This Week In NASCAR: News Picks Up As Season Nears

Franchitti Picks Up Titus Trophy

"It makes me very proud to receive the Titus Award," Franchitti said. "2007 was a wonderful season for me, and awards like this will help to remind me of what I was able to achieve with my team. Thanks to all my friends who voted for me in the media."

Franchitti's victory at Indianapolis was one of his four wins during the 2007 IndyCar Series season with Andretti Green Racing. He won his first IndyCar Series title by just 13 points over Scott Dixon. The Titus Memorial Trophy was one of many honors Franchitti received during the banquet. IMS President and Chief Operating Officer Joie Chitwood presented Franchitti with his Champion of Champions Indianapolis 500 winner's ring at the Shav Glick Newsmakers Forum preceding the banquet, and Franchitti also saw his image on the famed Borg-Warner Trophy for the first time during the forum.

Haas CNC Racing Signs State Water Heaters

“We couldn’t be happier than to partner with a quality brand like State Water Heaters,” said team marketing manager Carl Cline. “With the recent changes we’ve made at Haas CNC Racing, 2008 should prove to be an exciting year for us and we are thrilled to have State Water Heaters share in our future successes. Through our commitment to performance, both on and off the track, we hope to grow a long, proud partnership with State Water Heaters,” Cline added.

State Water Heaters brand manager Jeff Storie said, “State is excited to partner with Scott Riggs and Haas CNC Racing. Scott is a talented driver who can connect with both race fans and our customers in the wholesale plumbing channel. This partnership will generate great awareness for the State brand.

“The Haas world-class race shop, resources and record of success made the partnership appealing to State Water Heaters,” Storie added.

Earnhardt Shoots Commercial

Pepsi is the No. 2 Super Bowl ad spender this year behind Anheuser-Busch (BUD), which was Earnhardt's sponsor last season. He moved to Pepsi and the Hendrick Motorsports racing team after a highly publicized split with his family's team and says he's eager to help Pepsi overtake marketing rival A-B as a Super Bowl ad favorite.

"There's only a few Super Bowl spots and it's limited on what celebrities get chosen; after a while, you start to understand the competition between the brands," Earnhardt said by phone from a commercial shoot in Los Angeles, where he said he and a crew of 30 took over a "nice woman's café."

"You start to see how big a deal it is not to bomb," he said. "It's important to be at the top of the list. When they go out and spend all this dang money, they don't want to bomb out." (usatoday.com)

Stewart Sells Car For $300,000

All of the money raised by the sale went to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. Gwynn was paralyzed and lost his left arm in 1986 when his dragster crashed into the retaining wall half-way down the track. The Darrell Gwynn Foundation exists to prevent, provide for and ultimately cure spinal cord injuries and other debilitating illnesses. To expedite specific cures, the Foundation assists in the funding of targeted research. The Foundation is also dedicated to injury prevention, with special emphasis on programs targeting children.

The Foundation helps improve the quality of life for those already afflicted with injury or illness, by providing necessary equipment or special services. Special thanks goes to two-time NASCAR champ Tony Stewart for donating the car.

NASCAR May Change Gear Rule

"If we change the rule, we won't do it officially until all of testing is completed," NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said Wednesday during testing. "I think all of the teams are already anticipating a change. I know a lot of teams last week tried a 364 gear and a lot of teams here have got 364s in." NASCAR would like to keep the RPMs below 9,000, Darby said. Darby said no one has reached 9,000 RPM.(scenedaily.com)

Kahne Leads Final Day Test

"I was kind of excited to get in the car with Budweiser on it," Kahne said following the session. "[It's] 2008, we're able to have a good test, we learned a lot, went fast at time. I feel ... it's a good starting point."

Chip Ganassi Racing's Dario Franchitti posted the third fastest time in the session. Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s Regan Smith, Penske Racing's Ryan Newman, Penske's Sam Hornish Jr., Petty Enterprises' Bobby Labonte, JGR's Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip Racing's Michael Waltrip and Roush Fenway Racing's David Ragan rounded out the top 10.(scenedaily.com)

Judge Rules On NASCAR Discrimination Lawsuit

NASCAR indefinitely suspended the two motorcoach drivers involved. In his complaint, Scott said he was promised a job with NASCAR in response to the incident. NASCAR had claimed in its filings that Scott "was given several work opportunities which were declined" and "was not qualified" for the racing official job he wanted. Judge Deborah A. Batts ruled Thursday that the three-year statute of limitations had passed for all of the allegations, except for one on whether NASCAR did not award Scott a minority vendor contract in 2005 and 2006 based on race. Scott must re-file his lawsuit within 45 days to focus on that claim.

Scott had argued that the other racial discrimination and failure-to-hire claims did not exist until February 2006, when NASCAR President Mike Helton told him that the sanctioning body had done all it could and he would not be hired. But the court ruled that those claims began when he applied for a NASCAR job in August 2000 and was not hired. He also signed a two-year severance package in 2000, where he agreed not to sue Penske, which made him aware that he possibly could have discrimination claim, the judge ruled.(scenedaily.com)

NASCAR May Lower Age Limit In Cup Series

There are concerns that young drivers are being moved up through the ranks too soon, and that more time in the second-tier series would give them time to develop their skills on the track and to mature off of it. Such a change could, theoretically, also bolster interest in the Nationwide and Truck series, since it would ensure that promising young drivers could build fan followings and attract sponsorships while competing at those lower levels.

Only two drivers have ever won races in NASCAR’s top series before turning 21. Kyle Busch won twice at age 20, at California and Phoenix in 2005. Donald Thomas was also 20 when he won at race at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta in 1952. Reed Sorenson competed in the Cup Series last year at age 20, but he turns 21 on Feb. 5.

Joey Logano, who won the Busch East title at 17 in 2007, turns 18 on May 24 and is scheduled to make his Nationwide Series debut for Joe Gibbs Racing at Dover shortly after that. It is widely expected he would participate in at least some Cup events in 2009, but that could be prohibited if NASCAR goes through with the change in the age rule.(thatsracin.com)

Coleman Says Age Limit Shouldn't Change

He doesn't turn 21 until Feb. 26, 2009, and that would mean he couldn't run any races this year and would miss the first two races of the 2009 season if NASCAR approves a 21-year-old minimum age requirement for Cup. NASCAR, which currently requires drivers to be 18 in its three national touring series, is floating that idea with teams, and Coleman now sees those tentative plans for this year - as well as a possible full-time Cup ride in 2009 - becoming much more tentative.

"If they pass it, I'm not going to be able to do [those races] - it's going to be a heartbreaker," Coleman said Friday during a break in Nationwide Series testing at Daytona International Speedway. "I feel that I'm qualified, especially after a full year [goes by] in Nationwide."

Coleman first heard about the proposed rule change Thursday. "I never thought there would be a rule like that," Coleman said. "Eighteen is a good age. NASCAR already has a qualification system to be in Cup or be in Busch - they have to watch you race and have to approve you. "If you have the skills to do it, you should be allowed to do it. If NASCAR approves you to do it, you should be good to go."(scenedaily.com)

Toyota Pleased With Test Speeds

"If I told you how many times I have won testing in 40 years!" said Lee White, senior vice president of Toyota Racing Development. "It's just testing, and it's really hard for me to get all jazzed up over testing because you don't know what people are doing. And there's a month left before we race. That's a lot of time for people to tune up their programs."

It is difficult to accurately gauge just where the Toyotas rank after one testing session on the 2 1/2-mile superspeedway. NASCAR splits the session equally among single-lap runs and drafting, and nobody is certain what each team is even working on. Some may be looking for qualifying speed, while others may be fine-tuning race setups.

"This is the biggest game of chess," Sprint Cup director John Darby said. "All these teams are toying with each other, and no one wants to show their full hand. Yes, the Toyotas have been very impressive. But it's hard to say for sure where they stack up against the competition."

"We've already derived benefit from the addition of JGR to Toyota," said team owner Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 champion. "They know how much power they had here last year when they raced Chevrolets. They know what kind of aero they had.(www.myfoxkc.com)

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Marlin May Pass On Daytona 500 Attempt

Marlin, a back-to-back Daytona 500 champion in 1994 and 1995, is scheduled to attempt to qualify in seven Cup races. That list originally included four restrictor plate races — two at Daytona and two at Talladega. Max Papis is scheduled to attempt to qualify for both road races during the season. Marlin said the team should rethink attempting to qualify at Daytona and Talladega.“We might want to get rid of the super speedways and go with more short tracks,” Marlin said. “I told them today that if we come back like we are today, we are wasting money and time. “The car drafts pretty good, but you need some speed. We’ve got to find out the problem.(tennessean.com)

Childress Looking For Nationwide Sponsorship

"We've got a commitment to Bobby for the races he's going to run," Dillon said. "We're still trying to sell sponsorship for it, and if we can get it done, we'll get McCreadie in it."

RCR already has plans to run two teams the entire season - the defending owners champion No. 29 team with Jeff Burton and Scott Wimmer and the No. 2 team with Clint Bowyer. RCR driver Kevin Harvick will drive exclusively for the team he owns in the Nationwide Series in 2008. KHI and RCR have agreed to share engineering information and notes during the year.(scenedaily.com)

Dodge Steps Up Support For BHR

Former teammates and veteran drivers Stacy Compton (No. 4 BHR VA Dodge) and Dennis Setzer (No. 18 BHR VA Dodge) join BHR VA's roster for the upcoming season and are making a homecoming of sorts to the manufacturer. Each of Compton's two victories were recorded in a Dodge. Setzer also has driven a Ram truck to Victory Lane.