Richmond Sold Out
The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series consecutive sellout streak at Richmond International Raceway has reached 32. All grandstand seats for the Saturday, September 8, Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race, the final race before the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup, are sold out, raceway officials announced today. The sellout mark’s 16 season of consecutive NASCAR Nextel Cup Series sellouts at America’s Premier Short Track.

While all the grandstand seats are sold out for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, fans can still purchase tickets for the Friday, September 7, Emerson Radio 250 NASCAR Busch Series race where NASCAR Busch Series regulars and several Nextel Cup Series drivers battle it out “under the lights” for a night of old-school, Friday night short track racing. Tickets to Friday's race include practice and WRIC-TV8 Pole Qualifying for the Emerson Radio 250 and Fas Mart Pole Qualifying for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. Kids 12 years of age and under are admitted free in general admission sections only with a ticketed adult for the NASCAR Busch Series races.

“We're happy to announce that the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 is a sellout for the 16th straight year,” said track president Doug Fritz. “Fans continue to show year in and year out that the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race is one of the most prestigious races on the NASCAR circuit.”

Coors Sponsorship Ends On No. 40
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) and Coors Brewing Company announced today that Coors Light will not return as a primary sponsor on the team’s No. 40 Dodge in 2008.

“After much evaluation on both of our parts, we agreed that having Coors Light back as a sponsor on the No. 40 Dodge was not going to meet the marketing objectives of either organization,” said Chip Ganassi Racing Teams’ President Steve Lauletta. “Coors has been a tremendous partner over the last 14 years and we wish them nothing but the best.

“We continue to weigh our sponsorship opportunities for the No. 40 and an announcement on that will be forthcoming. CGRFS has always prided itself on not only our long-term partnerships but also on our ability to attract new sponsors to the sport - just as we did earlier this year with Wrigley and Memorex.”

“We believe that NASCAR is a valuable property that allows us to reach our target audience,” said Bryce McTavish, vice president of sponsorship and channel marketing for Coors Brewing Company. “From a marketing perspective, one of the sport’s greatest assets is the variety of ways in which companies can be involved and we are evaluating a number of them. We enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Chip and Felix and would like to thank them for their efforts on our behalf throughout the years. We will always appreciate their contribution to our business and our success.”

The announcement will end a string of 14 years that Coors Light has been the primary sponsor or partial primary of the No. 40 car (seven with CGRFS). The relationship began in 1994 when Sabates’ Team SABCO and the Coors Brewing Company started their first partnership as Coors Light became the primary sponsor of the No. 40 with Bobby Hamilton behind the wheel.

About Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

With 13 wins already in 2007, including the company’s best stretch in history with six victories in 30 days, CGRFS continues to add to its tally of 89 trips to victory lane. Chip Ganassi created his own one-car IndyCar team in 1990 and established a partnership with a new sponsor, Target. Today, his teams include two IRL IndyCars, one Indy Pro Series car and along with Felix Sabates he has three cars in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, two entries in the NASCAR Busch Series and two Daytona Prototypes in the world of Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series racing. Ganassi’s IndyCar teams have amassed five Championships and 56 wins since 1994; his NASCAR teams have 12 wins and a Rookie-of-the-Year title; and the Grand American team has won two of the last three Rolex Series Daytona Prototype Championships and are the two-time defending Champions of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Chip Ganassi Racing operates out of state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis, Ind., and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pa.

NASCAR Fines Cooper-Zipadelli
NASCAR announced today that Scott Zipadelli, crew chief of the No. 47 Ford driven by Kelly Bires and Stewart Cooper, crew chief of the No. 37 Ford driven by Bobby East in the NASCAR Busch Series, have been fined due to rule violations at California Speedway.

Zipadelli was fined $2,500 for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules) and 20A – 16.3 (unapproved fuel cell installation: spacers (washers) in bottom of recessed well) of the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book.

Cooper was fined $1,000 for violating 12-4-A, 12-4-Q and 20A – 12.4B (unapproved slots in lower A-frame spring bucket). The infractions were discovered during opening day inspection on Aug. 30.

Open House At South Point Racing
South Point Racing will host its annual open house meet and greet on Friday, Sept. 21. The event will take place from 3 to 7:30 p.m. PT. Fans are invited to come tour the South Point Racing shop and visit with driver Brendan Gaughan, who will be on hand to sign autographs. Visitors will also be treated to a barbecue during the open house.

“When it comes to the fans, we have a unique deal with our open house,” said Gaughan, driver of the No. 77 South Point Hotel Chevrolet Silverado. “We open our shop up to the fans just like anybody else would, but we go a step further. We let everybody walk through the entire shop and see all the ins and outs of the race team.

“We’re the only team in Las Vegas, so we make sure that we have free food for all the fans because we like to take care of people like nobody else does.

“We like to take care of our race fans, and they have a good time hanging out at the race shop and eating and talking with the guys on the team. We really look forward to seeing as many people as we can – race fans, NASCAR officials and other teams – that Friday at our shop.”

South Point Racing is located at 6975 Speedway Blvd., Bldg. D-104, directly beside of Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Lia To Drive 4th BDR Truck
Bill Davis Racing announced today that Donny Lia, one of NASCAR’s Modified Superstars, will drive a fourth truck for the team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at [Loudon] New Hampshire International Speedway Sept. 15. The Jericho, N.Y., native has competed in many different series over the years, including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Lia had already tamed two of the three most hallowed tracks on the Tour (Stafford [Conn.] Motor Speedway and New Hampshire International Speedway) this season, and he completed the sweep Saturday night when he captured the pole and a win at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. It was his sixth victory of the season.

“I am very excited about this opportunity,” Lia said. “Bill Davis Racing is the best of the best when it comes to the Craftsman Trucks, and I can’t wait to hop in one of their Tundras in Loudon. I have had a lot of success in other NASCAR ranks, and I am anxious to see what I can do in the trucks. I have always run well at Loudon and actually already won there in the Modified this year. I am looking foward to making the best of this opportunity for Bill Davis and Mark Chambers.”