NASCAR Daily News Headlines * November 19, 2008

Robby Gordon Prepares For Baja 1000

The Baja 1000 is the world’s longest non-stop and most famous desert race. This year’s race will be a challenging 631.35-mile journey around the northern Baja California peninsula, beginning and ending in Ensenada. It will be trying even to the most skilled racers as they weave their way over rocky desert landscape and mountain terrain. For a map of this year’s loop course, please visit www.score-international.com/webresources/files/1091/results/Complete.pdf

When asked about this year’s event, Gordon commented, “This year’s course is very technical, very rough and very fast, which plays right into our team’s strengths. The team has done a good job building up the reliability in our Monster Energy / Toyo Tires / 4Wheel Parts trophy truck. We’ve been in Mexico pre-running the course over the past few weeks. Having covered the course twice, I feel very confident of our chances. With the assistance of both our Off-road and NASCAR team personnel, we have a really good support staff in place. Everyone is well informed on our race strategy and goals for this week. If all goes according to plan, we should bring home our fourth overall Baja 1000 victory.”

Pre-race activities will start on Wednesday, November 19th. As a prelude to the 41st annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, Gordon will participate in a media conference on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. along with other notable drivers and celebrities. Later that evening, he and his No. 77 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires trophy truck will appear that the AM PM store across from the navy base in downtown Ensenada from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The pre-race driver/rider briefing will be held Thursday at 7 p.m.

The green flag will drop for the car and truck classes at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Friday. All starters will have a 31-hour time limit to finish the legendary race. Over 300,000 spectators are expected to line this year’s course to watch over 375 entries from around the world compete in the historic race.

Live internet coverage will be available at www.2008SCOREBaja1000.com with a special one-hour NBC Sports special scheduled to be televised at 1pm (EST) on Sunday, December 14th.

For more information on Robby Gordon and updates on his progress in the enduring race, please visit www.robbygordon.com.

For more information regarding the Baja 1000, visit the official website of the SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com

Yates Racing Announces New Driver

"I’m really looking forward to starting this new chapter of my life with Yates Racing and behind the wheel of the No. 98 Ford Fusion,” said Menard. “The No. 98 has been to victory lane 25 times, many times with Marvin Panch and Lee Roy Yarbrough. It’s exciting to be starting with Max (Jones) and Doug (Yates), and having Larry Carter on the box making the calls. I’ve seen how solid the Roush/Yates engine program has been over the years and I know we can have a really good season in the No. 98 Menards Ford Fusion.”

Helping Menard make the transition to Yates Racing and Ford Motor Company will be veteran crew chief Larry Carter. Carter comes to Yates Racing from Roush Fenway Racing, where in 2008 he helped Jamie McMurray earn four top five and 11 top-10 finishes. Prior to working with McMurray, Carter worked with veteran driver Rusty Wallace in his final season of Sprint Cup racing.

Yates Racing co-owner Max Jones is pleased with the addition of the No. 98 to the team's racing stable. “Paul is a focused and determined young man. His efforts combined with the strength and compatibility of our sponsor partners, and with Ford, will take him to new levels,” Jones said.

Souvenir Blowout at Lowe's

This once-a-year opportunity puts fans in the tire tracks of NASCAR legends such as Richard Petty, David Pearson and Dale Earnhardt. Shoppers who spend at least $50 on tickets or souvenirs, or donate $25 to Speedway Children's Charities on Saturday and Sunday will receive a free souvenir gift and a tour of zMAX Dragway. Each tour is good for two people. The gift and tours will be redeemable at the gift shop.

Tickets for the 25th annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 16 and the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24, are the perfect gift for those with NASCAR fans on their holiday shopping list. The Lowe's Motor Speedway ticket office will be open throughout the event.

As a special weekend-only offer, each ticket purchased for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race or the Coca-Cola 600 will be accompanied by a free ticket ($12 value) for Windstream Pole Night qualifying on Thursday, May 21. Each ticket buyer will also receive a free gift valued at $10 or more.

In addition to numerous track souvenirs, Lowe's Motor Speedway offers a wide selection of driver apparel along with memorabilia from NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup. Hats and T-shirts start at only $2. There will also be a special die-cast trailer offering a wide assortment of deeply discounted die-cast cars, including special cars autographed by Dale Earnhardt Jr.

NASCAR souvenir rigs will blanket the track's front entrance offering drastically reduced prices on a wide variety of memorabilia, T-shirts, hats, posters and die-cast cars. Nearly 20 vendors featuring merchandise from top NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers, including Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, and Tony Stewart, are expected.

Event hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Information concerning the Nov. 28-30 Souvenir and Race Ticket Blow-Out at Lowe's Motor Speedway can be obtained by contacting the Lowe's Motor Speedway gift shop at (704) 455-3202 or online at (www.lowesmotorspeedway.com).

Speed Channel Numbers Way Up

“What a way to finish,” said Speed President Hunter Nickell. “The last lap of the last event, and we still weren't sure who the champion was going to be. Johnny Benson and Ron Hornaday put on an awesome show for the fans."

Speed says its coverage of the series this season averaged a .80 and 585,000 households and saw year-to-year increases in viewership in 19 of 22 races. The cable station, which is available in almost 78 million households, will air highlights from the series’ championship banquet at 8 p.m. EST Dec. 8.(scenedaily.com)

Benson Leaving Bill Davis Racing

The Davises are upset with Johnny Benson, who won the 2008 drivers championship for BDR, accusing Benson of going back on his word to them earlier this season when he privately told them he was retiring after the 2008 season. But Benson said he isn’t quitting and added that he hadn’t made up his mind when he told Davis he would be leaving the team at the end of the season. So while the Truck series banquet seemed peaceful and joyous, it was hardly that.

“There are some circumstances here that makes this a little harder, Johnny leaving and not telling us that he’s leaving..., ” Bill Davis said after the banquet. “It makes it a little hard to really enjoy like you would want to. It’s not the way you’d expect to be treated from someone that you’ve done a pretty damn good job for for four years. We never insisted on a contract; he didn’t want one. We just had a handshake. That was good enough for him, good enough for us. You know, that’s OK. We will improve, we’ll come back with a stronger [No.] 23 truck next year and continue winning races.”

Benson said he “didn’t have a plan” when he first decided not to return to BDR’s Truck team next year.