NASCAR Daily News Headlines * December 23, 2008

Ron Hornaday Sr. Dies

"Ron Sr. was a great champion and one of the true pioneers in NASCAR's west coast efforts,” said NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Hornaday’s racing career spanned from 1955 to 1973. He accumulated 13 wins and 12 poles in the series that is now known as the NASCAR Camping World Series West. In addition to his championships, he finished as the runner-up in the final standings in 1962.

He was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall Of Fame, in it's first class in 2002. He first started running in the old Pacific Coast Late Model Circuit in 1956, driving in one of Frank Galphin's Fords. The series was very competitive, with excellent equipment and in those days it wasn't easy for new comers to quickly master the series. But after just a few seasons, he was winning races, starts to compete for championships.

He would finish second in the 1962 seasons final standings, then would win the championship in 1963, would repeat again in 1964 as champion and had 13 career victories in the series. He also would make 17 starts in the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup Series, now the Sprint Cup Series, between 1955 to 1973, at Hanford, Los Angeles, Ontario, Phoenix, Riverside and Sacramento.

Ron also spent 20 years, running Late Model Sportsman races, all over Southern California and would win a great number of those races. He's a legend, a racer's racer and his legacy lives on not only through his son Ron Hornaday, Jr. legendary career. But through his fans, that loved him and remember what a racer he was and he was a great one. (in part from Bleacherreport.com)

Bristol Tickets Available

"It is no secret many corporations are cutting back in certain areas, and we have a large amount of corporate clients who are cutting tickets from their accounts as a means to trim," Byrd said.

Since Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased the facility in 1996, BMS has had the 53 consecutive sellouts. Tickets for the Sharpie 500 Sprint Cup race on Aug. 22 are sold out. Tickets are available for the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at BMS on March 21 and the Food City 250 Nationwide race on Aug. 21. Tickets are also on sale for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at BMS on Aug. 19,

Qualifying day tickets for both Sprint Cup and Nationwide events on March 20 are also available. Purchase information is available at (423) 989-6900 or on the Web at (www.bristoltix.com)....(scenedaily.com)

Canadian Tire Series Champion Gets All-Star Showdown Ride

Along with the 13 drivers from the NASCAR Camping World Series, who secured a guaranteed starting position in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown by winning a series event in 2008, each of the champions from NASCAR’s other developmental series also have a guaranteed slot in the main event. This truly makes the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, considered to be the ‘Daytona 500 of short-track racing,’ more than just any all-star event. It brings together the finest short-track racers from all over North America.

The prestigious postseason event, slated for Jan. 23-24 at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.). It will feature two days of racing and will air live on SPEED beginning at 7 p.m. PT both nights.

Steckly’s record-setting 2008 season in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series was, at times, dominating as he collected his first NASCAR championship. He posted a series-record four victories en route to the title. He also notched four runner-up finishes. All told, the driver out of Milverton, Ont., finished in the top five nine times. He took the points lead after winning the season-opening event at Cayuga Motor Speedway and did not loosen his grip on the top spot the rest of the way.

The NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown is contested in NASCAR Camping World Series cars which are different from those used in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series meaning that, while he held a guaranteed starting position in the race, Steckly had to find a suitable fit in order to participate in the race.

Steckly will be driving a Chevrolet out of the NDS Motorsports stable based in Milton, Vt. He will be teaming up with Steve Park, who is NDS Motorsports’ regular entrant in the NASCAR Camping World Series events. Park holds the distinction of being the only driver to win races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Camping World Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Although teaming with Park, Steckly will use his normal NASCAR Canadian Tire Series crew led by crew chief Greg Gibson.

Steckly is familiar with NASCAR Camping World Series cars having tested one in October. He also competed in a similar vehicle at the NASCAR Nationwide Series event in Montreal in August. “They’re a little different, but nothing terribly drastic,” Steckly said. “We’re not as familiar with the cars or the track, obviously, as most of the other competitors, but I think we can figure it out.”

It has been a whirlwind few months for Steckly, who at the beginning of the 2008 season was not sure how deep into the season he would get, but a sponsorship package materialized in the early portion of the year. “It really has been a dream season,” he said. “From the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series championship and everything that goes with it right up to this chance to compete in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown. I want to thank everyone at NDS Motorsports for giving us this opportunity. We are confident we can give them a good finish.”

Steckly joins a list of top short-track drivers who have already committed to running in the event, including NASCAR Camping World Series East and West champions, Matt Kobyluck and Eric Holmes. Also confirmed to compete are 2007 NASCAR Camping World Series West champion Mike David, four drivers who have earned rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Camping World Series in the last three season (Jason Bowles, Peyton Sellers, Jeff Barkshire, and Austin Dillon), and Brian Ickler, winner of the NASCAR Camping World Series combination race in Iowa this past May along with three-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr.

In addition to Steckly, Holmes and Kobyluck, champions in NASCAR’s other developmental series include Philip Morris (NASCAR Whelen All-American Series), Antonio Perez (NASCAR Mexico Series), Ted Christopher (NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and Brian Loftin (NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour).

The NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown’s two days of racing will also include action in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series with Late Model and Super Late Model races.

Mars Renews With NASCAR

• Official Chocolate of NASCAR (M&M'S® Brand)
• Official Chocolate Bar of NASCAR (SNICKERS® Brand)
• Official Cheese-Filled Snack of NASCAR (COMBOS® Brand)
• Official Pet Food of NASCAR (PEDIGREE® Brand)

The multi-year partnership aligns Mars with its existing contracts with Joe Gibbs Racing, continuing a relationship that began in 2008.

For 2009, Mars will continue to develop programs that build relationships directly with NASCAR fans, including continuing two of its popular programs that let fans share their passion for NASCAR to the world. Brand highlights include:

• Now in its second year, M&M'S "The Most Colorful Fan of NASCAR Contest" will launch at the Daytona 500 and run for 24 weeks.
• For dog lovers, the PEDIGREE brand will launch a new contest, PEDIGREE Brand presents THE LUCKIEST DOG™ of NASCAR®, beginning in late April when the first of three cars sponsored by the PEDIGREE brand races at Talladega Superspeedway.
• Mars' COMBOS Brand will also leverage its NASCAR sponsorship with the new "Man Zone" on-pack promotion, visiting ten race tracks during the first half of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
• SNICKERS Brand will promote its sponsorship at retail stores nationwide.

While Mars has been involved in NASCAR for nearly 20 years – with a variety of Mars brands sponsoring various teams – the company officially teamed with sports' sanctioning body in 2003. The 2008 season was highlighted by the success of Kyle Busch in the No. 18 M&M'S Toyota with Joe Gibbs Racing, which banked eight wins, 17-top five and 21 top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.