the No. 15.

Charpentier, a long-time Dale Earnhardt Inc. employee, will oversee all aspects of engineering for the four-car Nextel Cup Series operation. He was trained as a nuclear engineer during a seven-year career in the United States Navy, and since 1989 has served in an engineering capacity with multiple NASCAR teams. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in nuclear science.

Randolph is a University of Tennessee graduate and served as a crew chief at MB2 Motorsports / Ginn Racing for the previous four seasons. He will join the team on Nov. 26.

Walter Giles, current race engineer on the No. 1 Chevrolet, was named director of race engineering, and Jason Anderson was named director of design and project engineering. Giles and Anderson will report to Charpentier.

In addition, Rex Garrett has been promoted to director of motorsports operations. The nine-year Dale Earnhardt Inc. veteran will oversee the day-to-day activities of the race shop.()

Hornish Heads To NASCAR
Sam Hornish Jr. is leaving the IndyCar Series for a full-time ride in NASCAR, joining the mass exodus of open-wheel stars fleeing to America's most popular racing series. The three-time IndyCar champion will drive the No. 77 Dodge next season for Penske Racing with Mobil 1 as the sponsor.

"I feel like this is something that is a new and unique challenge for me," Hornish said Thursday. "It may or may not be the right way to look at it, but I feel like I accomplished just about everything in Indy cars. I got to do more than I ever thought I would."

Penske will officially introduce Hornish as the third driver for his NASCAR team on Saturday night at the Penske Racing Museum in Phoenix. He'll join a team that already fields cars for Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman.

He'll join Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti and Jacques Villeneuve as former Indianapolis 500 winners and IndyCar series champions now racing in NASCAR's top series. Patrick Carpentier is also moving to NASCAR after a long open-wheel career, and A.J. Allmendinger fled Champ Cars for NASCAR this season. (AP)

Ford Racefest In Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Race fans in South Florida will again have an opportunity to meet their favorite drivers by visiting the Ford Championship Weekend Racefest at Las Olas Riverfront in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., from noon-10 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15. The event will feature Ford NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, David Gilliland and David Ragan, Ford Busch Series drivers Marcos Ambrose, Kelly Bires and Richard Johns, Ford Craftsman Truck Series drivers Travis Kvapil, Rick Crawford, David Starr, Joey Clanton, Erik Darnell and TJ Bell, and noted designer Chip Foose, who developed the Foose Ford F-150 pace truck. The drivers and Foose will sign autographs and participate in question-and-answer sessions for the fans.

Additionally, Ford Racefest will feature live performances by nationally renowned hip-hop DJ Funkmaster Flex, bands Kilroy and Curbstone, and autograph sessions and performances by the Miami Dolphins’ Cheerleaders, The Marlin Mermaids and Panther Ice Dancers. For the sixth consecutive year, Ford Racefest will help launch Ford Championship Weekend at nearby Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 16-18. The race will be the culmination of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Chase for the Cup, and is the season finale for both the Busch and Truck series.

Ford Racefest is a free event and no tickets are necessary. Ford drivers will be signing autographs at different times between 4-8 p.m. As schedules permit, other Ford drivers may be added to the event. All schedules and drivers are subject to change without notice. Ford Racefest also will give car enthusiasts of all ages the opportunity to enjoy interactive racing displays, show cars, team merchandise, production and concept vehicles, and demonstrations. A “Kids Zone,” created for younger race fans, will have games, prizes and entertainment.

For more information, fans can call 877 TFR Club or visit (fordracingevents.com).

Kyle Busch Makes Final Start In Series
Kyle Busch will make his final Busch Series start in the No. 5 Chevrolet this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. In 19 efforts with Busch this season, the No. 5 team has won three races and three pole positions while recording 13 top-five finishes and 15 top-10s. Busch has led 968 laps in 2007, which is more than any other competitor in the series. NASCAR veteran Mark Martin will race the No. 5 Chevy in the season finale next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway.