|
|
Nextel Cup Headline News, Commentary and Race Coverage
|
|
Tickets Make Great Gifts
Home Page  Tickets Make Great GiftsTickCo Premium Seating
 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Copyright © 2000-2007. All Rights Reserved. Nextel Cup® and NASCAR® are registered trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. This web site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NASCAR®. The official NASCAR® website is "NASCAR® Online" and is located at.. www.NASCAR.com |
This Week In NASCAR: Edwards Takes Lion's Share Of Championship PurseAn Opinion
December 10, 2007 Written and Compiled By Ron Felix
The series’ $8.4 million point fund this season included a record $4.5 million contribution from outgoing sponsor Anheuser-Busch. In its 26 years as series sponsor A-B contributed over $18.4 million to the NASCAR Busch Series point fund, growing from $50,000 in its inaugural season in 1982.
The 2007 season marked the second consecutive year that every race purse exceeded $1 million. Fifteen drivers earned $1 million or more in total winnings including series regulars Jason Leffler, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Stephen Leicht, Marcos Ambrose and Mike Wallace.
In 105 career starts, Edwards – the 19th and final champion under the Busch brand sponsor banner – has totaled $6,139,648. His 2007 total marks the first time he has surpassed $2 million in series earnings. Edwards garnered $25,000 in contingency money by claiming the Sunoco Diamond Performance Award. He was also named the series’ Most Popular Driver for the first time.
Other contingency award winners were David Ragan (Raybestos Rookie of the Year), Denny Hamlin (Busch Pole Award), David Reutimann (Mobil One Command Performance Award), Bobby Hamilton Jr. (Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award), Scott Wimmer (Checkers/Rally’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge Award) and Mike Wallace (WIX Filters Lap Leader Award).
NASCAR Busch Series Top 10 – Point Awards and Season Totals:
Driver Race Winnings Special Awards Point Fund Total 1. Carl Edwards $1,241,985 $25,000 $1,218,597 $2,485,582 2. David Reutimann $1,130,097 $20,000 $714,350 $1,864,447 3. Jason Leffler $1,144,831 $546,268 $1,691,099 4. Kevin Harvick $1,123,130 $540,265 $1,663,395 5. David Ragan $792,592 $25,000 $411,802 $1,229,394 6. Bobby Hamilton Jr. $940,480 $50,000 $361,377 $1,351,857 7. Stephen Leicht $1,076,536 $298,346 $1,374,882 8. Marcos Ambrose $986,780 $252,123 $1,238,903 9. Greg Biffle $813,510 $208,662 $1,022,172 10. Matt Kenseth $904,380 $234,115 $1,138,495
Coca-Cola Expands NASCAR CommitmentCoca-Cola is expanding upon its 40-year relationship with NASCAR by extending its long-term partnership with the sanctioning body through 2017. The sponsorship commitment, one of the most significant sports sponsorships, allows multiple Coca-Cola brands to connect with racing fans and support NASCAR at all levels – from helping to fund grassroots racing to associating with some of the biggest names in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.The extension of the Company’s relationship with NASCAR follows the new 10-year sponsorship agreement with International Speedway Corporation (ISC), making Coke the leading soft drink pour across NASCAR-sanctioned tracks. Through partnerships with ISC and Speedway Motorsports, Inc., Coca-Cola will be refreshing fans at 12 race tracks in 2008 before expanding to 17 race tracks by 2012. Coca-Cola will make its ISC debut in February 2008 at the 50th running of the Daytona 500 at famed Daytona International Speedway.
Dale Jr's Switch to Hendrick Motorsports Top StoryIn a year that was not short on storylines, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announcing that he was leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) at the end of the season and subsequently announcing he would be racing for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008 was voted the sport’s top story for 2007 by members of the media. Earnhardt Jr. announced in May his intentions to leave the team that his father had built at season’s end and a month later signed with Hendrick Motorsports.Members of the media ranked the top highlights of the 2007 NASCAR season on NASCARMedia.com. A total of 141 votes were cast online between Nov. 26 and Dec. 4. Each highlight received 10 points for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, eight points for a third-place vote, etc. down to one point for 10th. Earnhardt’s announcements garnered 64 first-place votes and finished with 1,243 points. Jimmie Johnson winning his second consecutive NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship earned 16 first-place votes and finished second with 1,028 points. Johnson became the first repeat champion in the series since Jeff Gordon successfully defended his championship in 1998. Gordon passing Dale Earnhardt on the all-time wins list was voted the third top highlight of the year. The four-time champion picked up career wins number 76 and 77 at Phoenix International Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway, respectively, to move into sixth place all-time. The close finishes at Daytona International Speedway were named the fourth top moment in 2007. The combined Margin of Victory in Kevin Harvick’s thrilling Daytona 500 victory over Mark Martin (.020 seconds) and Jamie McMurray’s Pepsi 400 win over Kyle Busch (.005 seconds) was only 0.025 seconds. The introduction of the Car of Tomorrow at Bristol Motor Speedway was voted the fifth top story. The new car was the culmination of a seven-year research and development process by NASCAR and it raced 16 times in 2007. The car will race fulltime in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series beginning next season. The rest of the top 10 highlights of 2007, according to the media, are: Juan Pablo Montoya becoming the first Hispanic driver to win a race in NASCAR’s top two series, Clint Bowyer winning his first career race as the No. 12 seed in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Johnson outdueling Matt Kenseth for the win in the closing laps of the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, the thrilling finish in NASCAR’s first-ever national series race in Canada and Ron Hornaday Jr. becoming the second driver in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history to win three championships.
No. 66 Gets New Crew ChiefHaas CNC Racing announced on Wednesday that Dave Skog has been named crew chief of the No. 66 Haas Automation Chevrolet team. Skog, 41, who previously lead Haas CNC Racing’s engineering department takes over for Harold Holly as the team looks to improve on its 31st-place finish in the 2007 owner’s points. Skog will be paired with Jeremy Mayfield who has been behind the wheel of the No. 66 since the Oct. 28 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It will be a reunion of sorts for Skog and Mayfield who together formed the crew chief/driver combination for Evernham Motorsport’s No. 19 team in 2002. The change comes after Haas CNC Racing and Harold Holly mutually part ways.
2008 Test Schedule SetAlready setting its sights on a new season, NASCAR announced on Tuesday the 2008 testing schedules for its three national series – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The schedules encompass nine different venues that will provide the teams an opportunity to prepare for the various track layouts, surfaces and conditions that they will face over the course of the season. NASCAR determined the test schedules based upon the input and cooperation from each of the teams’ crew chiefs.The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing sessions begin at Daytona International Speedway with NASCAR Preseason Thunder, starting Monday, Jan. 7 and running through Wednesday, Jan. 9 for approximately half of the teams. Thursday, Jan. 10 is the rain date, if necessary. The following week, the remaining teams will test Monday, Jan. 14 through Wednesday, Jan. 16, with Thursday, Jan. 17 as the rain date. Test sessions at Daytona are scheduled for 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., weather permitting, with an hour lunch break from noon until 1 p.m. The remaining five tracks that will host test sessions for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series include: * Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Jan. 28-29 * California Speedway – Jan. 31- Feb. 1 * Phoenix International Raceway – March 3-4 * Pocono Raceway – May 27-28 * Lowe’s Motor Speedway – Sept. 23-24
Roush Fan Of The Year ContestVoting is now underway in Roush Fenway Racing's first-ever Fan of the Year contest. Starting today, Friday, December 7, 2007, fans can log-on to www.RoushFenway.com and vote for their favorite fan from the batch of weekly finalists who were selected throughout the year by a panel of judges elected by Roush Fenway Racing. Fans must join the free online fan club before they can submit their vote and may vote as many times per day as they'd like until Friday, December 14, 2007 at 11:59 pm ET.Once the voting ends, the winner will be announced on (www.RoushFenway.com) on Monday, December 17, 2007. Fan club member online votes will be the only determining factor in the selection of the winner. The 2007 Roush Fenway Racing Fan of the Year will be the team's VIP guest at the 2008 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25, 2008. Schedule and details will be provided to the winning fan at a later date. The winner will also receive apparel and merchandise designating them as the 2007 Roush Fenway Racing Fan of the Year. S/he will be recognized in a display at the Roush Fenway Racing museum in Concord, North Carolina and will be featured on RoushFenway.com in a designated 2007 Fan of the Year area. The 2007 Roush Fenway Racing Fan of the Year will serve as an "unofficial spokesperson" of the Roush Fenway Racing Online Fan Clubs on (www.RoushFenway.com) and will be used in various press releases and online materials throughout the year.
GM Earns 21 Championships In 2007General Motors concluded an impressive 2007 race season after its Cadillac, Chevrolet, HUMMER and Pontiac brands earned a total of 21 racing championships while breaking records and scoring significant victories along the way. The four GM brands combined to collect 15 drivers championships and six manufacturers' titles in 2007. While Cadillac, Chevrolet, HUMMER and Pontiac celebrated a variety of winning moments throughout the season, some of the most memorable accomplishments included:Chevrolet breaking its single season win record in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series with 26 victories in 36 races and scoring its 600th victory in the series The bowtie brand winning its 16th NHRA manufacturers championship, marking the 25th-consecutive year a GM nameplate has earned this prestigious honor Pontiac sweeping the Daytona Prototype driver, team and manufacturer titles in the Grand-Am Rolex Series Rod Hall in his HUMMER H3 capturing his 19th victory of the Baja 1000 after competing in the event every year since its inception 40 years ago Corvette Racing sweeping GT1 drivers', team and manufacturers' titles in the American Le Mans Series with victories at significant events including Sebring and Petit Le Mans Cadillac netting the SPEED GT World Challenge manufacturers championship GM-powered vehicles also collected victories at several prestigious events this year including the Daytona 500, Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, NHRA U.S. Nationals, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Petit Le Mans (GT1 class) and the Baja 1000. "Our entire GM racing family has gone above and beyond to make 2007 an exceptional race season," said Mark Kent, director of GM Racing. "I want to thank all of our GM Racing engineers, teams and drivers for their dedication, commitment and hard work that made this race season an unforgettable one for GM. Our strong performance on the race track helps to generate the same strong performance in the marketplace and we look forward to continuing that success as we prepare for 2008." Chevrolet Celebrates Unprecedented NASCAR Season This year was a remarkable one for Team Chevy in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Chevrolet experienced its best season ever scoring 26 victories in 36 races - breaking its all-time season win record set in 1958 - while also scoring driver's and manufacturers' titles. The victorious season was especially noteworthy as Chevy's achievements took place during a year with many significant changes including the debut of the Impala SS new-generation race car and the new Chevrolet R07 engine. A total of 10 Chevy drivers contributed victories to the bowtie brand's record-setting season. Jimmie Johnson netted 10 of Chevy's wins in his No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet en route to his second consecutive Nextel Cup title, the 24th drivers championship for Chevrolet. In addition to Johnson, other Team Chevy drivers scoring victories include Jeff Gordon (six), Tony Stewart (three), Jeff Burton (one), Denny Hamlin (one), Casey Mears (one), Martin Truex, Jr. (one), Kevin Harvick (one), Kyle Busch (one) and Clint Bowyer (one). Chevy race cars helped power Bowyer, Mears and Truex to their first-ever Nextel Cup wins while Busch's victory was the 600th win for Chevrolet and the first victory for the Impala SS race car. These contributions were all critical in helping the bowtie brand win the Manufacturers Cup for the fifth-straight year and 31st time overall. Not to be outdone, Chevy also had successful seasons in the Craftsman Truck and Busch Series. In the final race of the season, Ron Hornaday clinched his third drivers championship in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Hornaday's title is the ninth for Silverado in the 13-year history of the series and first-ever NASCAR national championship for team owners Kevin and DeLana Harvick. Chevy Silverado finished second in the manufacturer standings with seven victories - four from Hornaday, two from Chevy Nextel Cup regular Kyle Busch and one from Dennis Setzer - while Willie Allen took Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors for Chevrolet. In NASCAR's Busch Series, Team Chevy drivers scored 22 wins this season to clinch the Bill France Performance Cup. It is the 14th of 17 possible manufacturers' titles for Chevrolet in the series. Kevin Harvick finished the season as the highest-ranking Chevrolet driver - even while running a partial schedule - with six series wins including the inaugural Busch Series race in Montreal. Harvick was fourth in the standings after competing in 26 of the 35 Busch Series events.
International Motorsports Hall of Fame Will Take Six In 2008The votes have been tallied and officials from the International Motorsports Hall of Fame are excited to announce the 2008 Hall of Fame Induction Class. The six inductees, determined by a panel of 125 international motorsports media, that will be enshrined to the Hall of Fame on April 24, 2008 are: Art Arfons, Robert “Red” Byron, Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, Frank Kurtis, Everett “Cotton” Owens and Ralph Seagraves. This year’s votes were tallied by Letson & Associates in Hoover, Ala.“Congratulations are in order for all these motorsports legends,” said Talladega Superspeedway President and IMHOF Executive Director Rick Humphrey. “This induction class is a perfect example of what makes the International Motorsports Hall of Fame so unique. With this class we are honoring drivers, an owner, a fabricator, an engine builder and a promoter. These men comprise the building blocks of all motorsports. Personally, I find it very rewarding to be involved with an organization that honors competitors from all motorsports venues under the same roof.” About the 2008 Induction Class
Craftsman Will Leave Truck SeriesCraftsman will be out as title sponsor of NASCAR’s truck-racing series beginning with the 2009 season, The (Kansas City) Star has learned. No new title sponsor has been found to replace Craftsman, but a search will soon be getting under way, said Steve Phelps, marketing director for NASCAR. He said he believes NASCAR will have little problem finding a new title sponsor because of the increasing popularity of the series.Craftsman has been the title sponsor since 1995, the year NASCAR founded the series. Over the past 13 series, the trucks have featured some of NASCAR’s best racing. Television ratings in terms of total viewership have grown every season. Craftsman’s contract with NASCAR ends after the 2008 series. Scott Howard, manager of marketing partnerships and activation for Sears, said his company had been in discussions with NASCAR about continuing sponsorship of the series for the past several months. But, he said, “We have come to the decision that we’re going to be giving up our title sponsorship to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at the end of 2008. We are fully committed to the series until the end of next season.” Howard said that Craftsman does not plan to withdraw fully from NASCAR. He said his company will continue exploring efforts to maintain a presence in the series. Earlier this year, NASCAR’s other top series — the Nextel Cup series and the Busch series — announced that they were changing their names.(Kansas City Star)
New Suspension For Nationwide Series CarsNASCAR Nationwide Series Director Joe Balash said Thursday that the car scheduled to be used in the series in 2009 will have a different front suspension package than the Sprint Cup version. The Nationwide car of tomorrow will have a spring package like the one used in current cars, Balash said. Sprint Cup cars, which will all be the model formerly known as the COT beginning in 2008, use "bump-stops" on the front suspension instead of the "coil-binding" setup on current Nationwide cars."We want the car to drive different," Balash said at ESPN Club during media day for the final Busch Series awards banquet. The Busch Series becomes the Nationwide Series in 2008. We've gone down the path of having two very similar cars and very easily taking the technology that makes the car turn both aerodynamically and with suspension interchange between the garages. "As we go forward, we want more difference there. We want to have our cars use a more conventional spring setup. We're not going to use the bump-stops on the cars." Balash also said plans call for the Nationwide COT to be rolled out in all races in 2009. Nextel Cup teams ran the new car in 16 races this year, with the older version used in 20. The Nationwide cars also will use a different body style, with a higher hood and shorter deck lid. Manufacturers are still deciding what model to use, though it appears likely Ford will run a Mustang, Chevrolet a Camaro and Dodge a Challenger. Toyota likely will stick to the Camry, sources said. Balash said all four manufacturers have been involved in the design of the new car. The car has one more round of wind tunnel tests before NASCAR can lock down the ¹09 rules, Balash said. Balash said the new rules package will likely be announced in January.(scenedaily.com)
Three Drivers To Share No. 33 Nationwide RideKevin Harvick Inc. co-owner and driver Kevin Harvick will return to the driver's seat of the No. 33 KHI Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series in 2008. Harvick, a two-time Busch Series champion, will pilot the No. 33 Chevrolet for 22 of the 35 races throughout the season. Joining Harvick behind the wheel will be Cale Gale for 11 races and defending Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday for two races."I'm really looking forward to racing for KHI in the Nationwide Series in 2008," Harvick said. "This will be the first year that I will only race for KHI in this series. My goal is to go out and be consistent, competitive and win races for KHI." Both Harvick and Hornaday are proven champions and know how to win. Harvick displays the 2001 and 2006 Busch Series championships on his resume, as well as the Busch Series owner's championship in 2003 for Richard Childress Racing. Hornaday is one of only two drivers to have won three Truck Series championships, including the 2007 championship driving for KHI. Gale returns to KHI where he will continue to learn and gain valuable experience both on and off the track.(nascar.com)
Leffler Gets New Crew ChiefJason Leffler finished third in the Busch Series points standings, but his team leadership will change for 2008. Stewart Cooper, who left Brewco Motorsports to join Braun Racing, will be Leffler's crew chief next season, with former crew chief Todd Lohse becoming the team's competition director. Lohse had served in both capacities."He always has been [both]," Leffler said Thursday at ESPN Club prior to tonight's series awards banquet. "But as the company's grown, as we've added the other car and other people, it's been harder for him to take care of everything." Lohse guided Leffler to his first Busch Series victory as the No. 38 team won at O'Reilly Raceway Park in July. Cooper joined the team late in the season.(scenedaily.com)
Argentina-Based Team Builds COTFor the first time in Cup Series history, a competition car is being built outside the United States, and it's happening in the South American country of Argentina. Alberto Canapino, technical director of the Argentina-based HAZ Racing, unveiled for fans and local media at the Auto Performance 2007 motor show held in the country's capital of Buenos Aires the team's plans for building a Sprint Cup Chevrolet, following all guidelines set by NASCAR for the Car of Tomorrow."We are really proud to be the first team in NASCAR history to build a car in South America, or anywhere outside the USA," said Canapino, a well-known racecar builder and crew chief in South America. "When we went [to the U.S.], we felt they gave us a nice welcome to the sport. The category's technicians provided us with the rules and now we know most of the chassis will be built in Argentina. Rear suspensions are quite similar to everyone, but there is some more freedom to work with front suspensions, which we will use to create our own setups. We all know that the V8 engine is similar to all teams, too."(nascar.com)
Marlin To Tennessee Sports HOFLong before Sterling Marlin became the third driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, Brud Spickard recognized Marlin was an unusual athlete. "Sterling was coachable. He would listen and do what you'd tell him," said Spickard, who coached Marlin when Marlin was a standout quarterback at Spring Hill High. "He could have gone on and played a little football, but with his family background, we pretty much knew he wanted to go into racing. But the athletic skills he had in football — soft hands and good peripheral vision — helped in racing, too. He's given lots of thrills to lots of people."Marlin will be inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame on Feb. 29. Among the 11 inductees are:
You can contact us at.. Insider Racing News |
