NASCAR Daily News Headlines * November 3, 2009

This year, there were more than 140 entries to the Forrester Groundswell Awards. Winners were chosen in Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) divisions across a number of categories – Listening, Talking, Energizing, Supporting, and Embracing – that represent the strategic goals that Forrester Research advises organizations to consider when using social technologies to interact with their customers. Additional winners were selected in a special Employee and Non-Profit division to recognize outstanding social applications in management and social impact.

Test Drive A Toyota With A Twist

Donnie Wingo Named Best Crew Chief

McMurray and Wingo's strategy was to lay low for the first half of the race, in an effort to avoid any early race incidents and to log laps. Mid-way through the race as McMurray was stuck in the middle of the pack, pit strategy came into play in order to move further up in the field.

After the caution flag flew on lap 141 with McMurray running eighth, it was time to make a change, vaulting to the lead on lap 152.

The Wingo-led team fought to maintain their track position in the top three for the next 30 laps and regained first on lap 181. The fifth caution of the day fell on lap 184, leaving Wingo to worry about fuel mileage with only a few laps remaining. McMurray kept the lead and stretched the fuel mileage to claim his third career triumph.

"Donnie had a great plan and ran great strategy," said Jeff Hammond, WYPALL Wipers spokesperson and SPEED/FOX television analyst. "This was a race of opportunity and this team seized every moment."

This is the first time Wingo has been named the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in the 2010 season-long program. Chad Knaus is tied for the lead with Darian Grubb as the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief the Race, with four wins and both are in contention to become the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Year. Not far behind are Drew Blickensderfer, Steve Letarte and Alan Gustafson, all with three wins.

Each week through Homestead, Hammond will interview the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race from the prior race during Trackside Live on SPEED every Friday evening. Former winners of the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge include Tony Eury, Sr. (Dale Earnhardt, Jr.), Robbie Reiser (Matt Kenseth), Doug Richert (Greg Biffle), Mike Ford (Denny Hamlin) and Chad Knaus (Jimmie Johnson).

Hillin To Race At Texas

Applying the ambition and drive he had from success in racing at a very young age, Hillin founded T-Rex Companies with just one truck and a prayer. Today, he overseas two companies— Texas ReExcavation, L.C., a non-destructive sub-surface vacuum excavation company, and T-Rex Engineering & Construction, L.C., a subsea design and fabrication concern that caters to the offshore oil & gas industry. This weekend marks the return of what many have since called the “Original Young Gun” to Texas Motor Speedway.

In some respects, Hillin paved the way for younger drivers to enter the sport.

“When I started my NASCAR career, there weren’t many open arms on the circuit for a young driver -- especially after winning a big Cup race early in my career,” said Hillin, winner of the 1986 Talladega 500, was at the time the youngest NASCAR winner ever on a superspeedway. “Now, young drivers are much more accepted and the norm in racing,” he said.

T-Rex had already planned on entertaining clients during Texas race week which begins November 6.

“It has always been hard for me to be at the track and not race,” Hillin stated. “So when we had the opportunity to sponsor the No. 81 car and I could drive, well -- we jumped on it. For me, this is equivalent of going back and playing in a high school football game, and I know so many men can relate to that!”

So the build up and excitement begins for T-Rex and their clients.

“We have built T-Rex Companies based on the competitive environment I grew up with in my career. The components for success are very similar: Safety, Quality and Teamwork are three tenets we use to challenge each other on a daily basis,” stated Hillin.

And now, Hillin gets to promote the companies by competing and racing again.

“This unique opportunity brings an extra dose of energy and buzz to our employees and clients,” beamed Hillin. “We are all very excited to participate in the O’Reilly Challenge Nationwide Series Race November 7.”

Allmendinger In A Ford

Allmendinger's No. 44 entry will carry the familiar Petty paint scheme of blue and red for the remainder of the season, beginning with this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Dickies 500. He will be the organization's only driver in Fords for the remainder of the season.(scenedaily.com)

Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

Dr. Jerry Punch will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage, with analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch, with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.

Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty, co-owner of a winning team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

Marty Reid will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage, with analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch, with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.

Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty, co-owner of a winning team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

Mike Massaro hosts half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday through Thursday of this week at 5 p.m., and Saturday at 12:30 a.m. (late Friday night). Massaro will be joined by Said for the one-hour weekend edition that airs Sunday, Nov. 8, at 10 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. The weekend wrap-up edition airs at 10 p.m. Sunday. Nicole Manske and Marty Smith will report from the speedway for both programs. .

NASCAR Now is hosted by Massaro, Bestwick and Manske and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie, and ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Spake and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.