NASCAR Daily News Headlines * November 27, 2009

Champion’s Week Starts Monday

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cited Johnson’s accomplishments this past Monday, just hours after Johnson became the first driver to win four consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup titles. “His performance is a testament to our state’s championship spirit and I am proud to say he’s from California,” the governor said. The championship celebration moves to Las Vegas, Nev. on Wednesday, Dec. 2 with activities leading up to Friday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony, which is being held for the first time at Wynn Las Vegas. Las Vegas becomes the host city after a 28-year run in New York City.

Sound & Speed Returns To Nashville

Some of country music’s greatest names will kick off the two-day event at the Grand Ole Opry when Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust hits the Ryman Auditorium stage on Friday, Jan. 8. The special night of music will include two shows, 7 p.m., and 9:30 p.m., with Hank Williams Jr. (9:30 p.m. show), Chris Young , a special performance from NASCAR’s Kyle Petty and his band and more artists to be added. There also will be appearances by Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne and others, during the Friday-night event.

On Saturday, Jan. 9, the event continues at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium, where racing and country music fans have the opportunity for autographs, story-telling and question-and-answer sessions with drivers, team owners and top-name artists. The fan event will feature show car and sponsor displays, as well as a charitable auction with memorabilia from the racing and entertainment industries.

Among the NASCAR stars scheduled to appear are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Michael Waltrip, Clint Bowyer, Reed Sorenson and David Stremme. Country music stars include Jason Michael Carroll, Josh Turner, members of Diamond Rio, and Chris Young. Expect more drivers and country music artists to join the star-studded line-up in coming weeks.

Since its inception, the event has attracted an estimated 40,000 fans and raised more than $800,000 for Victory Junction (a year-round camping experience founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty for children, ages 6-16, with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses) and the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.

Tickets for the Opry at the Ryman shows on Friday, Jan. 8 (from $32 to $54) and the festival on Jan. 9 ($20 for adults and $12 for children) are on sale and available through TicketMaster (ticketmaster.com) and at opry.com. Combination tickets, good for the Opry and the festival, will go on sale Dec. 2 and range from $55 to $69. Visit www.soundandspeed.org for more information and updates.

2009 ARCA Schedule Released

"We're extremely proud of the depth of quality of the venues on the 2010 schedule, each of which is very important to the identity and industry position of the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX," said ARCA President Ron Drager. "The number of scheduled events remains stable at a level we've found to be appropriate, and we're pleased with the geographic coverage represented by the markets we'll be racing in."

Daytona Int'l Speedway will host the season opener for the 47th consecutive season. The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 will follow pole qualifying for the Daytona 500, and serve as the preamble for the same-day NASCAR Sprint Cup Budweiser Shootout on Saturday, February 6th. The 2010 tour will conclude with championship weekend at Rockingham Speedway on October 9th. In between, the series will appear at a wide variety of venues making up the most versatile mix in all of motorsports.

A return to Texas Motor Speedway, and the addition of a second road course venue highlight the 2010 calendar.

Palm Beach Int'l Raceway, a 2.034-mile, 11-turn road course in Jupiter, Florida, will host the ARCA tour on February 27th. The addition of PBIR marks the first of two road course venues on the ARCA schedule, joining New Jersey Motorsports Park.

The return to Texas Motor Speedway is set for April 16th alongside the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. The ARCA Series made one other appearance at the Texas track in 1998, a race won by series veteran Mark Gibson.

Superspeedway events returning in 2010 include Kansas Speedway, Michigan Int'l Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway, in addition to the season opener at Daytona. The 2010 Talladega event is the 49th ARCA Series appearance at the renowned 2.66-mile Alabama speedplant since 1969, and the upcoming events at Pocono mark the 50th and 51st appearances of the ARCA Series at Pocono since 1983.

Short-tracks hosting events include Salem Speedway in Indiana, Toledo Speedway and Mansfield Motorsports Park in Ohio, Berlin Raceway in Michigan, Iowa Speedway, the annual mile-dirt races at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, and Rockingham.

Companion events in 2010 include races with the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series as well as with the IZOD IndyCar Series.
For Full 2009 ARCA Schedule...     (Insider Racing News)