2006 Tidbits...

• 12/31: Greg Biffle and longtime girlfriend Nicole Lunders have announced they became engaged over the Christmas holiday.
  
  
• 12/31: According to a report published yesterday, Benny Parsons has been in hospital since December 26. Parsons was hospitalized after being diagnosed with two blood clots, resulting from the aggressive treatments he received from lung cancer this year, which has left him with limited use of one lung. Parsons is reportedly on complete bed rest while doctors treat his condition.
  
  
• 12/30: SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, channel 128, the new 24/7 year-round radio channel dedicated to NASCAR, will launch January 1, featuring specialized programming that will be heard exclusively on SIRIUS. SIRIUS NASCAR Radio will provide the most comprehensive, in-depth radio coverage of NASCAR, with live coverage of NASCAR races and a lineup of exclusive talk shows hosted by two-time Nextel Cup Champion Tony Stewart, Charlotte Observer beat reporter and columnist David Poole, broadcasters Marty Snider, Matt Yocum and John Kernan, and other current and former drivers. On New Year's Day, SIRIUS becomes the Official Satellite Radio Partner of NASCAR, making SIRIUS the exclusive satellite radio home of every Nextel Cup Series, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series race, carrying the live broadcasts of Motor Racing Network (MRN), Performance Racing Network (PRN) and the IMS Radio Network's broadcast from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In addition to the live race broadcast, SIRIUS will take fans into the cars and pits by devoting up to 10 additional channels that will carry driver-to-crew communications during Nextel Cup Series races. SIRIUS will combine the race broadcast with the driver-to-crew chatter on these channels, allowing fans to hear the overall race call and the in-car audio of a driver on a single channel throughout the race. AND IT'S ALL AVAILABLE IN CANADA - WATCH FOR OUR SIRIUS NASCAR Radio review next week...
  
  
• 12/30: Burney Lamar, part-time driver for Kevin Harvick Racing's Busch Series team, has married model Niki Taylor. The couple were married Wednesday before 60 guests at the Grande Colonial Hotel in the La Jolla area of San Diego, according to Taylor's publicist Lesley Burbridge-Bates. Taylor, 31, and Lamar, 26, met at a charity event in January, Burbridge-Bates said. "I looked at Burney and said to myself, `This is the guy I'm going to marry,'" Taylor told Us Weekly magazine, which first reported the news on its Web site Thursday night. It is the first marriage for Lamar and the second for Taylor, who has 11-year-old twin boys, Jake and Hunter Martinez, from her previous marriage to former football player Matt Martinez.
  
  
• 12/27: Felix Sabates, longtime NASCAR team owner, wants to donate his ownership shares in the Charlotte Bobcats to charity - but is being blocked by Bobcats majority owner Bob Johnson. Sabates wants to give his shares, which he values at $1.3 million, to the foundation that supports the Carolinas HealthCare System. According to a letter received by Sabates from Johnson's attorney, denying the stock transfer, Johnson says the NBA does not allow not-for-profit organizations to an interest in its franchises.
  
  
• 12/23: A former Texas Motor Speedway security guard surrendered to authorities in connection with the theft of a racing suit worn by the late NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Sr. After Fort Worth police obtained an arrest warrant for him, James John Karl, 44, of North Richland Hills, went with his attorney Monday to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, where he posted a $1,500 bond and was released, police Lt. Dean Sullivan said Wednesday. Police filed with Denton County prosecutors a charge of theft of $500 to $1,500, Sullivan said. The Class A misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a fine of up to $4,000. The racing suit -- worth between $50,000 and $100,000 -- along with a helmet and shoes were stolen in November but were returned last week after Karl's attorney, Jeff Kennedy, contacted police.
  
  
• 12/21: NASCAR has confirmed that Anheuser-Busch will not return as series sponsor for the NASCAR Busch Series after the 2007 season. Preliminary rumours have the sanctioning body talking to Wal-Mart, Samsung and Subway as possible replacements. The Busch Series has just completed its 25th season. The beer maker will continue its "Official Beer of NASCAR" status as well as their sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  
  
• 12/20: The green flag waves this Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2007, as tickets go on sale for the September 21-23, 2007 NASCAR tripleheader at Dover International Speedway. Tickets for the June 1-3, 2007 race weekend are currently on sale. Race fans can gain an advantage over the competition with even more choices by purchasing early. Improved seat selection, ticket availability in most price ranges, and the ability to purchase blocks of tickets to keep your group together are among the best reasons to order your tickets now. Tickets will be available at www.DoverSpeedway.com, and by calling the Dover International Speedway ticket office at 800-441-RACE, beginning at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 20.
  
  
• 12/18: Toyota’s first stock car test at Daytona International Speedway proved successful. Josh Wise and the ARCA No. 22 Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota Camry were the fastest of the entire three-day test with a lap of 181.925 mph turned out in Saturday’s session. The ARCA 200 test session marked the first time that a Toyota stock car has turned laps at DIS. For Speedweeks 2007, Toyota will kick off their first year competing in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. The No. 22 Eddie Sharp Racing team, which will compete in the Feb. 10 ARCA 200 with Wise, has an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing, which will field three Toyotas in the NEXTEL Cup Series in 2007. “They got to try a lot of things,” said Wise, a USAC national champion. “We got to shake down the Toyota engine and car. It was successful. We got to weed out a lot of things and it was good for me to come here and get some laps.”
  
  
• 12/17: A story in Thursday's Ottawa Sun says prospective NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race teams are frustrated with the lack of information forthcoming from NASCAR regarding the 07 season. At this time of the year when they are struggling to put together sponsorships for next season, the teams still don't know where they will race, how many racers there will be, or how the series will be run. Top teams in the old CASCAR series had budgets close to $1 million in 06, most of which comes from sponsors - but (rightfully so) say they need more information from NASCAR to convince the companies to anti up for next year. So far, all they have received from NASCAR is a package with their logos, their useages and license rights - and a notice there will be a meeting in January to discuss, among other things, the schedule. But the teams say that's too late - they were expecting the schedule by Nov. 1. NASCAR Canada spokesman Robbie Weiss told the Sun Nov. 1 was "very ambitious" and maybe unrealistic for the teams to expect. "...there is a lot of work to be done."
  
  
• 12/17: Mike Stefanik, of Coventry, R.I., was honored as the 2006 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion on Saturday night. A crowd of nearly 600 people attended the awards ceremony to honor Stefanik and the entire Diversified Metals Chevrolet race team. Stefanik’s title was the seventh of his career. He won championships in 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001 & 2002. It was also his ninth NASCAR title overall as he was the 1997 and 1998 NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch East Series Champion. He is now tied with Richie Evans for the most NASCAR championships in history.
  
  
• 12/17: Turn out Jimmie Johnson did not fall out of the golf cart last week, but off of...Johnson was apparently goofing around from atop the golf cart when he fell to the ground and fractured his wrist. The report issued by Hendrick Motorsports Monday said Johnson was in the cart and fell out when the driver took a sudden turn; but witnesses to the incident contradicted the story later in the week...
  
  
• 12/13: NASCAR announced Tuesday that Derek Lusk, a crew member for the No. 25 Dodge in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, has been suspended indefinitely for violation of the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy. Lusk was tested for banned substances the day of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 10. Test results were positive, violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-E (violation of the NASCAR Substance Abuse Policy) of the 2006 NASCAR rule book.
  
  
• 12/11: It looks like Ricky Rudd will replace Dale Jarrett at Robert Yates Racing. Insiders say the 50-year-old NASCAR veteran will drive No. 28 sponsored by candy giant Mars. The number has not been used by Yates since the end of 2002 when Rudd left Yates. Rudd took a self-imposed vacation from racing for much of the last year.
  
  
• 12/11: Roush Racing truck series driver [and former Cup and 2003 Truck Series Champ] Travis Kvapil and wife Jen on the birth of son Caden, born on December 10th at 6:51pm, Caden joins sibblings Carson and Kelsey.
  
  
• 12/10: Roush Racing has released a statement saying Greg Biffle dislocated a shoulder in a testing accident this past Monday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Biffle cut a right front tire and had heavy contact with wall, resulting in the dislocated shoulder, which also caused him to miss Friday's NASCAR Busch Series banquet in Florida.
  
  
• 12/8: Roush racing made several 2007 sponsor announcements Thursday, including...Arby's will sponsor Matt Kenseth in select races in both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series. Crown Royal and Irwin Tools will share sponsorship on Jamie McMurray's 26 car in Nextel Cup, and Scott's Miracle-Gro will return as primary sponsor on Carl Edward's Busch Series car.
  
  
• 12/8: Ken Schrader, perhaps the busiest driver in NASCAR, is set to the majority of the Craftsman Truck Series schedule for Bobby Hamilton Racing in 2007. A yet-to-be-determined driver will fill in for Schrader on the weekends that conflict with his Nextel Cup schedule.
  
  
• 12/7: Sad News - Len Sutton, one of open-wheel racing’s most respected drivers and the runner-up in the 1962 Indianapolis 500, passed away on Dec. 4 at the age of 81. Having passed his rookie test at Indianapolis in 1956, Sutton made his first of seven “500” starts in 1958. The Indianapolis debut was short-lived, however, lasting just three-quarters of a lap before he was eliminated in the race’s huge first-lap, multi-car accident. Sutton made a total of 74 starts in national championship competition with notable wins in the 100-mile USAC dirt track event at Springfield, Ill., in 1959 and at the prestigious Milwaukee 200 in 1960. He amassed a total of 43 top-10 finishes. Arguably his most memorable event was the 1962 Indianapolis 500, when he started fourth and went on to finish a close second behind Rodger Ward, his Leader Card Racers teammate. It was the first one-two finish by teammates since 1948 and was a feat not duplicated again until 1997.
  
  
• 12/6: The Infineon Raceway Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities will distribute $501,497 to 55 qualified youth organizations in Sonoma County for the 2006 season. This marks the second consecutive year the Infineon Raceway Chapter has topped the $500,000 mark — it distributed a one-year record of $554,045 in 2005. Moreover, the chapter has distributed more than $2.1 million since 2002 to Sonoma County youth groups. The chapter's Board of Trustees recently approved the distribution of funds at its annual meeting. Speedway Children's Charities is the primary charitable arm of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which owns and operates Infineon Raceway.
  
  
• 12/5: International Speedway Corporation has decided not to pursue the development of a speedway on Staten Island, NY. The project has been ongoing for several years. ISC management cite the inability to secure local political support and unacceptable approval regulations as key factors in their decision.
  
  
• 11/29: The trend that started mid-summer - a drop in NASCAR television broadcast ratings - continued through the end of the season. NBC's coverage of the season finale at Homestead saw a 20.3% drop compared to ratings for the same event in 05.
  
  
• 11/27: The 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Awards Ceremony is this Friday night in New York City, and will be broadcast live on TNT - which is not available in Canada. NBC is supposed to be airing a recap of the banquet Sunday, December 3 - time tba.
  
  
• 11/25: A driving suit that was worn by the late Dale Earnhardt (Sr.) has been stolen from Texas Motor Speedway. The suit, along with a helmet, gloves and shoes, was on display in a showcase window at the Speedway until about two weeks ago when it boxed up and put in temporary storage. It was discovered missing when Speedway personnel went to get it to create a new Earnhardt display. Area police are working on the case. The ensemble was a gift to Speedway president Eddie Gossage from Earnhardt 12 years ago and is estimated to be valued upwards of $100,000. Gossage has offered a reward for the return, saying no amount of money can replace it.
  
  
• 11/23: At Dover International Speedway, the roar of cars has been replaced by the sounds of construction crews, as work on a new skybox complex and infield media center is taking shape at the one-mile track. The additions will be completed in time for the June 1-3, 2007 NASCAR race weekend in Dover. The new skybox complex will include 12 new suites, each with a premium view of pit road, victory lane and the entire concrete oval. The structure will connect to the existing skyboxes near the start/finish line at the one-mile track. Footers were in place before the September 22-24, 2006 race weekend, and construction of the steel infrastructure has been steady since the haulers pulled out of Dover after race weekend. The complex will add two tiers to the top of the grandstands, measuring the same height of the existing skyboxes, and includes "Velocity," a luxury suite for individual race fans.
  
  
• 11/22: MB2 Motorsports has changed its name to Ginn Racing, effective immediately. The name change is a result of the team's new owner Bobby Ginn, who purchased majority interest in the racing organization in July. MB2 Motorsports began operations in July 1996. Ginn Racing will field three full-time Nextel Cup teams in 2007 with drivers Mark Martin/Regan Smith sharing the No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet ride, Joe Nemechek in the No. 13 Chevrolet and Sterling Marlin in the No. 14 Chevrolet. The organization will also field a full-time Busch Series team with Smith and Kraig Kinser co-driving a Ginn Racing Chevrolet.
  
  
• 11/20: mark Martin was ranked No. 1 among the “25 Greatest NASCAR Busch Series Drivers” in a NASCAR fan and media poll held in conjunction with the season-long celebration of the 25th anniversary of the NASCAR Busch Series and its association with series sponsor Anheuser-Busch. Martin, the all-time series leader in wins (47) and Busch Poles (30) despite having run only one full-time season (1987) throughout his 220 starts, received the most votes in both polls, which allowed fans and media to rank their top 25 selections from a list of 41 nominees. The NASCAR.COM fan poll ranked Earnhardt Jr. second. Kevin Harvick, the newest multiple champion following his 2006 title, finished third. Earnhardt was fourth and Martin Truex Jr., the 2004-05 series champion, was fifth.
  
  
• 11/16: Dale Jarrett will be making his final start for Robert Yates Racing in the #88 UPS Ford this Sunday at Homestead. Following the season finale in Homestead, Jarrett will travel to Baltimore, Md., where he is scheduled to have surgery on his left hand on Tuesday, November 21. Jarrett suffered a slight fracture in his left hand as a result of the accident he was in at Infineon Raceway in June. His hand has never healed correctly and he will be having corrective surgery next week
  
  
• 11/16: Rick Hendrick, chairman and CEO of Hendrick Motorsports, has been named as the winner of the 2006 Jeffrey Mark Harris Achievement Award by the National Marrow Donor Program. This exemplary individual demonstrated his commitment and support to the NMDP's mission by establishing the Hendrick Marrow Program to heighten awareness of the NMDP and it's partner, The Marrow Foundation.
  
  
• 11/16: NASCAR announced Wednesday that Joe Shear Jr., crew chief of the No. 43 Dodge driven by P.J. Jones in the NASCAR Busch Series, has been fined and indefinitely suspended due to rule violations discovered during post-race inspection at Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 11. Shear was suspended effective immediately and fined $10,000 for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules: Section 20A-12.8.1D: quarter panel height did not meet the required specification; too high in post-race inspection) of the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book. Additionally, Jones was penalized 25 NASCAR Busch Series driver championship points and team owner Mike Curb was penalized 25 NASCAR Busch Series owner championship points for violating Sections 12-4-A and 12-4-Q (20A-12.8.1D).
  
  
• 11/14: Dale Earnhardt Jr. will make his first Busch Series start in his familair Budweiser colours this Saturday at Homestead. Dale Jr., a two-time champion with 22 career victories in only 90 Busch Series starts, will race the familiar red No. 8 Budweiser paint scheme for Dale Earnhardt Inc. in the Ford 300 race.
  
  
• 11/14: Tickets are now on sale for the 2007 Busch Series race in Montreal. The series will run at Gilles Villeneuve Circuit, on August 3rd and 4th, 2007. Fans can purchase tickets in a select number of stands, located in the most exciting portions of the circuit, all bearing the names of legendary NASCAR heroes. The Busch race scheduled for Saturday afternoon will be the main attraction while the Grand-Am Rolex Series Daytona prototypes will race Friday. To order event tickets by phone, fans can call (514) 397-0007 or order online at www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca.
  
  
• 11/14: Kyle Busch has entered the PASS South season finale, the Mason Dixon Meltdown, at South Boston Speedway in Virginia next weekend (Nov 24-25). Busch will drive for the SP2 team, in the same car he drove in the 2005 Oxford 250. Many other noteable short track racers from the north and the south are already entered in the event, which pays $12,500 USD to win. Watch for a complete list and more event details in the event notebook to be posted later this week. PS: It appears rumours that a Maritime racer was entering the event were just that: rumours.
  
  
• 11/13: It appears the 2006 Busch Series finale from Hoemstead this Saturday is NOT being televised in Canada; join us in writing Sportsnet to voice your displeasure. Click here to email them (Feedback@sportsnet.rogers.com).
  
  
• 11/11: Veteran crew chief Pat Tryson will be paired with Greg Biffle, driver of the Roush Racing No. 16 Nextel Cup Ford Fusion for the 2007 season. Tryson has been the crew chief for veteran driver Mark Martin for the past three seasons. Tryson is one of only three crew chiefs to lead his team to a position in the Chase for the Nextel Cup every year since its inception in 2004 and looks to continue that record with Biffle.
  
  
• 11/11: As part of its ongoing commitment to providing the best racing experience for fans, California Speedway President Gillian Zucker has announced that the infield RV area has been reconfigured to improve sight lines for grandstand guests and the television audience, and to improve the safety conditions for drivers and safety workers by providing NASCAR officials with a better view of the track’s backstretch from the tower. The reconfiguration comes in response to feedback from NASCAR officials, guests and television partners and will further ensure that in 2007 and beyond, California Speedway’s February and September NASCAR NEXTEL Cup weekends are fun and memorable for all involved. While the changes will result in improved sight lines for NASCAR officials and grandstand fans, the view from more than 40,000 lower grandstand seats – some of the most popular seats – will be dramatically improved.
  
  
• 11/10: TIME Magazine’s list of Best Inventions 2006, which hit newsstands this week, includes the fan-favorite NASCAR NEXTEL FanView, a hand-held scanner that includes video, audio and data capabilities. The first device of its kind in any major sport, NASCAR NEXTEL FanView combines the race telecast and up to seven in-car camera channels, direct audio feeds allowing the user to listen to live driver and team conversations, as well as the radio broadcast and an exclusive audio-replay feature. NASCAR NEXTEL FanView also taps directly into NASCAR’s timing and scoring system, providing fans with real-time race data and statistics at the touch of a button. The device is available for rent at NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events.
  
  
• 11/10: After winning the American Idol competition on television’s biggest stage last spring, Taylor Hicks will perform on one of NASCAR’s biggest stages by singing the national anthem prior to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Ford 400 on Sunday, Nov. 19 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
  
  
• 11/9: Richard Petty, international motorsports icon and NASCAR’s all-time wins leader with 200 victories, has been named Grand Marshal for the 45th anniversary of the prestigious Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 27-28. As Grand Marshal, Petty will give the starting command, “Drivers start your engines,” to kick off the legendary twice-around-the-clock sports car endurance race. Known as the “King” in the stock car racing world, Petty captured seven NASCAR championships and won the sport’s most popular driver award nine times. At Daytona International Speedway, Petty has 13 victories including a record seven Daytona 500 wins and three Pepsi 400 triumphs. Petty earned his 200th and final NASCAR victory in the 1984 Pepsi 400 with President Ronald Reagan in attendance. He retired from competition in 1992. The Rolex 24 At Daytona is the kick off event to the international motorsports calendar as well as the season-opening race for the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve. A star-studded field of champion drivers, including four-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, will compete on Daytona’s historic 3.56-mile road course in the ultimate test of man and machine.
  
  
• 11/8: We're hearing rumours a Maritime stock car racer may be heading to South Boston, Virginia for the November 24-25 Mason Dixon Meltdown. Sanctioned by PASS South the event pays $12,500 (usd) to win and is expected to draw some of the best short track racers on the North and South Eastern Seaboard. Stay tuned - we're working on confirming the rumour...
  
  
• 11/8: The NASCAR Foundation launched an online auction featuring NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champions Week VIP Experiences. Win the chance to ride in the Victory Lap procession and attend events with NASCAR celebrities not open to the general public. These items are only available to the general public through The NASCAR Foundation online auction. Auction items will be up for bid from November 6 – November 13. Click here to visit the online auction (you will be redirected to another site).
  
  
• 11/7: Tickets to the inaugural induction ceremony for the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame on November 18 are SOLD OUT. The ceremony will celebrate the accomplishments of the first 10 inductees, and their contributions to Maritime motorsports. Click here for the story.
  
  
• 11/7: Tickets for the April 15, 2007 Samsung 500 at texas Motor Speedway go on sale Wednesday at 9 a.m. (CT). Visit texasmotorspeedway.com for more information.
  
  
• 11/6: NASCAR officials are investigating a post-race incident at Texas Sunday in which a Scott Riggs team member allegedly pushed Kevin Harvick from behind as the driver, his wife Delana, and Richard Childress Racing director of competition Mike Dillon, were walking from pit road to the garage area. The push was hard enough that Harvick and his wife fell to the ground; a NASCAR official tried to intervene and also fell to the ground - suffering a sprain. The Harvicks were unhurt. Harvick and Riggs were involved in an on-track incident on lap 332 and Riggs ended in the wall, demolishing his racecar. Riggs was not hurt. NASCAR is not commenting until their investigation is complete.
  
  
• 11/4: 3M Company and Roush Racing announced Friday that 3M will sponsor the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion in seven NASCAR Nextel Cup races and the full Busch Series in 2007. Greg Biffle will represent 3M in the Nextel Cup Series and will share driving responsibilities with Todd Kluever in the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion for the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series. Biffle is scheduled to drive 19 Busch races for 3M in the 2007 season. Kluever will drive the remainder of the schedule, beginning with the season-opening race February 17th at Daytona International Speedway.
  
  
• 11/3: On Thursday Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion, showed up with some much needed help for a school that was hard hit by Hurricane Katrina last year. Edwards drove up to the school in the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion race car and personally delivered approximately $100,000 in supplies, technology and classroom products from his sponsor, Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services. The products and visit from Edwards were part of the winning prize package from Office Depot’s special Back To School promotion “Great Tools for Your School Sweeps.”
  
  
• 11/2: NASCAR announced today that Fred Wanke, crew chief of the No. 01 Chevrolet driven by Jay Sauter in the NASCAR Busch Series, has been penalized due to rules violations at Memphis Motorsports Park. Wanke was fined $2,500 for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules: Section 20A – 17B(3): any crew member who steps into the car servicing area must wear a fire resistant uniform) of the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book. The infraction occurred during the race on Oct. 28.
  
  
• 11/2: CTW.com has learned that the 2007 PASS North season is tentatively set to start the third weekend of April at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, just outside Portland, Maine...
  
  
• 11/1: Mike Stefanik clinched the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship this past Sunday at Stafford Motor Speedway, beating second place Eddie Flemke by 209 points. The title is Stefanik's ninth.
  
  
• 10/31: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced Monday Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline NASCAR Busch Series team is scheduled to compete in the final three races of the 2006 Busch Series season, including Texas Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Montoya made his NASCAR debut this past Saturday in the Busch Series race at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park, piloting the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge to an 11th-place finish after qualifying in ninth place.
  
  
• 10/29: Phillip Gee, jackman for the No. 66 Best Buy Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet, suffered ligament damage to his left knee last Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Gee, who injured the knee following a pit stop during the Nextel Cup Series race at Martinsville, underwent an MRI on Wednesday morning, October 25. Joe Custer, general manager of the Haas CNC team, said the MRI revealed tears in both the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) of Gee’s knee, which will likely require surgery. Doctors estimate Gee will be sidelined from performing pit crew duties for a period of six months to a year.
  
  
• 10/28: To commemorate Bill Elliott’s 30 years of racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway, track officials announced Friday that the facility’s East Turn Grandstand will be renamed the Elliott Grandstand in honor of Elliott’s and his family’s contributions to the sport.
  
  
• 10/28: Nicorette nicotine gum will expand its NASCAR NEXTEL Cup program next season, expanding its involvement with Jeff Gordon to four races, officials announced Friday at Atlanta. They also commended the 173 NASCAR officials and crew members who quit smoking with their product this season. Gordon will run a special Nicorette paint scheme for four races next season: Las Vegas (March 11), Chicago (July 15), Richmond (Sept. 8) and Atlanta (Oct. 28).
  
  
• 10/27: Team Red Bull formally announced a multi-year agreement with American open-wheel race car driver AJ Allmendinger to race the No. 84 Red Bull Toyota Camry for the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season. AJ completes the 2007 driver line-up for Team Red Bull that already includes 23- year-old Brian Vickers, who’ll pilot the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry. Rick Viers, the veteran crew chief who guided the 24-year-old Californian through two successful NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races for Bill Davis Racing earlier this year, also joins Team Red Bull in the same role for 2007. A former Toyota Atlantic champion and Champ Car rookie of the year, AJ currently stands second in the 2006 Champ Car World Series standings with five race wins. To speed up his acclimation to stock car racing, Bill Elliott has graciously agreed to step aside and let AJ take on driver duties in the Team Red Bull entry for the upcoming 2006 NEXTEL Cup races at Atlanta and Texas.
  
  
• 10/26: Richard Childress was denied the opportunity to clinch his third NASCAR Busch Series owner championship at Lowe’s Motor Speedway two weeks ago as a result of Jeff Burton’s 35th-place finish due to an accident. Childress can capture title No. 3 at Memphis if Kevin Harvick, who returns to the No. 21 U.S. Coast Guard Chevrolet, finishes 35th or better. Harvick is bringing the same car that won earlier this year at Martinsville Speedway, O’Reilly Raceway Park and Richmond International Raceway.
  
  
• 10/25: NASCAR announced Tuesday that a penalty has been issued to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series No. 50 Ford team as a result of a rule violation last week at Martinsville Speedway. Crew chief Matthew J. Puccia has been fined $2,500. The penalty resulted from the violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (truck, truck parts, components and/or equipment that do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20B-10.4G (Unapproved transmission gear ratio between 1.00:1 and 1.28:1 will not be permitted. Transmission contained unapproved third gear ratio of 1.15:1) of the 2006 NASCAR Rule Book. The infraction was discovered during opening day inspection on Oct. 19.
  
  
• 10/24: Look for an announcement soon that Dodge and Chevrolet will run new models in 2007 Nextel Cup competition. Dodge will run the Avenger and Chevrolet their Impala SS. According to our sources, this change was indicated to teams in a technical bulletin distributed at Martinsville.
  
  
• 10/23: Kenny Wallace announced live on SPEED TV Sunday that he'll be in the Nextel Cup No. 78 Furniture Row car full-time for the next two years. Wallace plans to race his current Busch Series ride, the No. 22, full-time in 07 as well as keeping up his duties as a broadcaster on SPEED TV.
  
  
• 10/21: Ted Johnson, a former sprint car racer and found of the World of Outlaws series, passed away Friday evening after a prolonged illness. While he sold the series a few years ago, he continued to serve as a consultant until recently.
  
  
• 10/19: RWI Racing has announced a change in plans for the remainder of the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series season. Steve Wallace will replace Jamie McMurray in the team’s No. 64 Dodge at Texas and Homestead. Although Wallace was slated to run those races in the No. 61 Dodge, the decision to have only one car was made to expedite Wallace’s preparation for 2007. Both McMurray and Wallace will compete in the NASCAR Busch Series race in Phoenix in RWI Racing cars. “We were fully prepared to run two cars in the final three races of the 2006 season,” stated team owner, Rusty Wallace. “However, I felt it was more important to focus on Steve and preparing him for 2007. Cutting out the extra team will allow for more attention and resources to get him ready for next year.”
  
  
• 10/19: Lowe's Penalties: Newt Moore, crew chief of the No. 66 Ford driven by Scott Wimmer and Kevin Caldwell, crew chief of the No. 80 Chevrolet driven by Robert Richardson, have each been fined due to rule violations discovered during opening day inspection at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Oct. 12, 2006. Moore was fined $5,000 for violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules: 20A-5.10.1B(6): Thickness of the carburetor throttle shaft and throttle plate was less than 0.197 inch) of the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book. Caldwell was fined $1,000 for violating Sections 12-4-A and 12-4-Q (20A-16.5.1F: Excessive fuel line length). Penalties have also been issued to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series No. 2 Dodge team as a result of rule violations last week at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Crew chief Roy McCauley has been fined $25,000 and suspended from all NASCAR events until Nov. 1, 2006. McCauley has also been placed on probation until Dec. 31, 2006. Driver Kurt Busch was penalized with the loss of 50 driver championship points and car owner Roger Penske was penalized 50 owner championship points. The penalties resulted from violations of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment that do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-12.3M (right rear shock absorber would not compress) of the 2006 NASCAR Rule Book. The infraction was discovered during post-qualifying inspection on Oct. 12.
  
  
• 10/18: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) has announced that Juan Pablo Montoya will make his NASCAR debut on October 28 in the NASCAR Busch Series race at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park. Montoya will pilot the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge in his third stock car race since joining the organization. Montoya competed in his first stock car event in the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Talladega Superspeedway on October 6, where he grabbed the outside pole on his way to finishing third. He ran in the ARCA Series finale at Iowa Speedway on Sunday where he started third and finished 24th. He led 12 laps before making contact with another competitor that sent him behind the wall for repairs. Montoya tested a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series car at the Memphis track last week, and is currently participating in his first official NASCAR-sanctioned test at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
  
  
• 10/17: Steve Wallace recovered from an early race close call and withstood late race pressure from Kraig Kinser to win the inaugural Prairie Meadows 250 ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Iowa Speedway Sunday afternoon. In all, the 19-year-old driver led 177 of 250 laps in his #61 Hantz Group-TransAmerica Idex Mutual Funds Dodge en route to his third victory of 2006 and fourth overall. Bloomington, Indiana’s Kinser, making his first ARCA RE/MAX Series appearance since 2005, crossed the checkers .208 seconds behind to settle for second. Wallace, whose father Rusty designed the newly designed 7/8-mile speedway, escaped a very close call during the opening laps of the race when he was battling for position with #4-Juan Pablo Montoya. Wallace took the high line and made contact with Montoya, who glided up the track from the low groove in the #4 Texaco-Havoline Dodge, causing the two to make contact. Montoya went for a spin but was able to return to the track to post a 24th place finish, 42 laps down.
  
  
• 10/13: This week (October 12) marks the 100th birthday of Mrs. Katherine “Kitty” Allison, matriarch of the legendary Allison family of NASCAR fame. Katherine met her late husband Edmond “Pop” Allison at a dance. They were married in Miami, Florida on October 23, 1927, and went on to have 13 children. Among the Allison children were NASCAR legends Robert “Bobby” Allison, the fifth in line, and Donald “Donnie” Allison, the sixth in line. Older brother Eddie served as Bobby’s mechanic throughout much of his career. The Allison brothers and subsequent generations of Allisons have 113 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series wins to their credit, one series championship and two Raybestos Rookie of the Year titles, along with Bobby’s two NASCAR Modified Division championships. The Allisons have been one of the stalwart families of NASCAR and among the sport’s greatest ambassadors. Mrs. Allison resides at The Little Flower assisted living home in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her health is good.
  
  
• 10/12: Roush Racing has announced David Ragan will replace Mark Martin behind the wheel of the No. 6 Nextel Cup entry in 2007. AAA will continue their sponsorship of the car.
  
  
• 10/12: On Saturday, Oct. 14, at 8 a.m. (EST), fans will have their first opportunity to purchase all remaining tickets for the 49th annual Pepsi 400 on July 7, 2007. Great seats, including a limited number of premium tower seats, will be available. Prior to Saturday, Oct. 14, renewals and deposits for seat assignments for the Pepsi 400 were taken by the ticket office at Daytona International Speedway. The Pepsi 400, the mid-summer classic, is an Independence Day Weekend tradition featuring the stars of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series under the lights at the “World Center of Racing.” Call 1-800-PITSHOP or shop online at www.racetickets.com.
  
  
• 10/11: Two days before the sound of engines fills the air, the timeless music of Creedence Clearwater Revisited will rock Homestead-Miami Speedway. On Wednesday, November 15, race fans, music lovers, and anyone looking for a great time, can take part in this exciting event, just one of many during the Ford Championship Week of Events leading up to Ford Championship Weekend. Prior to the concert, fans can take part in Ford Racing’s DriveZone at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where they will have the chance to test brand new Ford vehicles, meet Ford Racing celebrities, and enjoy interactive displays. This event is free to the public and lasts from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information or to register please visit www.fordracingevents.com.
  
  
• 10/9: As of 9:30 Monday morning we are still trying to get results from Shediac. Have not received a news release and their site has not been updated - sorry folks - we'll keep trying...
  
  
• 10/9: Riverside Speedway has 84 campers registered for their camping area for the October 13-14 PASS North Fall Foliage 250. Campers that have not already registered and are planning to set up, should email - Paul McLean (paul.mclean@ns.sympatico.ca).
  
  
• 10/8: Riverside Speedway has 34 sportsman cars entered for the October 13-14 Pepsi Twin 50s. They have started a waiting list for additional teams hoping to compete in the event.
  
  
• 10/5: Bobby Labonte, driver of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, has a reason to be excited heading into this weekend’s race in Kansas. His seventh place finish last weekend in Dover means he has already helped Cheerios® Spoonfuls of Stories® donate more than 26,000 books to kids in need all across the country through nonprofit partner First Book®. The “Race for BOOKS!” kicked off two weeks ago in New Hampshire. Labonte was racing towards the top 10 when he was taken out of contention in a wreck. Labonte, however, rebounded for his fifth top-10 finish of the season last weekend and completed all 400 laps. For every lap Labonte completes the rest of the season, Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories will donate 43 books in an effort to call attention to the importance of reading and getting books to children. Depending on how many laps Labonte completes, Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories could distribute more than 135,000 books to kids as the result of his efforts.
  
  
• 10/4: Jeff Gordon is in position to eclipse the $80 million in career earnings this weekend at Talladega. In 466 career NNCS starts, he has 75 wins, 283 top 10’s, 211 top fives, and 55 poles. Gordon is the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series' all-time winnings leader with $79,882,400 to-date.
  
  
• 10/2: CheckersToWreckers.com has been invited to attend a NASCAR press conference in Montreal today at 5 p.m. ET where "details of a significant NASCAR Busch Series event in Canada" will be announced. This should be the expected August 4/07 date in Montreal. We won't get there, but do have the option to listen in live - so we'll have all of the official details...
  
  
• 9/30: Not sure what it means, maybe nothing, but Oxford Plains Speedway has posted an early entry bonus for teams that enter next year's TD Banknorth 250 before November 1 of this year. There will be a draw for eight racing tires among eligible teams. Remember the race is being run under new rules next year - eliminating pro stocks in favour of late models...
  
  
• 9/29: Terry Labonte is making his 1000th career start this weekend at Kansas. With 999 races under his belt, Labonte has won two NEXTEL Cup championships, one IROC title, 11 Busch Series races and one Craftsman Truck Series event. He also clinched the 1993 IROC championship for the late Davey Allison with his substitute effort at Michigan that year. Labonte was the first driver to record a win in all three of NASCAR's major touring series and "retired" from his three-race Truck Series career after winning from the pole position at Richmond, Va., in 1995. His average Truck Series finish: second. In recognition of his 1000th start, Labonte's No. 44 GMAC Chevrolet will carry a red, white and blue paint scheme inspired by the No. 44 Piedmont Airlines car he drove to the 1984 Cup Series championship.
  
  
• Riverside Speedway is requesting that campers who plan to be on site for the Oct 13-14 weekend advise the track in advance. Please email Paul McLean (paul.mclean@ns.sympatico.ca) advising your name, the size of your camper, and the number of people that will be in it.
  
  
• 9/28: The Mod Squad will be at Oxford for the 2007 TD Banknorth 250 weekend. The True Value Modified Racing Series will make its inaugural appearance at Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday, July 21, 2007. Scheduled for a 100-lap event, the TVMRS will highlight the middle chapter of the 34th annual TD Banknorth 250 Weekend Presented by New England Dodge Dealers. The nation’s richest and most storied single-day short track race is set for Sunday, July 22.
  
  
• 9/28: Talladega Superspeedway Vice President and General Manager Rick Humphrey announced Wednesday that John Deere Company, the Official Turf Equipment of Talladega Superspeedway, has signed on as title sponsor of the track’s inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. The Oct. 7 event will be called the John Deere 250.
  
  
• 9/27: As of yesterday, 20 of the 30 registrations being accepted for the Pepsi Sportsman Twin 50s at Riverside Speedway October 13-14 have been received. If you're a sportsman driver planning to race that weekend, and haven't registered yet, you better get your registration form in the mail! Riverside promoter Paul McLean is expecting a pro stock entry list from PASS any day now...
  
  
• 9/27: The Busch Series 2007 schedule announcement expected for yesterday did not happen. No word on why, or when it will happen...
  
  
• 9/27: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series veteran Kyle Petty will make select appearances as an analyst on TNT’s NASCAR Busch Series broadcasts for the remainder of the season starting with Saturday’s broadcast of the Yellow Transportation 300. Petty will be filling in for Benny Parsons who is concentrating on TNT/NBC’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series coverage while he recovers from cancer. “I had the opportunity back at California to step in and help out with TNT’s excellent NASCAR Busch Series coverage for my friend Benny Parsons,” Petty said. “I could never fill the shoes of Benny, but I wanted to help the network out when I could and look forward to the opportunity to do so.” Petty will join play-by-play announcer Bill Weber and fellow analyst Wally Dallenbach for four of the six remaining races this season. In addition to this Saturday, Petty will be in the booth at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (Oct. 13), Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 4) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 18). Petty has 55 career NASCAR Busch Series starts.
  
  
• 9/27: Congratulations to Kyle Busch's Nextel Cup crew chief Alan Gustafson and wife Shannon who celebrated the birth of son Austin Alan on Monday.
  
  
• 9/26: With the cancellation of the Pass North 150 that was scheduled for September 30 at Riverside Speedway in NEW HAMPSHIRE, the 06 Pass North schedule is down to 12 events. The race was originally scheduled for June 4 but rained out. The June 24 Pass North show at Scotia Speedworld and the July 22 show at Speedway 95 in Bangor were also cancelled due to lack of makeup dates available this very wet year. Pass North will race this Saturday at Beech Ridge - continuing the show postponed by rain this past weekend. Then they go to Montmagny (Quebec) to make up a show rained out on September 3, then they're at Riverside Speedway NOVA SCOTIA October 14 for the season finale. 9/27 UPDATE...It's all changed again - click here for more details.
  
  
• 9/26: Cool Idea! California Speedway is launching the “California Speedway 500” pedometer program to encourage healthier lifestyles for youth and families in Southern California. The program challenges participants to walk 500,000 steps between October 2 and February 15, 2007 – the start of the 2007 NASCAR season. Those interested in being a part of the “California Speedway 500” program, launched in association with the Fitness Challenge Foundation and NASCAR, can use a special California Speedway/NASCAR pedometer that is available for purchase at the Speedway’s administration building. Funds raised from the sale of the pedometers will be invested back into the “California Speedway 500” program.
  
  
• 9/25: Successful open wheel driver Juan Pablo Montoya will test a Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates stock car during the ARCA RE/MAX Series Open Test at Talladega Superspeedway today. Since Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced in July that in 2007 Montoya would make the move from Formula One to NASCAR all ears have been tuned to catch the news on when Montoya would be able to begin preparing for the transition.
  
  
• 9/24: Busch Series Dover race winner Clint Bowyer and RCR teammate Kevin Harvick both took shots at Speed Channel's Dillner in post race interviews last night - asking that Dillner check their wheels personally. The jabs are a result of Dillner's post-race report last week at Loudon where he suggested their was a problem with race winner Harvick's wheels in post-race inspection. RCR refuted the allegation, as did NASCAR, but apparently the RCR guys aren't willing to let it go.
  
  
• 9/24: NFL Hall of Famer and TV analyst Terry Bradshaw will end his five-year relationship with the FitzBradshaw Racing organization following the conclusion of the 2006 season, the team announced this week. “I love racing, and I treasure the relationships I’ve made with so many wonderful people connected with NASCAR that I’ve met during the past five years,” Bradshaw said. “My schedule is making it harder and harder to fulfill the necessary race team sponsor commitments for personal appearances, and it’s time for me to move on.”
  
  
• 9/23: Dale Earnhardt Jr., his sister Kelley Earnhardt Elledge and his brother Kerry Earnhardt have announced plans for a motorsports and entertainment park in south Alabama. The project will be located either in Mobile or Baldwin county, on the Gulf coast of Alabama. It will cover about 2,300 acres and will include a 75,000-seat oval speedway, a road course, a drag strip and a dirt track, as well as entertainment venues. Kerry is also providing input on a freshwater lake for possible national fishing events. The name is "Alabama Motorsports Park: A Dale Earnhardt Jr. Speedway" and is to be completed in the fall of 2009.
  
  
• 9/22: Benny Parsons plans to be on the Dover broadcast this weekend after missing the New Hampshire race last weekend. Parsons has been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy cancer treatment and was "tanked out" last week. His doctor put him in hospital for a couple of days. Parsons says his doctors tell him his tumour continues to shrink.
  
  
• 9/22: A lawsuit has been filed by a former Richard Childress Racing employee and includes specific allegations that engines the team used in events at 2006 Speedweeks at Daytona were designed to defeat NASCAR rules. The team denies the allegations. Anthony Corrente, who lost his job as assistant manager for engine research and development for RCR earlier this year, filed his suit Wednesday in Mecklenburg County superior court. It alleges wrongful termination, defamation and breach of contract against the team, which fields Nextel Cup cars for Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer. An RCR spokesperson says they "will deal with the allegations in court."
  
  
• 9/21: One-hundred and seven teams showed up Wednesday for an open test session at Martinsville Speedway (Virginia) in preparation for the Bailey’s 300 Late Model Stock car race on Sunday, October 1. Only about 75 teams were expected and the 107 was by far the most cars ever to show up for the test date.
  
  
• 9/20: Roush Racing has entered into discussions with Fenway Sports Group (Boston) to sell an interest in Roush Racing. "Should these discussions ultimately materialize into a definitive agreement Roush Racing will provide further information on the topic,” said Geoff Smith, president of Roush Racing.
  
  
• 9/20: Two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr. (No. 8 Kraft/Ritz/Oreo Chevrolet) will attempt to make only his sixth start this season at Dover, the track the Mayetta, N.J., native calls “home.” Truex, who is winding down his Raybestos Rookie season in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competition, did not run in last June’s NASCAR Busch Series event at The Monster Mile, but has an impressive record in his recent outings there. Truex made his first series start at Dover in 2002, starting 26th and finishing 17th. He competed in three more races there before returning in 2004 in his first full season in the series. That’s when he became the master of his domain. After finishing second in the June 2004 race, he won in back-to-back fashion, capturing the fall event from the Busch Pole before repeating with a victory in the summer of 2005.
  
  
• 9/19: Kyle Busch on Sunday's Race at New Hampshire (38th-place finish): "That was our mulligan. I was very disappointed and didn't expect to have so many problems. We certainly didn't need that, but we're not going to give up. It's only one race, and if you can tell me right now all 10 of us are going to be perfect every race, I would be willing to dispute that. We've dug ourselves a hole. It's not too easy to live with, but we can't let it bring us down. We just have to climb out."
  
  
• 9/18: It's looking very likely that NASCAR will continue it's Canadian push with a Busch Series race in Montreal next year. We're hearing the date is Saturday, August 4 and the location is Circuit Gilles Villeneuve; not an off weekend for the Cup guys - but just a short plane ride from Pocono where they are racing August 5 - and with Watkins Glen the next weekend for the Cup guys, well some just may want to get some left-right track time...This is all unofficial at the moment - but stay tuned.
  
  
• 9/18: Hope to have the names of the 2006 Scotia Speedworld Budweiser Weekly Racing division champs today. Have made the request to track management. UPDATE 9/19 - Sorry, no names from SSW management yet - and final point standings still not posted on their website... Stay tuned!
  
  
• 9/16: Hulk Hogan, iconic professional wrestler and star of the VH1 reality show "Hogan Knows Best," will serve as the Grand Marshal of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 24, 2006. Hogan will deliver "the most famous words in motorsports" before the start of the 1:10 p.m. race. Hogan's daughter Brooke, 18, will perform the National Anthem before start of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race on Sunday.
  
  
• 9/16: The IndyCar Series and Daytona International Speedway announced a compatibility test at Daytona International Speedway for Sept. 26 and 27. The test will feature 2006 IndyCar Champion Sam Hornish, Jr., 2003 IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and 2005 IndyCar champion Dan Wheldon. The 2006 rookie of the year Marco Andretti and 2004 IndyCar champion Tony Kanaan and Vitor Meira will also take part. The visit will allow IndyCar Series officials to determine the possibility of Daytona serving as a preseason testing venue.
  
  
• 9/15: The Dover 400, not initially scheduled to air in Canada, will now be shown in its entirety on TSN's dedicated High Definition channel, TSN HD, on Sunday, September 24 at 1:30 pm AT/ 12:30pm ET. Bell ExpresseVu and Rogers Cable customers will be able to see the race on other channels - please check listings for details in your area.
  
  
• 915: Speaking of the Dover race, for the first time in 11 years, Dover International Speedway will not have a title sponsor for a Nextel Cup race. The Sept. 24 race, the second in the 10-race Chase for the Cup championship, will be known only as the Dover 400. Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover International Speedway, said the previous contract expired after the June race. Bank of America finalized its purchase of MBNA on Jan. 1 and finished out the company's 11-year partnership with the track. MBNA had sponsored every race at Dover since 1998. Title sponsor deals are generally worth $1.5 million to $3 million a year for races in NASCAR's top series, according to published reports.
  
  
• 9/15: Robert Yates Racing co-owner Doug Yates told reporters in Richmond, Va., his team could shrink from two cars to one if sponsorship isn't found for its #88 [currently driven by Dale Jarrett with UPS as the sponsor).
  
  
• 9/14: On the fifth anniversary of 9/11, 11 race tracks across the United States participated in The NASCAR Foundation Blood and Marrow Drive and collected more than 1,800 units of blood and added over 330 new registrants to the National Marrow Donor Program® Registry. The drives were established to help those in need in the racing communities. The generosity and spirit that motivated Americans to get involved and serve and remember others was evident yesterday at those 11 tracks. The 1,800-plus units of blood collected will help save the lives of up to 5,400 people, and with two more drives scheduled for later this fall, the additional units of blood will help that many more.
  
  
• 9/14: Due to overwhelming demand for additional tickets to the season-ending NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Ford 400, Homestead-Miami Speedway today announced its plans to strategically construct temporary grandstand seating near the action-packed Turn Four of the speedway allowing more fans to attend South Florida’s ‘must-see’ annual event. The temporary, end-of-the-season seating addition will be for this year only. Beginning Saturday, September 16 at 9:00 a.m., sports fans can secure their tickets by calling toll-free at 1-866-409-RACE, or online at homesteadmiamispeedway.com or racetickets.com. Catapulted by the success of the ‘Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup’ and its position as a series championship event, this year’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway experienced [its] earliest race sell-out ever, nearly five months prior to the waving of the green flag in November.
  
  
• 9/13: The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN waves the green flag to welcome NASCAR's top stars on Wednesday. The 10 NASCAR drivers competing in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup -- Jeff Burton, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin -- will present a special Top Ten List on the CBS late night broadcast. The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, broadcast weeknights (12:35 AM AT/11:35 PM ET) on the CBS Television Network, is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated.
  
  
• 9/13: The PASS North event for Autodrome Montmagny in Quebec that was rained out September 3 has been rescheduled for Sunday, October 8th.
  
  
• 9/13: SP2 Motorsports has been sold. They are Mike Rowe's team owners. The buyer is PT Watts, who plans to leave the team intact, for at least the rest of this season. A good decision it would seem, considering since SP2 put Mike Rowe behind their wheel 18 months ago they have won the biggest Super Late Model events in the Northeast – the Oxford 250, the Pullen 300 at Beech Ridge, the Atlantic CAT 250 in Halifax and the Unity 250. They put their names in the record books as the first PASS South winners by taking the Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory (North Carolina). And now the team is poised to win double PASS titles – Rowe leads the PASS South standings and is third, just 21 points out of first, in the PASS North standings. SP2 owners mention the "battle lines" between super late model and late model in New England as a contributing factor in their decision to sell.
  
  
• 9/12: Dale Earnhardt Jr. on whether the pressure of getting in the Chase has sunk in yet? “Yeah, now we can replace it with the pressure of winning a championship (laughing). I want to win a championship bad, and being in the Chase is the first big step in doing that. I’m honored to be in the Chase. I’m happy for my team, because they gave me such great effort all year. They deserve this. My fans deserve it. My sponsors deserve it. Everyone who stuck with us through last year deserves being a part of this Chase for the Championship, so I hope they soak it up, because I know I am.”
  
  
• 9/11: From an article in Saturday's Toronto Star, written by Norris MacDonald..."and speaking of CASCAR: if it wants to continue calling itself a national series, it must return to the Maritimes. And I know just the speedway. John Chisholm, an Antigonish businessman, spent several millions of dollars in the last year turning the old Riverside Speedway, just off the Trans-Canada Highway between New Glasgow and Antigonish, into an ultra-modern facility with a banked-track almost identical to the one in Bristol, Tenn. The grand reopening took place several weeks ago and the place was packed. They planned for 5,000 spectators and were almost overwhelmed when 9,000 showed up. As of that moment, there is now absolutely no excuse for CASCAR not to go east."
  
  
• 9/10: According to a story in Saturday's edition of The Halifax Herald, Rollie MacDonald will be driving John Flemming's second car at Riverside Speedway on September 16. Watch CheckersToWreckers.com for more details on this story Monday.
  
  
• 9/10: Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet and a Richmond-area native, met with patients at the Children's Hospital of Richmond during a visit on Thursday, Sept. 7. Hamlin visited the hospital with FedEx as part of the Operation Special Delivery program where, in addition to signing autographs and racing r/c cars with the patients, he joined FedEx in presenting the hospital with a donation of $25,000. "I have been really lucky to visit kids all over the country as part of the FedEx Operation Special Delivery program," said Hamlin. "A lot of these kids can't make it to the race track so we try to take some of the excitement of racing to them."
  
  
• 9/9: Tony Stewart crashed his primary No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet in the opening laps of Friday's practice session at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. He spun in turn two, impacting the SAFER barrier on the outside retaining wall with the left side of the car. Stewart was unhurt in the incident. The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Team will now race Chassis No. 103 in Saturday night's Chevy Rock & Roll 400. This is just the third time in its seven-and-three-quarter-year existence the No. 20 team has had to use its backup race car following a crash in practice. The only other times where its backup race car was used due to a crash in practice was at Chicagoland in 2004 and 2005.
  
  
• 9/9: Dover International Speedway today announced that Brooke Hogan, pop-musician and co-star of the VH1 reality TV show "Hogan Knows Best," will sing the National Anthem prior to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race on Sunday, September 24, 2006. Hogan, 18, brings together the seasoned and disciplined assurance of a well-versed performer with the wide-eyed exuberance and excitement of a young woman and artist coming into her own. Hogan is signed with the SMC/SoBe Entertainment record label, and has released two singles: "Everything To Me" in 2004, and "About Us (featuring Paul Wall)," which is currently on the Billboard Pop 100 chart.
  
  
• 9/8: Riverside Speedway has opted NOT to run a sportsman race at the September 16 Pioneer Coal 100 event. They weren't certain they'd get the 18-20 cars they felt they needed to put on a good race. The show will feature the season finale championship race for the CARQUEST Tour and Legends racing. Advance tickets are now available - click here for locations.
  
  
• 9/8: NASCAR announced Thursday that Mike Beam, crew chief of the No. 6 Ford driven by Mark Martin in the NASCAR Busch Series, has been fined due to rule violations at California Speedway. Beam was fined $2,500 for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing), Section 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules) and Section 20A-16.1D (4) (fuel cell vent pipe neck, including the check ball seat, exceeded the maximum size) of the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book. The violations were discovered during Opening Day inspection on Sept. 1.
  
  
• 9/7: Nothing to do with racing, but something most internet users depend on...It was on this day in 1998 that Google was founded. Two Standorf students introduced the search engine with a unique concept of ranking pages based on how many other pages link to it; those with the most links are higher up on a search results list. Google also set itself apart with its homepage; instead of being laden with graphics that took a long time to download, it contained only a logo and search box. Google nows employs 6,800 and enjoys a 54% market share.
  
  
• 9/7: PASS will be rescheduling the event that was rained out at Montmagny this past Sunday; the new date will be announced soon.
  
  
• 9/7: Robert Yates Racing announced Wednesday that David Gilliland will replace Stephen Leicht in the No. 90 CitiFinancial Ford for this Friday’s NASCAR Busch Series Emerson 250 at Richmond International Raceway. “In an effort to improve the chassis setups at Robert Yates Racing in both the Busch and Cup cars, we felt by having one driver run both races we would get the most consistent feedback,” said Robert Yates. “Stephen has done a great job for us this season and this change is not a reflection of Stephen’s performance. He will be back in the No. 90 CitiFinancial Ford at Dover.”
  
  
• 9/6: MB2 Motorsports announced Tuesday that Richard "Slugger" Labbe has taken over the crew chief duties on an interim basis for the No. 14 Chevrolet driven by Sterling Marlin. Labbe replaces Scott Eggelston, who has mutually parted ways with MB2. Labbe's first Nextel Cup race with the No. 14 entry will be this weekend at the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 in Richmond, Va. MB2 hired Labbe two weeks ago when the veteran crew chief became available to the organization. His specific role with MB2 will be announced at a later date.
  
  
• 9/6: Richmond International Raceway and Chevrolet officials announced today that Paul Reed Smith Guitars, Ltd. has built a custom guitar trophy for the winner of the 2006 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 on Saturday, September 9 “under the lights” at Richmond International Raceway.
  
  
• 9/5: Had the chance to chat with Rollie MacDonald at Geary over the weekend. As you all know by now, MacDonald sold his racecar two weeks ago to the team that Lonnie Sommerville drives for - and won the Irving Oil 250 with...Anyway, I'd be doubtful that we'll see Rollie in a car any more this year, but don't think he's ready to hang his helmet up just yet. Sounds like his current plan is to sit out the rest of this year, then get a new chassis over the winter...All subject to change, of course...
  
  
• 9/5: Bill Davis Racing (BDR) announced today that A.J. Allmendinger will be joining the team’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series line-up for two races. Allmendinger, who is currently fighting for the championship on the Champ Car World Series circuit, will drive the No. 24 Toyota Tundra for BDR at New Hampshire International Speedway (Sept. 16) and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 7). “When I had the opportunity a few months ago to explore my career options, I really wanted to try my hand at something in the stock car arena,” said the 24 year-old Allmendinger. “We began making phone calls and this opportunity with Bill Davis Racing really came about from that. I’m grateful to Bill Davis and the entire BDR team for giving me the chance to take on a new challenge. I also want to thank my Champ Car team owner Gerry Forsythe and the Forsythe/Indeck team for supporting me as I try something new.”
  
  
• 9/3: Fifty hearing-impaired children from the greater Los Angeles area were presented with hearing aids courtesy of Siemens, Fundacion Televisa, Supercuts and FitzBradshaw Racing Friday at California Speedway. The No. 12 Supercuts Dodge driven by Carlos Contreras will also carry sponsorship by “Corrinedo por la Salud,” or “Racing for Health” September is Hispanic Heritage Month.
  
  
• 9/2: Having announced the formation of Riley-D'Hondt Motorsports less than a month ago, co-owners Bill Riley and Eddie D'Hondt are proud to announce that Sport Clips has agreed to be the primary sponsor of one of their new teams in the 2007 Busch Series. Fielded out of their new shops located in Mooresville, NC, Riley-D'Hondt Motorsports will run a yet-to-be-determined limited schedule with champion open-wheel driver Paul Tracy in the driver's seat. Sport Clips has spent the last three seasons in the Busch Series where they have experienced great success. In 2004, Sport Clips was in Victory Lane at Daytona with driver, Mike Wallace. In February 2005, they sat on the Pole at Daytona with driver, Joe Nemechek, and, most recently, they are the primary sponsor of Champ Car star Paul Tracy in his 2006 Busch Series effort.
  
  9/2: Robby Gordon said Friday that he thought he had a deal to buy Robert Yates Racing before it fell through two weeks ago. The deal, Gordon said, is off right now but he also said it has been off and on before. Gordon also indicated that he could be switching manufacturers with the Cup teams he owns. “I think I could become the No. 2 Ford team relatively quickly,” he said. “It would take a lot to become the No. 2 Chevrolet team
  
  
• 9/1: As of Aug. 30, after months of tallying donations and ticket and auction sales, the organizers of ‘Craftsman For a Cure’ announce that $66,711.83 was raised for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and the Victory Junction Gang Camp. “We are extremely happy with the outpouring of generosity from NASCAR fans and industry partners surrounding the Craftsman for a Cure Event,” said Scott Howard, manager of sponsorship and sales promotion for Sears Holdings. “It is a true testament to the NASCAR fan base and the sense of community that exists among fans, sponsors, teams, and drivers within NASCAR. We are proud to have been able to support a true champion like Bobby and continue to wish him a speedy recovery.” The ‘Craftsman For a Cure’ charity event was spearheaded after former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton announced that he would get out of his truck during the 2006 season to battle head and neck cancer. Hamilton hopes to be back behind the wheel at the Series’ season finale in Homestead.
  
  
• 8/30: Michael Waltrip is getting a new doo today - by world renowned hair stylist to the stars, Jonathan Antin. His appointment is for 10:00 a.m. (local time, 2:00 p.m. Atlantic) and is expected to take approximately 1 1/2 hours, after which Waltrip will take Antin for a ride along Santa Monica Blvd in the NASCAR NAPA car. Waltrip's unruly mane has long been the subject of many a good-natured chuckle in the NASCAR garage.
  
  
• 8/30: Jack Ingram, the inaugural NASCAR Busch Series champion, is back in the series in an advisory capacity for the remainder of this season. Ingram and Johnny Davis Motorsports announced that the former series champion will consult and mentor Kertus Davis (No. 0 RACEGIRL Chevrolet) and next year, will serve as operations manager for the Jack Ingram/JD Motorsports organization scheduled to be located in Ingram’s current late model shop in Asheville, N.C. Ingram has been at the track often this season assisting in the promotion of the 25th anniversary of the NASCAR Busch Series with sponsor Anheuser-Busch. “This is a good thing,” said Jim Hunter, NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications. “I knew he (Ingram) couldn’t stand being out of action.”
  
  
• 8/29: Dartmouth native Dean Clattenburg, now residing in North Carolina, finished 18th in the PASS South show at Hickory on Sunday - fiishing one spot ahead of Nextel Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield. Ryan Lawler from Texas won the race. Mike Rowe was second. TD Banknorth 250 winner Jeremie Whorff was seventh.
  
  
• 8/29: Dale Earnhardt Jr. commented yesterday about his climb from 10th to 9th in Nextel Cup point standings, after the Bristol race: “I’m in ninth by two points, but I’m 19 points out of sixth. It’s a tight race. Getting out of Bristol with a third-place finish was really big for us, because I was nervous about that race… wasn’t much fun to be around. I feel like we’ve got the upper-hand to make the Chase. It’s still too close for comfort. I saw how quickly we dropped out of third place in the standings a month ago. One bad race, one wreck, one blown motor can send you spiraling. But surviving Bristol was a step in the right direction. I feel confident at Richmond (the last race before the Chase) that I can run in the top-10 there. I think all of us from sixth on back are going to really have to take advantage of every opportunity to gain points, whether it’s leading a lap, using pit strategy to gain track position, that kind of stuff. Maximize every moment on track each week.”
  
  
• 8/29: In light of recent rumors regarding the status of his operation, Larry McClure, President and Team Manager of Morgan-McClure Motorsports, Inc. announced today that his familiar No. 4 team will compete full time in the Nextel Cup Series in 2007. "We currently have an agreement in place for our No. 4 car for next season and an announcement is forthcoming," said McClure. “Additionally, we are in negotiations with a prospective partner for a long-awaited second team. We have a viable team here with the necessary components for success, including our driver Scott Wimmer, and it is our intention to have Scott in one of our cars next year. The 2007 season will mark our 25th year in NASCAR’s top series and we’re excited about what’s in store for Morgan-McClure Motorsports.”
  
  
• 8/28: NASCAR has approved the version of the Toyota Camry that will be used for competition next season in races not utilizing the "Car of Tomorrow," Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president for competition confirmed Saturday. Approval of all four COT cars – Dodge, Toyota, Chevrolet and Ford – is expected soon after additional wind tunnel tests, he said. Toyota is still awaiting approval for its engine plans.
  
  
• 8/28: More on the Mark Martin/Roush racing confusion in today's Charlotte (NC) newspaper...Jack Roush is quoted as saying: "I told Geoff, 'Before we decide that we'll let Mark move out of our camp and go run for somebody else for a number of races, we need to make sure that…we don't have a possibility ourselves'." Roush said that the possibility of Martin running a limited schedule for a team owned by Boris Said and Brian Simo has been discussed. Roush Racing has provided that new team with cars and other assistance. "They're in our neighborhood and we've helped them several times this year," Roush said. "There has been some discussion about Mark driving that car for a number of races next year.
  
  
• 8/27: There seemed to be some confusion in the Roush Racing camp yesterday at Bristol. After a published report quoting Roush Racing G.M. Geoff Smith as saying: "You won't see Mark Martin in a Roush Racing owned [Cup] program," SPEED TV Raceday reporter Wendy Venturini first found Jack Roush for a reaction. The Cat in the Hat said he hadn't seen the report so cared not to comment on it, but added that as far as he knew talks with Martin regarding 07 were ongoing. Then Venturini found Martin, who said he had just heard about it watching RaceDay earlier, that it was news to him. Martin added that if that was the way it had worked out, and there wasn't a spot for him to run a limited schedule in the No. 6 car, then it was OK, he had other options...No doubt there will be more on this story as the week progresses.
  
  
• 8/27: Veteran NASCAR Busch Series driver Tim Sauter is back at his Necedah, Wis., home after spending Friday evening at the Bristol Regional Medical Center where he was held overnight for observation. Sauter was involved in a hard crash on Lap 209 of the Food City 250 at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn. Sauter’s car was hit by both Shane Huffman and Jamie McMurray before impacting the inside retaining wall where the car came to rest. Sauter had spun his No. 36 Lester Buildings Chevy trying to avoid the car of Burney Lamar who had spun in front of him. The impact dazed Sauter for several moments, but he was able to walk under his own power to a nearby stretcher wearing a precautionary neck brace. After a check-up in the infield care center, he was transported to the hospital for further tests and overnight evaluation. All the test results were negative and Sauter was released Saturday morning.
  
  
• 8/27: According to a report on NASCAR.com, NASCAR is close to securing a Busch Series date north of the border for the 2007 season. Though not yet fully executed, the contract is some 95 percent complete and should be done within the week, the source said. Once complete, NASCAR would points event at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve road course in Montreal, Quebec. The race's prospective date was not disclosed, but if it's as speculated and on a Cup Series off-weekend, it would be July 21 or 22.
  
  
• 8/26: California Speedway has announced that Grammy Award-winning and Sony recording artist, Kelly Clarkson, will serve as the Grand Marshal for the SONY HD 500 on Sunday, September 3, 2006. Clarkson will give the most famous words in motorsports, “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines,” in front of the Southern California crowd and to a national television audience on NBC during the Labor Day NASCAR weekend event. She will also lead the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series field off pit road in the Grand Marshal car prior to the start of the SONY HD 500. Clarkson, winner of FOX TV’s first American Idol, hails from Burleson, Texas. Since winning the television competition in 2002, Clarkson has produced two platinum albums.
  
  
• 8/25: Nextel Cup "Starter Kit" For Sale: Competitive Edge Motorsports closed their doors recently, transferred their sponsorship to Petty Enterprises, and is now selling out, offering a "Starter Kit" for anyone wanting to go Cup racing. The kit includes: 2 DEI Nextel Cup 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Down Force Cars, 4 fresh Chevrolet SB2 Nextel Cup Motors 835+ H P, C&R Cool Down unit, Generator, Lots of Extra Springs, Sway Bars, Blower Fans, Penske Shocks & Tools, Steering Boxes, Wheels, Pop Up Tent, Gas Dump Cans, Many Extras. Pit Box Complete. Show Car less motor. Interested? Call 321-229-2970, or visit http://www.cemotorsports.net/pdf/CEM_inventory.pdf for a complete inventory.
  
  
• 8/25: 11 NASCAR tracks will participate in the inaugural NASCAR Foundation Blood & Marrow Drive on Monday, Sept. 11. The inaugural NASCAR Foundation Blood and Marrow Drive, in partnership with the Hendrick Marrow Program and the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, will take place at select NASCAR facilities and the “World Center of Racing” is among those participating. The program, which began as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, has been held at International Speedway Corporation’s Michigan International Speedway for the past four years and the NASCAR Foundation is turning it into a nationwide project. Tracks participating are: Daytona International Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, California Speedway, Darlington Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Homestead Miami Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Richmond International Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway and Watkins Glen International.
  
  
• 8/25: MB2 Motorsports announced that crew chief Richard "Slugger" Labbe has joined the NASCAR racing organization and will play a key role in the company's expansion for 2007. Labbe's specific position with MB2 will be announced at a later date. His immediate role is to work with the organization's Nextel Cup teams -- the No. 01 Chevrolet driven by Joe Nemechek and the No. 14 Chevrolet driven by Sterling Marlin. Labbe, who previously worked as a crew chief for Robert Yates Racing, Evernham Motorsports and DEI, will join the MB2 teams at this weekend's Nextel Cup race in Bristol, Tenn.
  
  
• 8/24: Card Edwards visited with media in Birmingham, Alamaba on Wednesday, in advance of the October 6-8 NASCAR weekend. One of the questions was with regard to the incident with Dale Jr. last weekend...Is there still lingering tension between you and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. after the incident in this past weekend's NASCAR Busch Series race? I'm gonna get on him like a spider monkey! (laughs) Isn't that what the kid says in 'Talladega Nights?' No . . . Dale Jr. is cool; he's a great guy. He does a lot of good things for the sport. He's a great driver. We talked on Sunday and it's all water under the bridge for me and we'll just go on and go racing.
  
  
• 8/23: Jeremy Mayfield will race in this weekends PASS South race at Hickory Motor Speedway - in a car fielded by Whorff Motorsports - the father, son team that finished first and second in the TD Banknorth 250. Jeremie, the son, and winner of the 250, is wanting to further his career and make a move south, so the team decided to approach Mayfield as a teammate for Jeremie at Hickory. "I just want to race," said Mayfield, who added he's looking forward to his return to late model competition, where he got his racing start. Mayfield will make an announcement Friday at Bristol regarding his Cup plans (rumoured to be with Bill David Rcaing), then head over to Hickory for the Sunday race.
  
  
• 8/23: Where in the World is Ken Schrader? … Ken Schrader (No. 21 Little Debbie Ford) continues to be the busiest driver out there. In addition to the 23 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events thus far this year, Schrader has competed in 59 other events. … Beginning Tuesday, Schrader will have a plate full of racing this week. He will run Tuesday at Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, Tenn. On Thursday, he heads to Paducah International Raceway in Paducah, Ky. Friday and Saturday night, Schrader will compete in the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events at Bristol Motor Speedway. He wraps up his week Sunday night with a race at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in DuQuoin, Ill.
  
  
• 8/22: Tv commentator Benny Parsons did not participate in this past weekends broadcast from Michigan. The former NASCAR champion, 65, was diagnosed with lung cancer last month, saying he intended to keep working as he underwent treatment. Earlier in the week parsons also missed an already postponed ceremony honouring his 2005 induction in the Motorsports Hall of fame America, for which he missed the original ceremony due to the passing of his father.
  
  
• 8/21: NASCAR will test the Car of Tomorrow today at Michigan International Speedway. The following drivers will participate: Joe Nemechek, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Bill Elliott, Michael Waltrip, David Stremme, Scott Riggs, J.J. Yeley, Jeff Green and Matt Kenseth.
  
  
• 8/20: Two tidbits coming from Riverside Speedway Saturday...Maritime racing veteran Bobby White, from Kennetcook, NS, said during an interview with pit reporter Mike Kaplan, that he'll be back for more races. Always a top runner, White has been absent from the local racing scene since 2001. It was the announcement that John Chisholm was rebuilding Riverside Speedway that prompted him to get back in the seat. White won his heat race and was running in the top five when his engine seized up on lap 51 of the feature. The other tidbit is that the Antigonish Mall 200 may have been defending CARQUEST Tour champion Rollie MacDonald's last race for a while...The car has been for sale and is rumoured to be sold. Will try to get a confirmation from Rollie in the coming days...
  
  
• 8/20: Got this email yesterday about a stolen rig in Quebec, not stock car racing, but let's hope this mention helps..."A call is launched to all amateurs of races to find the car, the trailer and the truck of the team #75 of Marco Bilodeau. The car is orange. It is painted like Nascar series Tony Stewart car. The trailer is white and measures 28 feet. It is built by Pace American. Identified on the side –Racing- in red and with checker flag at the bottom end (4 feet by 5 feet). It was stolen at Vallees Jonction (south of Quebec Citys) in the night of Wednesday to Thursday. The Truck was also stolen. It an Ford E350 Econoline (old Dicom) 1999 White whit Diesel engine. You can distinguish it by holes in the doors fronts and back, left by the withdrawal panels for the transport of dangerous matter (the holes forms a rhombus). All the equipment of the team was in the truck. If you have information call Marco Bilodeau, (418)389-6026 or drup us a mail at jeanbilodeau55@hotmail.com. Thank You."
  
  
• 8/20: The NASCAR Foundation made a pit stop Friday at Classroom Central to donate over one ton of school supplies to benefit the Charlotte Mecklenburg and surrounding school systems. The NASCAR Foundation caravan consisted of Foundation members, three Ford trucks donated by Young Ford and three NASCAR-themed trailers packed with the supplies. The NASCAR Foundation was established in January 2006 and works with over 29 NASCAR industry, driver and track charities. By donating one ton of pencils to Classroom Central, the Foundation is able to give back to the community by helping school children obtain essential supplies that will aid them in the classroom throughout the coming school year.
  
  
• 8/18: Following is TSN's offering for not carrying the Nextel Cup race Sunday from Michigan: "NASCAR and NASCAR Canada have made the necessary arrangements for this weekend's GFS Marketplace 400 race to be televised live in Canada , this Sunday, Aug. 20 at 2 p.m. ET, on Rogers Cable Television and Bell ExpressVu. The broadcast will also include the NASCAR IN CAR package. Bell ExpressVu is offering the IN CAR package on channels 441-446 with the network broadcast on channel 440. A High Definition channel is available but channel number has yet to be confirmed. Rogers Cable Television will have the IN CAR package on channels 446-452. Digital coverage of the race will be available on channels 85 and 445, with analog coverage on channels 1 and 59. High definition coverage will be available on channel 483."
  
  
• 8/18: Tune in to Global TV (Halifax) tonight for the sports at 5:50 p.m. and 11:20 p.m. VJ Ray Bradshaw made a trip to James River yesterday and will do a story on the new Riverside Speedway tonight.
  
  
• 8/18: Michael Waltrip Racing announced Thursday that David Reutimann will compete in six more NASCAR Busch Series races in the No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine beginning with Bristol Motor Speedway next week. Reutimann, who is in a heated battle for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, couldn’t be happier with Michael Waltrip Racing’s decision. “I enjoy the Busch races and this gives me a head start for next season,” Reutimann said. “We knew at the beginning of the season that I was going to run some Busch races for Michael, but we didn’t know how many. I had the opportunity to run some races as the season progressed and then Michael announced that I was going to drive his car in the Busch Series next season. That opened some doors.”
  
  
• 8/17: In Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series race at Michigan International Speedway, Brian Vickers will pilot a No. 57 Mountain Dew Chevrolet identical to the green, white and red No. 11 that Darrell Waltrip drove to 11 pole positions, 12 victories and his first NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now NEXTEL Cup) title in 1981. "This car brings back a lot of memories," said Waltrip, 59, now a television analyst for FOX Sports. "In a lot of ways, 1981 was a dream season, having been so close in the past and finally breaking through. Then we were able to carry that momentum into 1982 and win a second championship." Waltrip, in fact, had one of the most successful runs in NASCAR history over that two-year span, winning two of his three Cup titles thanks to an astounding 24 victories, 18 poles and 38 top-five results. In 61 starts, he finished outside the top-10 a mere 16 times.
  
  
• 8/17: Can't seem to find that the Nextel Cup race from Michigan will be broadcast in Canada this week, but can't imagine this to be! TNT is the originating network, which is not available in Canada, and according to their programming schedules, neither TSN or Sportsnet will be broadcasting the race. If anyone can tell us where the race will be broadcast in Canada, please send us an email. UPDATE 8/18: The only information we've got is the race will NOT be broadcast on Canadian television - what a travesty - especially with TSN supposed to NASCAR Canada...We encourage you to share your dismay with TSN - that's the only way to let them know we care! Click here to be directed to their comments page.
  
  
• 8/16: Where in The World is Ken Schrader? … Ken Schrader (No. 21 Little Debbie Ford) continues to be the busiest driver out there. In addition to the 22 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events thus far this year, Schrader has competed in 55 other events. … Beginning Tuesday, Schrader will have a plate full of racing this week. He will run Tuesday at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, N.C. On Wednesday, he heads to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Thursday night, Schrader will race at K-C Raceway in Chillicothe, Ohio before heading to Michigan International Speedway.
  
  
• 8/16: Aspiring country sensation Danielle Peck has opened for stars like Toby Keith and Brad Paisley and performed the national anthem for the NFL. Now, she will bring her talents to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and open the GFS Marketplace 400 before the largest single-day sporting crowd in the state of Michigan. Born and raised in nearby Coshocton, Ohio, Peck will perform The Star-Spangled Banner on Sunday, August 20 at Michigan International Speedway prior to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series GFS Marketplace 400.
  
  
• 8/15: JR Motorsports announced Monday that Robby Gordon will take the helm of the No. 88 Navy Accelerate Your Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS for the NASCAR Busch Series events at Michigan International Speedway and California Speedway. “We’re looking to improve our performance in the Busch Series, so we’ve been making changes to get to where we need to be,” said team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. “Martin (Truex Jr.) was a big help last week and we’re going to continue our due diligence with Robby Gordon this weekend in Michigan. He brings a ton of experience and will be able to relay some good feedback on our cars. Robby’s got more on his resume than any driver in the series, he’s raced in everything from the Indianapolis 500 to the Baja 1000, and I appreciate the fact that he’s willing to help JR Motorsports out.” Gordon has one previous Busch Series start at each track and finished 12th in both races.
  
  
• 8/15: Tomorrow (Wednesday) Kasey Kahne, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series 2004 rookie of the year and winner at Richmond International Raceway will be at Richmond International Raceway to sell tickets to FasMart Pole Qualifying for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 on Friday, September 8. Kahne will work in the ticket office, taking orders in person and over the telephone for fans wishing to purchase tickets to FasMart Pole Qualifying for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race, which includes a seat for the Emerson Radio 250 NASCAR Busch Series race. The Chevy Rock & Roll 400 is the 26th race of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season and is the drivers’ final chance to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. Tickets to FasMart Pole Qualifying also include a seat for the Emerson Radio 250 NASCAR Busch Series race on Friday, September 8.
  
  
• 8/14: The IndyCar Series and Daytona International Speedway are in discussions regarding a compatibility test at Daytona International Speedway in September. The potential visit would allow IndyCar Series officials to determine the possibility of Daytona International Speedway to serve as a preseason testing venue. “We have talked to International Speedway Corp. about alternative warm weather venues for our pre-season testing and that led to discussions regarding a compatibility test at Daytona,” said John Lewis, the Indy Racing league’s vice president of league development. The potential compatibility test could allow series officials to see transitions onto the banking, tire wear/side loads and braking zones while looking for any challenging surface areas on the track.
  
  
• 8/13: Picked up a flyer yesterday at Scotia Speedworld advertising the PASS North Antigonish Fall Foliage 250 at Riverside Speedway on October 13 & 14. It shows a Maritime Pro Stock 100 lap race scheduled for Friday paying $1500 to win and transferring the top two finishers to the starting grid for the Fall Foliage 250. On Saturday, as support action for the 250, they are showing a sportsman race paying $1200 to win. The Fall Foliage 250 is the point championship race for the 06 PASS North series and pays $7000 to win. There are no start times shown on the flyer, but the entry blank shows practice starting at 2:30 Friday - and considering it's a workday - must be a night show. Saturday shows practice at 10 a.m. and racing at 1 p.m. 32 cars will start, with 28 qualifying through heats and consis plus four provisionals.
  
  
• 8/13: It appears the Mayfield-Evernham split is official. After being relieved of his driving duties in the No. 19 Evernham Nextel Cup car for this weekend at Watkins Glen, Mayfield filed for a temporary restraining order that would prevent Evernham from firing him. All parties that were scheduled to appear in the court hearing, which was scheduled for Friday, have issued the same statement: Jeremy Mayfield, Mayfield Motorsports Inc., and Evernham Motorsports LLC (Friday) announced that they have agreed to end their relationship effective immediately. The parties agree that it is in their mutual best interests to go in different directions and wish each other success in the future." Bill Elliott was put in the car for this weekend, but since the team hadn't notified NASCAR of the driver switch til after the entry filing date (July 31), Elliott was not eligible for the champions provisional. He qualified the car 31st. Looks like Elliott Sadler may end up in the car after this weekend, leaving his Robert Yates Racing seat potentially open for 07 No. 38 driver David Gilliland...
  
  
• 8/12: Many people can recall exactly where they were and what they did for their 18th birthday. NASCAR Busch Series driver Steve Wallace is one of those people, and for his 19th birthday, he likely wouldn’t mind duplicating his last birthday celebration. Wallace, the son of racing legend Rusty Wallace, will drive the race sponsor’s No. 64 Carfax Dodge at Michigan International Speedway on August 19 in the NASCAR Busch Series Carfax 250. Wallace's car owner is his dad, Rusty.
  
  
• 8/12: New Brunswick Interntional Speedway is currently taking reservations for campers that had spots last year. You have until Saturday, August 19 to reserve your spot as of last year. There is a reservation fee of $25 dollars. Please call the raceline, 454 - RACE (7223) to make a reservation. If you did not camp at the 2005 Irving Oil 250 please call after August 19 to make your reservation.
  
  
• 8/11: Nextel Cup rumour mill has Mark Martin back in the No. 6 car next year - saying Jack Roush is not sure that scheduled Martin replacement Todd Kluever is "quite ready." Martin had planned 2005 as his final Cup year, but was convinced by Roush to stay in the 6 car for 06 while Kluever gained experience in the Busch Series...Ford is apparently pivotal in Roush's desire to keep the 6 car as a top competitor. With the recent debacle at Robert Yates Racing, Roush Racing has become the flagship for Ford. Sources say Martin has been offered as much as $8 million to stay for another year.
  
  
• 8/11: Former NASCAR driver Jeff Purvis was injured in a highway accident on I-65 [in Alabama] last Saturday (Aug 5) that closed the highway for two hours. Purvis is now at his Clarksville, TN home to begin the recovery process. Purvis, who competes with the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series, was on his way to a race in Talladega when the accident occurred. He has fractures of his C1, and C5 vertebra in his neck, compression fractures of the T2 and T6 vertebra in his back, a separated sternum, and he has a gash in his head that took 24 staples to close. He has seen pictures of the aftermath of the accident and he's very thankful that no one lost their life in the accident. Purvis' wife, son, crew chief and another friend were in the team hauler when the accident occurred. Purvis suffered the worst injuries. His wife, Margo, said the hauler veered out of control after a blown tire, crossed the medium into traffic, hitting two cars, then hit some tree before coming to a stop. Margo told Washer everybody exited safely, only seconds before the hauler burst into flames. The hauler, dirt track cars and equipment were a total loss. Clay, their son, was sleeping in a bunk when the wreck occurred. Jeff jumped up to protect Clay, and was tossed around the living quarters inside the hauler. Purvis returned to dirt track racing last season, after a nearly 20-year career in the ARCA, Busch and NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.
  
  
• 8/10: Leading into the track’s 30th straight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series sellout next month, Richmond International Raceway president Doug Fritz has announced the details of a wide-ranging, fan-friendly seat expansion project that will help keep pace for the demand of one of the most coveted tickets in all of sports. The highlight of the multi-million dollar capital improvement project is the addition of 7,843 seats in a new, state-of-the-art, 18-story structure located in Turn One behind the current Commonwealth Grandstand. The new, three-tiered grandstand will also include a luxurious 700-person, members-only Club for individual fans looking to enjoy a race weekend in style or businesses seeking to entertain clients. The Club will also serve as a unique and trendy place for special events on non-race weekends throughout the year. The project, which will be completed in time for the track’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series doubleheader weekend in May 2007, also has a fan-friendly flavor to it, as each seat in the new grandstand will be an individual chair with arm rests. Additionally, in response to the thousands of requests by fans over the years, workers will remove a total of 2,911 obstructed view seats in two different grandstands: the first eight rows of obstructed view seats in each section of the Old Dominion grandstand (Turn three) and the first ten rows of the “A” and “B” sections of the Colonial grandstand (Turn four). Those seats were originally built during the 1988 expansion and track reconfiguration project. In total the project will net 4,932 additional seats, raising the capacity to 112,029: [107,097 (current capacity) + 7,843 (new grandstand seats) minus 2,911 (removal of obstructed view seats) = 112,029]
  
  
• 8/10: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers Jamie McMurray and Robby Gordon tested tires Tuesday & Wednesday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, finishing a two-day test for Goodyear. After a slow start to yesterday’s session, McMurray, driving an unnumbered car, laid down the fast lap with a circuit of 177.69 mph (31.20 seconds). Robby Gordon drove his yellow No. 7 Chevrolet Monte Carlo to a lap of 176.22 mph (31.46 seconds).
  
  
• 8/9: Evernham Motorsports announced Tuesday it will bring back past NASCAR champion and Evernham driver Bill Elliott to pilot the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger at Watkins Glen. Elliott drove for Evernham Motorsports full-time from 2001 to 2004, then part time in 2005. Elliott went to victory lane for Evernham Motorsports four times, including winning the prestigious Brickyard 400 in 2002. Jeremy Mayfield, who has been driving the No. 19 Dodge this season, will not participate in the Watkins Glen event. No decisions have been made regarding his long-term future with the team. The decision was made after efforts to get the struggling No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger back on the right track have not progressed as quickly as needed. The team is currently 36th in the NASCAR Nextel Cup owners’ points standings, which means it does not have a guaranteed spot in Sunday’s event. Elliott brings a champion’s provisional, which means the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger is confirmed in the starting lineup and does not need to qualify solely on speed.
  
  
• 8/9: Don't get caught short, literally, when you head for Scotia Speedworld this weekend. Noticed yesterday they have increased the admission prices to this weekends shows on Friday and Saturday nights: The Lockhart Truck Centre 100 (Friday) and Atlantic CAT 250 (Saturday)...Until last night, their website reflected the pricing that has been advertised all year in the program: $15 for Friday only, $30 for Saturday only, $35 for a two-day pass. It now reads $20 for Friday only, $35 for Saturday only, $40 for a two-day pass. Pit passes were $20 for Friday, $35 for Saturday, $45 for both days. Now it's $25 for Friday, $40 for Saturday, $45 for both days. New prices reflect a "pricing strategy change" according to Speedworld general manager Ken Cunning.
  
  
• 8/8: Riverside Speedway had a crew of 30+ workers on site yesterday, shown here on their lunch break, a holiday Monday in Nova Scotia. Just 11 days remain before the much anticipated opening of the new Riverside Speedway. The Antigonish Mall 200, round 8 of 11 for the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour, is scheduled for August 19; click here for advance ticket locations. Click here to see a gallery of the rebuilding of the historic facility. Hmmm...just a thought...maybe these guys are making sure they get a good seat for the 19th!
  
  
• 8/8: Anyone who watched the Bobby Hamilton (Sr.) interview on Speed TV's 'Raceday' this past Sunday, and was as moved as I was with his ongoing battle with cancer, will appreciate the following...Bobby Hamilton Racing will host an open house fundraiser for the American Cancer Society on Thursday, August 10. For a minimum $50 donation, attendees will get a chance to meet some of their favorite NCTS drivers. There will be food and beverage plus music and racing games for the entire family.
  
  
• 8/7: Check this out...From Lake Doucette Motor Speedway, just outside Digby, yesterday...This car rolled off track in its first heat race - and then, once it was uprighted, and the driver figured out he was OK - went on to finish the last two races of the day.
  
  
• 8/6: Richard Childress owns both cars starting on the front row for the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis: pole sitter Jeff Burton and second place starter Clint Bowyer. Click here to listen to Childress' comments (mp3 file, 23 seconds). Click here to listen to pole sitter Jeff Burton (mp3 file, 22 seconds).
  
  
• 8/5: The Robert Yates Racing news conference scheduled for August 4, in which the organization was expected to announce the hiring of Busch Series rookie David Gilliland to drive one of its Nextel Cup Series cars next season, has been postponed, team officials confirmed. Gilliland's hiring has not changed, but rather the logistics of the announcement could not be completed in time for Friday's scheduled 1:15 p.m. Eastern time slot at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, multiple sources confirmed. The announcement is not likely to take place until either the Michigan or Bristol race weekends, but definitely not next weekend at Watkins Glen, N.Y., sources said.
  
  
• 8/5: Not stock car racing, but...Champ Car driver Cristiano da Matta remained in intensive-care with a serious head injury Friday, a day after his race car collided with a deer that had wandered onto the track during a test session at Road America. Champ Car series spokesman Eric Mauk said the driver was in the intensive-care unit at Theda Clark Memorial Hospital in Neenah, where he was airlifted to and had surgery to remove a ruptured blood vessel in his head.
  
  
• 8/4: SHeDAISY, whose recently released album “Fortuneteller’s Melody” has received widespread acclaim with two Top 40 Country singles in 2006, will headline the post-race concert performance at The Tailgate of a Lifetime™ after the conclusion of the NASCAR Busch Series Carfax 250 on Saturday, August 19. The Tailgate of a Lifetime is being hosted by Lifetime Products, Inc. as a celebration of American tailgating culture. Fans who have purchased tickets to the Carfax 250, which will feature not only the regulars of the Busch Series but also NEXTEL Cup stars like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Busch Series points leader Kevin Harvick, can use their ticket stubs for gate admission to the post-race concert. The show will also feature country newcomers Cowboy Crush and Hunter Brucks. Tickets are just $50 and can be purchased by calling MIS at 1-800-354-1010 or by accessing www.MISpeedway.com.
  
  
• 8/4: In light of the happenings in the Middle East Thursday, Richard Petty's appearance on Larry King Live got bumped to Friday night...Will Ferrell (Talladega Nights) and Michael Waltrip are also scheduled to appear on the show.
  
  
• 8/3: "The King" Richard Petty will be a guest on Larry King Live tonight. The show airs on CNN from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. AT.
  
  
• 8/3: Bobby Hamilton Sr. will back in the Nextel Cup garage in an ownership role after receiving treatment for head and neck cancer. “It will be great to get back to the NASCAR Nextel Cup garage and to see a lot of my friends that I haven’t seen in a while since I have been getting treatment for cancer. It will be great motivation for me and help me reach my ultimate goal of competing in the last NCTS race of the year at Homestead. I really can’t wait to show Ken Schrader that even though I have been going through chemo and radiation I still have more hair than he does.”
  
  
• 8/2: NASCAR announced Tuesday (Aug 1) that penalties and fines that have been issued among two NASCAR Busch Series teams as a result of rule violations at Gateway International Raceway. Ricky Pearson, crew chief for the No. 36 Chevrolet driven by Tim Sauter, was fined $15,000 and suspended from NASCAR for the next two events beginning with the Aug. 5 race at O’Reilly Raceway Park for violating Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules: Section 20A-12.3-I (unapproved shock absorber piston bleed holes). The violations were discovered during post-race inspection on July 29. Additionally, Sauter will lose 50 NASCAR Busch Series driver points and team owner John McGill will forfeit 50 NASCAR Busch Series owner points. Also, Greg Tester, crew chief for the No. 71 Chevrolet driven by Ron Young, was fined $2,000 violation of Sections 12-4-A and 12-4-Q (Section 20A-12.1A(8) (jacking bolt must be made of solid magnetic steel). The violation was discovered during opening-day inspection on July 28.
  
  
• 8/2: NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Dave Blaney visited Las Vegas Motor Speedway Tuesday (Aug 1) to inspect the new banking and paving on the 1.5-mile superspeedway. Paving was completed last week and Blaney was the first NASCAR driver to tour the tri-oval in a passenger vehicle. When the 80-mph ride was completed, he compared the old LVMS to the freshly-paved, high-banked track. “They did a beautiful job,” said Blaney. “It’s hard to tell, because I haven’t seen a car (on the track) or driven a car on the track. Looking at the transition in the corners and the elevation, I almost think it will race like Homestead (Fla.). If it does that, everybody’s going to be happy. It’s going to be a totally different place. It was almost what we’d call a flat track before and it’s going to be lightning-fast now. It’ll be a whole new deal when we come to Vegas.”
  
  
• 7/31: Sunday was a great night to be a zero at Oxford Plains Speedway...Cars bearing numbers 00, 0 and 0x finished first, second and third! For the complete TD Banknorth 250 event notebook, click here.
  
  
• 7/30: Representatives of the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project and the New York Olympic Regional Development Authority in Lake Placid announced Monday that the second Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge will return to the two-time Winter Olympic village January 5-7, 2007 at the Verizon Sports Complex. The event will feature race car drivers piloting specially-made bobsleds down Lake Placid’s icy chute in fun races geared to raise money for the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project. This initiative, started in 1992 by NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine, has built American-made bobsleds for United States athletes competing in the World Cup, World Championships and Olympic Winter Games. The concept paid dividends with gold, silver and bronze medals in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games, and most recently scored again with silver in Torino. Currently, a new sled design is being created by Bodine and sled builder Bob Cuneo of Chassis Dynamics in Connecticut. It will be tested during national and international competitions leading up to the next Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010.
  
  
• 7/29: Country music superstar Lorrie Morgan will headline an Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Race Day concert Sunday, Aug. 6 in the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, kicking off an exciting day for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series fans. Rock music performer J-Henry, who counts Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp among his influences, and country music rising star Jack Ingram will open the concert at 10 a.m. The show is free for all Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Race Day ticket holders.
  
  
• 7/28: Sorry folks, we've not heard a peep about Scott Alexander's test session at Oxford Plains Speedway earlier this week. Still trying to get some news and will post when, and if, it becomes available. Weekend festivities at OPS start today, with the first formal practice session for the pro stocks between 3 and 4 this afternoon (local time, 4 to 5 AT). FRIDAY UPDATE from the Alexander camp posted on OPS 250 Event Notebook - with pictures - click here.
  
  
• 7/28: Kyle Petty's Annual Charity Ride has been happening this week...For pictures and journal entries, click here (you will be re-directed to the Kyle Petty Charity Ride site).
  
  
• 7/28: Lake Doucette Motor Speedway management have announced the make up race for the event postponed July 23rd will be held on Saturday July 29th @ 3:00pm. It will be a regular points race.
  
  
• 7/28: Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) has donated $45,000 to the Urban Youth Racing School (UYRS), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to the education, training and preparation of today's urban youths by exposure to the automotive and motorsports industry. The donation by Sprint Nextel and partnership with the UYRS is founded on the principles of education, equal opportunity and the ongoing commitment to the growth of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup SeriesTM. Both organizations have a proven track record of improving upon those principles.
  
  
• 7/27: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet and NASCAR's three-time Most Popular Driver, will be the first NASCAR driver to appear as an in-studio guest on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", the Emmy Award-winning news program. Dale Jr. will appear Thursday, August 10. The show airs at 11 pm ET and repeats throughout the following day. The Daily Show has featured a broad spectrum of celebrity guests, including political figures, Hollywood stars, and U.S. Presidents. The appearance on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" will kick off a full night in New York on Aug. 10, as Dale Jr. will then join boxing champion and friend Arturo Gatti at the Budweiser One Night Stand music event at Mulcahy's in Long Island (8 p.m. ET). Fans will be able to watch a live webcast of the event by logging onto www.budweiser.com.
  
  
• 7/26: NASCAR Busch Series officials found no irregularities with the left-front tire of Clint Bowyer's No. 2 Chevrolet, series spokeswoman Tracey Judd confirmed Monday. The tire was confiscated following Saturday's Busch race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Bowyer finished second in the race. At the time, series director Joe Balash said there was something on the tire "I didn't like," but didn't know as it would turn out to be anything illegal.
  
  
• 7/26: Danica Patrick signed with Andretti Green Racing on Tuesday, deciding to stay in the Indy Racing League instead of switching to NASCAR. Patrick will start driving for her new team in 2007. Her current contract with Rahal Letterman expires at the end of the season. Though she toyed with joining NASCAR, Patrick said last week she was leaning toward staying in the IndyCar series. "My heart and soul is in IndyCar racing," Patrick said at a news conference. "NASCAR is not out for good. It's out for right now."
  
  
• 7/25: Dartmouth's Scott Alexander is scheduled to test at Oxford Plains Speedway today in preparation for Sunday's TD Banknorth 250. Alexander has been counting the days all year long for this race - it's the first for his new racecar which was built especially for this race. Scott's longtime friend Gary Crooks (formerly of Dartmouth, now of Mooresville, NC) built the car and will crew chief for Scott this weekend. We're hoping to get a report later today on how the session goes.
  
  
• 7/25: Special two-day discount tickets for the September 22 - 24 2nd Annual PASS 400 Weekend are now on sale by telephone and through the mail only. Advance sale tickets are not on sale at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. General admission tickets will be sold on Saturday and Sunday at the Beech Ridge ticket windows. Fans may purchase a two-day Adult Grandstand ticket for Saturday and Sunday for $35, a $10 savings, in advance by phone and credit card or check through the mail. Kids age 6 – 12 advance two-day tickets are $15. Purchasers of two-day tickets in advance will get in one hour early – 9 am – on both Saturday and Sunday to choose their seats. Two-day tickets sold on Saturday at the box office are not eligible for early entry to the grandstand. For credit card orders: call 207-780-8147 between 9 am and 4pm (no calls after 4pm please). Fans can e-mail questions to minib29@aol.com and leave a phone number and we will call you back to take your order. DO NOT INCLUDE ANY CREDIT CARD INFO IN YOUR E-MAIL SINCE THESE ARE NOT SECURE SITES. We accept VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, and Discover. There is a $5 per order handling charge. For mail orders: mail your check made payable to PASS Racing, Inc for $35/ticket for adults and $15 for kids plus a $5 handling charge/order with your mailing address to PASS Racing, Inc., 195 Lakehouse Rd, Naples, ME 04055. Your tickets will be mailed to you. There is no will-call window at the speedway. No advance sales accepted after September 15 to allow for processing and mail delivery.
  
  
• 7/24: NASCAR officials confiscated the left-front tire of Clint Bowyer's No. 2 Chevrolet following Saturday's Goody's 250 Busch Series race at Martinsville Speedway for further evaluation. "We were looking at all the tires from all the cars and there was just something on the tire that I didn't like, but I don't know that it's anything to speak of," said series director Joe Balash. "We're going to take it to the R&D center and look at it under a controlled environment." Balash said the results of the examination should be completed by Monday.
  
  
• 7/23: It was announced at Saturday's CARQUEST Tour race in PEI that Riverside Speedway's grand re-opening on August 19 will be the Antigonish Mall 200 - yep, that's right 200. It was also announced that there will be an open practice session for Tour cars at Riverside next Saturday (July 29) - not sure if it's open to the public, or not. Got a call in to Riverside management and will post more info ASAP. MONDAY 7/24 UPDATE: Riverside management tell us they'll have details by mid-week...
  
  
• 7/22: Daryl Mahar and the DM66 Motorsports team are having an auction Sunday July 30 at 3 PM. The location is Dr Sharp’s Route 2 Roadhouse, located in the Mill Cove Plaza, in Bedford. Proceeds from the auction are in support of the DM66 Motorsports team and Nova Scotia KidSport. Great auction items and door prizes, along with special auctioneer Jerry ‘JerBear’ Lawrence. Drop by on Sunday to see the auction items and lend support to Daryl and the team. For more information, email DMMotorsports@eastlink.ca.
  
  
• 7/21: Nova Scotia native and short track racing legend Junior Hanley has been confirmed on the "no show" list for the Banknorth 250 at Oxford. Hanley was scheduled to drive a car for Hight Motorsports out of Maine, but the team website has posted a notice that Hanley hurt his back and won't be behind the wheel for the 250. On the other hand, Maritime race fans will still have lots to cheer for, with John Flemming, Scott Alexander and Rollie MacDonald scheduled to make the trip.
  
  
• 7/21: Shawn Turple and the Frank Fraser-owned No. 0 will not be making the trip to Oxford Plains Speedway for next weekends Banknorth 250 (July 30). With all of rainouts this year the team decided they haven't gained the ground they felt they needed to be sure of a respectable showing. They remain focused on getting the No. 0 racecar back to Victory Lane in the Maritimes. Many an "unready" racer has left the Maritimes over the years for the Oxford 250 with what was left of their season budget - and dreams of glory - returning with empty pockets and battered egos. Kudos to the Fraser team for being realistic and so making this tough decision; they'll get there.
  
  
• 7/21: Craftsman Truck Series Team owner David Dollar announced today that Morgan-Dollar Motorsports has swapped crew chiefs and their respective crews on the No. 85 and No. 46 race teams. The change is effective immediately at the team's Statesville, N.C. headquarters and will debut trackside at the August 4 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) race at O'Reilly Raceway Park, Indianapolis, IN. Dennis Setzer will continue to pilot the No. 85 FlexFuel Silverado, now led by 20-time NCTS race winning crew chief Randy Goss and his handpicked crew. Goss also has a NCTS championship as well as a NASCAR Busch Series championship to his credit. Kraig Kinser will make his 14th start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series under the guidance of veteran crew chief Eric Phillips. Phillips has successfully guided Setzer to four wins, 10 top-five finishes and 20 top-10s.
  
  
• 7/20: NASCAR announced Wednesday (July 19) that Ronnie Griffin, crew chief of the No. 23 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series, has been penalized due to rule violations at New Hampshire International Speedway. Griffin was fined $2,500 for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules: Section 20A – 16.4.2A: Fuel cell vent tube exceeded maximum size) of the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book. The infraction was discovered during opening day inspection on July 13.
  
  
• 7/18: Goody's® Headache Powders has announced that three children from the Victory Junction Gang Camp will serve as Grand Marshals for the Goody's 250 Busch Series race set for Saturday, July 22 at Martinsville Speedway (Virginia). Race festivities kick off on Thursday, July 20th, when the Grand Marshals will visit Martinsville Speedway to tour the track, participate in pace car rides and visit several drivers at their haulers for autographs and photos. On Saturday, July 22 prior to the running of the NASCAR Busch Series Goody's 250, the three Victory Junction Gang Camp Grand Marshals will attend the drivers meeting, participate in driver introductions, then jointly give the command "Gentlemen, Start your Engines" to start the Goody's 250.
  
  
• 7/17: The Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway is just 15 days away (July 30). According to this weeks edition of Andy Campbell's View From the Tower, there are four Maritime pro stock racers considering making the long haul for what is billed the "richest short track race in America." They include CARQUEST Tour champions Rollie MacDonald and John Flemming, as well as Maritime racing veterans Scott Alexander and Mike MacKenzie. The race usually draws upwards of 75 of the best pro stock racers on the eastern seaboard - and already includes entries from NASCAR Nextel Cup regulars Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, J.J. Yeley and former NASCAR racer and Maine native, Ricky Craven. Nova Scotia native and short track racing legend Junior Hanley was rumoured to be among the entries, but sources tell us he won't be there - but as anybody that knows Hanley knows: You never know til the green flag drops!
  
  
• 7/16: The September issue of Dick Berggren's Speedway Illustrated magazine ranks Lowe's Motor Speedway as the most competitive track on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule. Managing Editor Kimberly McGraw used statistics from the 2005 season to rank the 22 tracks that feature America's most popular auto racing series. "Rather than dive into the bottomless pool of opinions, we looked at basic statistics to determine NEXTEL Cup's most competitive race track," McGraw wrote. "Specifically, we compared race statistics from the 2005 season, including the margin of victory, number of lead changes, and number of lap leaders. We also looked at the difference in qualifying speed between the fastest and slowest qualifier to se how close in speed the cars were." For tracks with two NEXTEL Cup races in 2005, including Lowe's Motor Speedway, McGraw averaged the statistics. Her numbers showed Lowe's Motor Speedway led the series with 19 lap leaders, ranked second in number of lead changes with 36 and had the third closest margin of victory at 0.168 seconds.
  
  
• 7/15: Former NASCAR racer and short track legend Dick Trickle, who turns 65 in October, is "pretty well retired" but still wants to win...He'll get his chance Tuesday at the Slinger Nationals in Slinger, Wis. - along with Nextel Cup champ Matt Kenseth. "I'm bot going there to place," said the gnarly veteran. "I'm going there to win." He originally planned to run a 17-year-old car in the event but "couldn't quite get it whipped into shape" so he had friends build him a new car. Trickle is spending his semiretirement on a sprawling property on the outskirts of Charlotte, where he lives with his three children and their families. Trickle said he now spends most of his time keeping his "toys" running, fiddling with a collection of motorcycles, tractors and other mechanical goodies. He sprinkles in a bit of golf, too. Trickle is credited with more than 1,200 short track wins, but never won a NASCAR race.
  
  
• 7/15: Two-time and reigning NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Tony Stewart announced on Friday (July 14) his foundation's second donation of $1 million to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Located in Randleman, N.C., the Victory Junction Gang Camp is dedicated to creating empowering experiences for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. The camp was founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in memory of their son Adam. "I really admire Kyle and Pattie Petty for the people they are and for the work that they do," said Stewart. "The Victory Junction Gang Camp was their idea, and they've done so much to make it happen. The Tony Stewart Foundation is proud to donate $1 million to the Victory Junction Gang Camp so that Kyle and Pattie can continue to provide incredible experiences to kids who need it most."
  
  
• 7/14: Made an inquiry to Scotia Speedworld management yesterday regarding the re-scheduling of the PASS North Forbes 200 that was rained out June 24 & June 25...Following is the reply we got: "An announcement of the Forbes race will be made shortly."
  
  
• 7/14: Wayne Smith was unable to have the engine repaired that expired during last Saturday's CARQUEST Tour race at Scotia Speedworld - so Smith has had to purchase a new engine in preparation for this Saturday's Tour race at Shediac.
  
  
• 7/14: Talladega Superspeedway officials announced today that the rock band .38 Special will headline this year's Miller Lite Rock'n Racing Concert in the track's infield Saturday evening, Oct. 7 during the UAW-Ford 500 event weekend. Universal South recording artist Shooter Jennings will open the show. The concert will begin tentatively at 7 p.m, and will be located in the southern portion of the infield near the intersection of the interior roads known as Talladega and Eastaboga Boulevards. The concert is free to all guests in the infield. Tickets for the Nextel Cup race are sold out - BUT you can still get there with North to South Race Tours - Halifax-based, air-included, race packages. Click here for more details - and book soon - space is very limited.
  
  
• 7/14: Chevrolet and Richmond International Raceway announced today that Barenaked Ladies will perform a pre-race concert prior to the sold-out Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at America’s Premier Short Track, set for Saturday, September 9 “under the lights.”
  
  
• 7/13: One more win on the Nextel Cup circuit and Jeff Gordon will tie NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt for sixth all-time most wins on the series. Gordon scored his 75th win at Chciagoland Speedway last Sunday (July 9).
  
  
• 7/13: In a recent issue of Forbes, the magazine valued NASCAR's top teams using a formula calculating revenue, scale of operations, and sponsorship deals among other attributes. These three teams emerged at the top, valued together at over $467 million. The three owners combine to field 23 cars each weekend: 12 NEXTEL Cup and 11 Busch Series. And on any given Sunday, these 12 NEXTEL Cup cars are the odds-on favorites to be parked in a Gatorade Victory lane. It's up to NASCAR's remaining team owners to find a way to beat these odds. A quick look at the NEXTEL Cup driver and owner standings provides a glimpse of how difficult this feat is to accomplish, however, Michael Waltrip Racing, NASCAR's instant story generator, may be on to something. News that UPS would leave Robert Yates Racing at the end of the season to remain with Jarrett when he moves to Waltrip's newly formed NEXTEL Cup team next year spread through the motorsports world like wildfire. The deal is a major boost for Waltrip who now finds himself in the enviable position of having three fully sponsored cars next year when he only expected to have two. The move leaves the No. 00 Dominos/Burger King car without a driver and NASCAR with its next big story: Who will be Michael Waltrip Racing's third NEXTEL Cup driver? According to the Forbes motorsports study, Michael Waltrip Racing was valued at $23 million, 14th among all NASCAR team owners. But with the addition of Toyota, three new sponsors, two NEXTEL Cup cars, Jarrett, and a driver to be announced in the near future, Waltrip intends to carve his name in the upper echelon of NASCAR's elite teams.
  
  
• 7/12: Ken Schrader is keeping up his hectic schedule. Prior to competing in Sunday’s LENOX Industrial Tools 300, Schrader is scheduled to race in Farmington, Mo. on Wednesday before departing for New England, where he’ll race in short track events in Barre, Vt. on Thursday night and also in Wiscasset, Maine on Friday. Year-to-date Schrader has run 18 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races; 6 NASCAR Busch Series races; 1 Budweiser Shootout; 2 Copper World; and 30 Short track (dirt, late-model, etc.)...
  
  
• 7/11: It’s been an eventful 24 hours for Matt Kenseth, currently the second-place driver in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series standings. After a frustrating Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway – Kenseth finished 22nd following two late incidents despite leading a race-high 112 laps – the 2003 series champion experienced a typical commuter’s headache Monday morning. En route to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first of three days of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup testing, Kenseth felt something tag the rear of his rental car at a stoplight. He thought it was Roush Racing teammate Greg Biffle, who’d followed him from a local airport. “He always runs into me, so I thought it was him joking,” Kenseth said. “It wasn't. It was a student driver and instructor; just pile drove into the back of me. That was exciting.”
  
  
• 7/11: JR Motorsports and the U.S. Navy announced the extension of their partnership on Saturday afternoon before the running of the NASCAR Busch Series USG Durock 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. The Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned team will field the No. 88 Navy Accelerate Your Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the Busch Series through the 2007 season. “This is my first major primary sponsorship renewal as a team owner,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “One of the goals I had going into this deal was to establish long-term relationships with sponsors and this is the first step in that direction. As a new team we’ve faced some struggles, but the Navy has stood behind us and supported us along the way and that says a lot about their commitment to our success. We’ve just started to shed light on what we can do as a team. We plan to take the Navy Chevrolet to Victory Lane.”
  
  
• 7/10: NASCAR President Mike Helton spoke about NASCAR's policy on enforcement of the rules during Sunday's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers' meeting. Click here to listen to his comments (MP3 2m:30s).
  
  
• 7/9: PASS officials have announced the PASS North Super Late Model and PASS Modified race that was rained out on Sunday June 4th at Riverside Speedway in Groveton, New Hampshire has been rescheduled to Saturday September 30.
  
  
• 7/9: Riverside Speedway (James River, Nova Scotia) was paved Friday. CheckersToWreckers.com was there. Click here to read the story and view the pictures.
  
  
• 7/7: Expecting to hear some news in the coming days about whether the PASS Forbes 200 will be rescheduled, or not. Scotia Speedworld track officials were canvassing teams at the CARQUEST Tour race in PEI last weekend about the feasibility from the racer's perspective, and were due to meet this week to determine the feasibility from the track's perspective. As reported last week, PASS has offered Friday August 11 as the make-up date, the day before the Atlantic CAT 250, meaning a double-header weekend for all involved...



• 7/7: CARQUEST Tour GM Ken Cunning says he expects 32 teams to enter Saturday's CARQUEST Tour 100 at Scotia Speedworld - and just in case you race-starved fellow fans haven't done the math - you better get out to the show...With the first Tour show being run on a raindate under questionable skies, not many made it - and that was almost one month ago (June 11) - and then the PASS show scheduled for June 24-25 was washed out (twice). And the next pro stock "fix" for HRM fans is not til the Atlantic CAT 250 August 12, another month away...



• 7/6: A cornerstone of the Canadian stock car racing scene, Cayuga Speedway, has been sold and will undergo a total transformation over the coming years. The new owners are Jerry Santucci and Dean Rose. The track is now known as Cayuga International Speedway. The immediate plans are to prepare for the CASCAR Super Series race on the Labour Day Weekend. This will be the last event on the current Cayuga oval. Some work will be done to improve the appearance of the track before the final race. The weekend will also feature a tribute to long-time Cayuga owners Bob and Leone Slack. After the Labour Day event is over, the heavy equipment moves in and the current facility will be completely demolished. The conceptual drawings shown here will give an idea of the vision of the new owners. Click on the drawing for larger pictures.
  
  
• 7/6: Carl Edwards did his trademark flip in Victory Lane at Indianapolis Raceway Park on Wednesday night (July 5). Edwards and cousin Ken Schrader, and Nextel Cup champ Tony Stewart all participated in the inaugural 100-lap race for the PRA Big Car Series...
  
  
• 7/3: Don't miss Andy Campbell's View From the Tower at Raceway Park. Andy has updates on Dave Gorveatt's recovery after his horrific workplace accident in march and Kent Livingston's quest to find a racecar to driver since his pre-season practice crash...
  
  
• 7/1: Kevin Harvick's Busch Series Crew Chief, Shane Wilson, was ejected from the racing premises at Daytona International Speedway for rule violations found following impound Friday. Wilson was found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules – unapproved aerodynamic modification) of the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series rule book. As a result, the qualifying time for the No. 21 Chevrolet was disallowed and the car started the race from the 42nd position.
  
  
• 7/1: With more NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers at the highest level of the sport gaming than ever before, Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) has announced that its EA SPORTS™ branded NASCAR® videogame, NASCAR® 07, will feature NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Elliott Sadler on the cover. The longtime gamer has been heavily involved in all aspects of EA’s NASCAR franchise since he joined the Cup ranks in 1999, including taking home the championship trophy from last years’ EA SPORTS Drivers Gaming Competition in Bristol, TN, making him the perfect driver to showcase on the cover.
  
  
• 6/30: Oxford Plains Speedway (OPS) still has some VIP suites available for the TD BankNorth 250 on July 30. There’s no better way to enjoy the classic event than in the air conditioned comfort of a skybox suite, located above the grandstands. The cost is $1,000 per suite for 10 persons. For more details, call the Butch Lenberg at OPS: (207) 539-8865.
  
  
• 6/30: The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway was the highest rated televised sporting event last weekend nationwide. The event earned a 5.1 rating on FOX, with the next closest sporting event being the Dodge/Save Mart 350 pre-race show, also on FOX (3.1). The race rating also represented a 9-percent increase over the 2004 Dodge/Save Mart 350 (4.7 on FOX).
  
  
• 6/28: Jeff Gordon's got 'Superman' as a co-pilot for the Pepsi 400; Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson has Shamu (the whale)...On July 1, Shamu teams up with the Daytona 500 champion at the superspeedway. In what’s sure to be an exciting night of racing, Shamu will be featured in a special paint scheme on the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The paint scheme is part of SeaWorld’s introduction of its new Shamu show, “Believe,” open now at all three SeaWorld parks.
  
  
• 6/28: United States Vice president Dick Cheney will attend the Pepsi 400 at Daytona on Saturday. Vice President Cheney will speak to race fans during pre-race ceremonies for the mid-summer classic as well as meet NASCAR drivers, teams and executives during his visit to "The World Center of Racing."
  
  
• 6/28: The Busch race from Daytona Friday night is not being broadcast in Canada, so we wrote Sportsnet with an inquiry asking why they were not carrying what could possibly be one of the most exciting races of the year. Following is the reply..."Thanks for your recent email. Our broadcasting agreement with NASCAR was decided on prior to the beginning of the season. We have the rights for 14 Busch Series races of which this race is not one of." At least they replied, even if it wasn't the answer we wanted! To send along your comments to them, click here. Probably won't make a difference for this week, but may help for the future...
  
  
• 6/27: Phillip Lopez, crew chief for Terry Labonte at Infineon Raceway this past weekend won the WYPALL® Wipers Crew Chief of the Race award, earning Lopez a $1,000 bonus and points toward a $20,000 season-ending bonus. Prior to Infineon, the team's best finish was a 16th. Infineon was Labonte's first race with the team, replacing Tony Raines for this event only.
  
  
• 6/26: On the Fox Sports pre-race show at Sonoma, Darrell Waltrip said that Jeff Gordon got engaged over the weekend to girlfriend Ingrid Vanderbosch, a model. Couldn't find any confirmation elsewhere so we've sent an inquiry to our friends at Gordon's PR firm...Update Apparently Gordon and Ingrid decided to get married about a month ago, but made the formal announcement to a gathering of friends and family on Saturday in the Sonoma area. Gordon is originally from nearby Vallejo (California).
  
  
• 6/26: On Sunday's Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain (Speed TV) Brian Vickers announced he will drive for Red Bull Racing in 07; Vicker's will drive one of two Toyota's the new team will field next year. Bill Elliott will drive three races for the Red Bull Team, later this year to give their NASCAR program a kick-start.
  
  
• 6/25: James Hylton (pictured right) became the oldest starter in NASCAR's National Series history when he took the green flag to start the Busch Series AT&T 250 at the Milwaukee Mile - at 71 years and 302 days old.
  
  
• 6/23: In a continuation of DAYTONA USA’s 10th anniversary celebration, “The Official Attraction of NASCAR” will host an unprecedented gathering of former Daytona 500 winning cars during the June 29-July 1 Pepsi 400 Weekend. Including the current Daytona 500 winning car – the No. 48 Lowe’s Home Improvement Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson – DAYTONA USA will welcome six other winning race machines from “The Great American Race” – NASCAR’s most prestigious and richest event. Included in the Daytona 500 winning car display will be: All three No. 24 DuPont Automotive Finishes Chevrolets that Jeff Gordon drove to Daytona 500 victories in 1997, 1999 and 2005; Michael Waltrip’s No. 15 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolets from his 2001 and 2003 Daytona 500 victories; Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 2004 Daytona 500 winning No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet. The display will be at DAYTONA USA.
  
  
• 6/22: NBIS has announced that Coast Tire will be the sponsor of the July 8th "Best of the Best" 100. Coast Tire was originally the sponsor of the June 10th "Best of the Best", but the event was cancelled due to rain. NBIS will be re-scheduling the June 10th "Best of the Best" at a later date.
  
  
• 6/22: Sta-Green, a sponsor of the No. 5 Lowe's Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series, recently gave driver Kyle Busch a total yard makeover, complete with an in-ground irrigation system, a separate dog area and even palm trees. Busch, a Las Vegas native who just purchased his first home near Charlotte, N.C., has been personally tracking the progress, from dirt and rock to a lush lakeside lawn. Sta-Green is a line of fertilizers, seeds and mulches by Spectrum Brands.
  
  
• 6/21: Infineon Raceway will open its world-famous road course to the public following Sunday’s Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event with the raceway’s first-ever track walk. Race fans will be allowed to roam around the road course beginning approximately 30 minutes after the checkered flag falls on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event. To make it even more fun, the raceway will hide five golden lug nuts around the road course, each of which is redeemable for valuable prizes, including a $4,000 Snap-on tool box, a $500 shopping spree at Save Mart Supermarkets or a $500 Big O Tires gift certificate.
  
  
• 6/20: Been hearing all day that Donald Chisholm had a fire in his hauler Saturday night on the way home to Antigonish from the race at NBIS. Got a call in to Donald for confirmation. Will post an update ASAP...
  
  
• 6/20: Congrats to Dean Clattenburg on a 3rd place finish this past weekend (June 17) in the PASS South Orange Blossom Special at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, North Carolina. Clattenburg (far right in picture), formerly of Dartmouth (NS), a MASCAR Rookie of the Year, and son of Maritime racing legend Terry Clattenburg, moved to North Carolina several years ago. The top five finishers on the 17 car field were: 1. Wade Day (center); 2. Ryan Lawler (left); 3. Dean Clattenburg; 4. Dennis Schoenfeld; 5. Mike Rowe. The finish moved Clattenburg to ninth in the series point standings, 246 markers behind point leader Mike Rowe.
  
  
• 6/20: Dan Eddy's plans to run this weekends PASS show at Scotia Speedworld are in jeopardy as Eddy has an inner ear infection that just won't go away. Anyone who has ever suffered vertigo will appreciate Eddy's decision not to get behind the wheel until he has recovered...
  
  
• 6/20: Darlington Raceway recently received one of Darlington's highest municipal honours. The manager of the history speedway in South Carolina was presented a key to the city on a plaque bearing the following inscription: In appreciation of the enormous contribution to the economy, the history and tradition, and the prestige of the Darlington community.
  
  
• 6/19: New Hampshire International Speedway ticket holders got their renewal forms for the first NHIS 2007 race, and the date is July 1. The race has been the third weekend in July for many years. With the 4th of July on a Wednesday in 2007, the Pepsi 400 is scheduled to run on July 7, 2007.
  
  
• 6/19: Dale Earnhardt Jr. told NASCAR.COM on Saturday that he and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. had agreed to terms that give him sole ownership of the trademark rights to his name - an asset estimated to be worth some $5 million annually.
  
  
• 6/19: Nextel Cup cars will be mandated to run unleaded fuel beginning with next season's Daytona 500. NASCAR's Busch Series cars will switch to unleaded fuel on a temporary basis starting with the July 29 race at Gateway International Raceway, before running the brand full-time in 2007 along with the Cup and Craftsman Truck Series.
  
  
• 6/17: Jeff Gordon is scheduled to co-host the popular daytime talk show “Live with Regis and Kelly” on Tuesday, June 20. The four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet will fill in for host Regis Philbin. “Live with Regis and Kelly” is in its 18th year of national syndication and continues to wake up millions of Americans each day. Check local listings for time and channel.
  
  
• 6/17: Bruton Smith, founder of Speedway Motorsports and Sonic Automotive, was honoured Thursday night as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year in the Carolinas. "This is a tremendous honor and I accept it on behalf of our more than 16,000 employees who transform the vision into reality," Smith said. "I truly enjoy what I do everyday. This is not a job, it's not work. For me, it's fun." Smith is now eligible for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2006 national awards program. Winners in several national categories, as well as the overall winner, will be announced Nov. 18 in Palm Springs, Calif.
  
  
• 6/16: Superman will wave the green flag to start the Pepsi 400 at Daytona on July 1. Brandon Routh, who stars as the Man of Steel in Superman Returns, Warner Bros. Pictures’ soaring new action adventure opening nationwide on June 28, will serve as the Grand Marshal. Besides the green flag, Routh will give the start engine command to the starting field.
  
  
• 6/16: Speed TV has cancelled NBS 24/7. The final episode airs June 19. The show has been a staple of the Speed channel's lineup since the start of the 2004 season. According to a Speed representative, the shows ratings were not strong enough to support the continuation of the show.
  
  
• 6/16: Ward Burton was interviewed from South Boston Speedway on Sunday's (6/11) Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain. Burton said he is activity pursuing a ride in 2007, preferring a Nextel Cup ride. Burton said he has talked to a few teams [including some Toyota teams] and sponsors [hearing one he talked to is Under Armor] but has nothing signed and plans to come back if the opportunity presents itself. Burton also gave Dave odds that his return is 50/50.
  
  
• 6/15: SPEED will bring viewers a special edition of Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain on June 18 at 10:00 pm AT (9:00 pm ET) entitled Economaki - Eyewitness to American Racing History. The one-hour special will be a wide-ranging conversation with Chris Economaki, a motor sports journalist for more than 70 years. Economaki, the Editor and Publisher Emeritus of National Speed Sport News, began his career at age 13, hawking the publication at tracks in his native New Jersey. The face and voice of American motor sports for more than 33 years with ABC and CBS, Economaki literally has 'seen it all,' and at age 85, still writes a weekly notebook column for NSSN.
  
  
• 6/15: O'Reilly Auto Parts has acquired naming rights for the historic Indianapolis Raceway Park (Clermont , IN). The venue is owened and operated by the NHRA and features a quarter-mile drag strip, .686-mile asphalt oval and a 2.5-mile road course. The naming rights agreement comes at a time when the facility is in the middle of a modernization project. The remodeling project has included improvements to the racing surfaces on the drag strip and oval, as well as the construction of new skybox suites at the drag strip and installation of new SAFER-barrier walls at the oval track. Click here to see the new facility logo...
  
  
• 6/14: Daytona International Speedway is offering two new ticket packages for the Pepsi 400. The “Chevy Day At Daytona” package and a “SunTrust Dare To Sit There” ticket package each offer extra value. When a race fan participates in a Chevrolet Test Drive at a participating Southern Chevy Dealer, they’ll have the opportunity to purchase the “Chevy Day At Daytona” package, which offers race guests the following for $75 ($349 value): One Pepsi 400 ticket for Saturday, July 1; One Winn-Dixie 250 presented by PepsiCo ticket; One hospitality pass that can be used before the Pepsi 400; Hospitality appearance by NEXTEL Cup Series driver J.J. Yeley; Chevy gift; One voucher for a hot lap around Daytona International Speedway (Must be used on Saturday, July 1); One Pre-Race/NEXTEL FANZONE pass; and Pre-Race tour. The SunTrust Dare To Sit There offer for Saturday, July 1, available for $125, includes: One Superstretch Terrace/Tower ticket for the Pepsi 400; One Pre-Race/NEXTEL FANZONE admission; and Admission to a Michael Waltrip/Wayne Taylor fan forum on Saturday, July 1. For more information on these ticket packages and other great ticket offers for the Pepsi 400 Holiday weekend, call 1-800-PITSHOP or visit www.racetickets.com.
  
  
• 6/12: Maine's elder statesman of racing Mike Rowe is tearing up the tracks in the PASS South Series. Rowe, the series points leader entering Sunday's event in Florence, SC, finished third in the race behind winner Charlie Bradbury and runner-up Freddie Query. In three PASS South events this year the 56-year-old has one win and two thirds. Rowe's next race is a PASS South show in North Caolina on the 17th, then he heads for The Forbes Chev Olds 200 on June 24 at Scotia Speedworld - where he scored a clean sweep by winning both PASS North shows last year.
  
  
• 6/11: NASCAR President Mike Helton says there is a great deal of interest from NASCAR in bringing NASCAR racing to Canada. Helton was on today's episode of RaceDay on Speed TV. He added that they still don't know how the proposed venture in Canada will work out, but that if they do come to Canada, it likely will be the Busch Series and moving existing dates, not creating new ones. Helton explained that they (NASCAR) still have some flexibility with the Busch Series schedule that they currently don't have with the Nextel Cup Series.
  
  
• 6/10: After 61 years behind the microphone at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tom Carnegie, whose smooth, baritone voice has become synonymous with the IMS since 1946, announced June 9 that the 90th Indianapolis 500 was his last race as Public Address announcer for the Racing Capital of the World. Carnegie was hired to serve as Public Address announcer for the 30th Indianapolis 500 in 1946, the first “500” under late Speedway owner Tony Hulman’s stewardship. Carnegie has called every race since then at the Speedway for millions of fans – 61 Indianapolis 500’s, 12 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard races and six United States Grands Prix. Click here to hear an MP3 clip of Carnegie's legendary New Track Record call.
  
  
• 6/9: Been hearing that the CARQUEST Tour is considering making a date switch between Centre for Speed (Shediac) and Riverside Speedway (James River) for the August 19 and August 26 dates - because of the country music concert being held in Moncton on August 19...Although there is still no confirmation, the Riverside Speedway site is now showing their opening date as August 19, rather than the originally scheduled August 26. The CARQUEST Tour site and the Centre for Speed site still show the Tour in Shediac August 19 - and at Riverside August 26...Working on a confirmation - will advise...Update...As of 9 a.m. this morning CARQUEST Tour manager Ken Cunning says they have talked about a switch because of the concert, but there is no formal agreement. Update June 17 It's official; the Tour announced last night the dates have been switched - so Riverside Speedway's re-opening is August 19 - and Shediac goes August 26. Do you suppose any race fans bought the $100+ tickets for the concert based on the published schedule - and might be a tad peeved? Got an opinion you want to share with them about this change? Click here to email Tour management.
  
  
• 6/9: Ganassi racing has confirmed Casey Mears will not be returning to the No. 42 ride next season. Hendrick's No. 25 Chevrolet and Robert Yates Racing's No. 88 Ford, which veteran Dale Jarrett will vacate at the end of the season, are considered the likely destinations for Mears.
  
  
• 6/9: Hendrick Motorsports has given Brian Vickers (Nextel Cup No. 25) permission to explore other driving opportunities for next season and beyond. Vickers is rumoured to be in talks with Team Red Bull, fielding two full-time Toyota's next season.
  
  
• 6/8: Rumour has it Rollie MacDonald plans to enter this Sunday's CARQUEST Tour season opener at Scotia Speedworld. MacDonald, the 05 series champ, has been battling health issues since early this year - causing uncertainty in his racing plans. He was at Scotia Speedworld earlier this week practicing his No. 13 King Freight Lines racecar and felt good, so, providing he feels good on race day - and that the weather-god co-operates - MacDonald will make the haul from Pictou to Halifax...pleasing scores of Maritime race fans.
  
  
• 6/7: June 6 was proclaimed Ryan Newman Day in Michigan. “It’s pretty cool to have my own day in Michigan, a place that’s close to home for me,” said Newman who had a day named after him for the first time ever. “My crew chief, Matt Borland, is from just down the street in Haslett, and he claims that this is God’s country. I’m having a hard time disagreeing with him.”
  
  
• 6/6: Cheech Marin has been named Grand Marshal of the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series weekend at Infineon Raceway, June 23-25. Marin, best known as one-half of the counter-culture, no-holds barred duo of Cheech and Chong, will be honored throughout the weekend, most notably at the Raceway Builders Grand Marshal’s Banquet on Friday night at beautiful Cline Cellars in Sonoma. “This is a big honor for me and I’m looking forward to coming out to Sonoma,” said Marin, a native of Los Angeles. “I’ve always loved the Bay Area, and NASCAR is truly growing into one of the biggest sports in the country. It’s a great way to spend the weekend.”
  
  
• 6/4: Did Ya Know? That on this Day in History...Henry Ford test drove his first vehicle. Ford was an American engineer who is widely credited with developing the world's first automobile. After becoming chief engineer of the Edison Illuminating Company in 1893, Ford was able to devote attention to his personal experiments on internal combustion engines. These experiments culminated in 1896 with the completion of his own self-propelled vehicle named the Quadricycle, which he test-drove on June 4th of that year. Henry Ford, with eleven other investors and $28,000 in capital, incorporated the Ford Motor Company in 1903. In a newly-designed car, Ford drove an exhibition in which the car covered the distance of a mile on the ice of Lake St. Clair in 39.4 seconds, which was a new land speed record. Convinced by this success, the famous race driver Barney Oldfield, who named this new Ford model "999" in honor of a racing locomotive of the day, took the car around the country and thereby made the Ford brand known throughout the U.S. Henry Ford was also one of the early backers of the Indianapolis 500.
  
  
• 6/4: Retired Maritime racing veteran Terry Clattenburg is expected to spot for Scott Alexander in the CARQUEST Tour season opener at Scotia Speedworld (rained out this weekend - new date tba). Alexander sees Clattenburg's experience as a benefit - and a good luck charm - the last time Terry spotted for Scott - they won!
  
  
• 6/3: Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive a cream-colored No. 8 Chevrolet at Michigan on Father's Day, June 18, to honour his grandfather, Ralph, and father, Dale Sr. The car will feature Budweiser logos that were introduced in 1956 - the same year Ralph Earnhardt won the NASCAR National Sportsman title (now the Busch Series).
  
  
• : Todd Bodine will run a limited Nextel Cup schedule in 07. Germain Racing, who field his Craftsman Truck Series ride, has decided to participate in NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow program. Bodine will drive a Toyota Camry on a limited Nextel Cup schedule as well as compete full-time on the Truck Series.
  
  
• 6/2: Jason Jarrett, son of Nextel Cup driver Dale Jarrett, will take over spotting duties for his father beginning this weekend at Dover. Jason replaces Eddie D’Hondt who was relieved of his general manager duties at Robert Yates Racing recently. Jarret tried a news spotter last week in Charlotte but communication problems contributed to a wreck that took Jarrett out of the race on lap 1.
  
  
• 6/2: Roush Racing announced today that The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company's Ortho brand will sponsor Roush Racings No. 50 Ford F-150 driven by Carl Edwards in this weekends NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series AAA Insurance 200 at Dover International Speedway. “I’m excited that Ortho has come on board for this weekend’s Craftsman Truck Series race,” said Edwards. “The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has sponsored me since 2004, and I’m really happy the opportunity to get back in the truck for a race came about with them. It would be pretty cool if Mark Martin and I could put the Scotts and Ortho trucks at the front of the field on Friday night.”
  
  
• 6/1: Road Racing champ Scott Pruett will replace David Stremme in the seat of the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge for the June 25 event at Infineon Raceway. “I have been very pleased with the strides that David and the 40 car have made over the last several weeks and David is an important part of the future of Chip Ganassi Racing,” said team owner Chip Ganassi. “But in Scott Pruett we have one of the best road course drivers in all of racing and once again have the luxury of being able to utilize that expertise.” Pruett is no stranger to NEXTEL Cup racing with 37 career starts under his belt. He has had six starts over the past five seasons for CGRFS, producing three top-five and four top-10 finishes. Two of those starts came at Infineon Raceway, with a best showing of third in 2004.
  
  
• 6/1: Busch Series Dover Penalties - Bryant Frazier, crew chief of the No. 64 Dodge driven by Jamie McMurray, was fined $5,000 for violating Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing), Section 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment that do not conform to NASCAR rules) and Section 20A-5.10.1B(4) (carburetor throttle bores must not be larger than 1.438 inches and must be straight, without taper, from top to bottom) of the NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book. The infraction was discovered during opening day inspection. Brad Parrott, crew chief of the No. 42 Dodge driven by Casey Mears, was fined $1,000 for violating Sections 12-4-A, 12-4-Q and 20A-12.3S (left rear shock absorber must fully compress and fully extend). The infraction was discovered during post-race inspection.
  
  
• 5/31: Rollie MacDonald, the 05 CARQUEST Tour champ, is not sure whether he'll race this Saturday in the CARQUEST Tour 06 season opener. MacDonald, 62, has been battling health issues during the off-season, starting with gall-bladder surgery in January (causing him to miss being officially crowned the 05 series champ at the series awards banquet), and since then more surgery for complications from the gall-bladder operation. MacDonald has yet to totally recover, and is undergoing tests to find out why he is still having discomfort. In April, he withdrew from a race at Oxford Plains Speedway after qualifying for the outside pole starting spot. Anybody that knows Rollie MacDonald would know how badly he must have been feeling to leave a race, especially when he had a good car...Besides his health issues, MacDonald is still not certain how competitve his car will be with the new-for-06 rules package that applies to his car; he plans to test the car at Scotia Speedworld today (Wednesday). MacDonald has been adament for a long time that if he's not competitive, hence having fun, he won't be there.
  
  
• 5/31: Michael Waltrip has partnered with The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation to announce the ‘Preserving Your Memory’ campaign in efforts to help fund Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research. The campaign’s objective is to raise $100 million dollars over the next five years for continued studies. Through visiting www.waltripchallenge.com or www.alzinfo.org websites, people can purchase a ‘Preserving Your Memory’ Forget-Me-Not pin, or a Get-Etched Memories product, which will generate much needed funds to aid Alzheimer’s disease research. To bring in additional donations, ‘The Waltrip Challenge’ initiative will also include a ‘Race Day Experience’ sweepstakes with Waltrip himself.
  
  
• 5/25: Riverside Speedway owner John Chisholm continues to consider an open event for this fall, and is looking at options for such an event...As of today, the rebuilding process is well underway with the outside wall finished, the infield levelling done, work starting on the inside concrete walls (front and back stretch), and the old grandstands almost completely gone. The new grandstands have been built off-site and will be installed once the bank has been reformed to accomodate the new stands, which will seat 8,000 - compared to the 2,500 "ish" capacity of the old stands... Paving will be done after the walls are finished on a day that will allow the process to be completed post haste so that there are no start/finish seams in the asphalt. the Grand-Reopening of Riverside Speedway is set for August 26, the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour Antigonish Mall 100.
  
  
• 5/24: Like Father, Like Son…Maritime racing veteran Dan Eddy (Enfield) is planning a comeback for the 06 season. Eddy will run a limited schedule in his No. 1 Sojourn Signs racecar, with the two Pro All Stars Series (PASS) races at Scotia Speedworld on his schedule plus a 250 event, either the TD Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine or the Irving Oil 250 at New Brunswick International Speedway. Eddy has taken time away from the stock car racing scene from the past couple years to spend time with his family but will be able to combine those pleasures this year as his son Bradley, 11, makes his "professional" racing debut May 26 in the under 16 Bandalero division at Scotia Speedworld. Bradley started racing go-karts in 2004, and in his rookie season (05) captured the AMKA championship, scoring 16 of 23 wins along the way. Dan says Bradley has a natural ability behind the wheel - and with sponsors. On his own, Bradley secured longtime Maritime motorsports supporter King Freight Lines for the hood of his 06 Bandalero. Bradley's car will be numbered the same as his dad's: No. 1…
  
  
• 5/23: NASCAR driver Kyle Busch pleaded guilty Tuesday to improper driving and was fined $150 US. Busch was ticketed April 12 in suburban Richmond for reckless driving after he pulled out of a gas station and into a fast-food restaurant. Busch has said he "chirped" his tires but didn’t exceed 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h). Under the misdemeanour reckless driving charge, Busch could have received up to one year in jail, a $2,500 fine and a driver’s licence suspension. The plea was entered in Henrico General District Traffic Court and Busch also had to pay $61 in court costs. The 20-year-old Busch drives for Hendrick Motorsports.
  
  
• 5/23: Adam Sandler will be the Grand Marshall for the 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 18. Sandler is the star of over a dozen films including the blockbuster comedies The Longest Yard, Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates and Big Daddy, to name just a few.
  
  
• 5/22: Dean Clattenburg (formerly of Dartmouth, NS) finished 11th in round two of the PASS Southern Series event May 21 at Southern National Raceway in Kenly, NC. Freddie Query (mooresville, NC) won the race. Click here for a complete rundown.
  
  
• 5/18: Reigning Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart plans double duty during the July race weekend at New Hampshire International Speedway. In addition to the July 16 Cup race, Stewart plans to compete in the July 15 New England 100 NASCAR Modified race at the track. Stewart’s entry for the modified race will be prepared by Chase Racing. Team owner Curt Chase also fields a modified entry for Doug Coby.
  
  
• 5/10: Dave Gorveatt, who is recovering from a serious March 23 workplace accident, suffered a setback this week. According to a story published in The Guardian (Charlottetown) Randy Visser (owner of the potato warehouse where Gorveatt worked) said Gorveatt required emergency surgery last week after losing a large amount of blood. "He is quite weak and he was back in intensive care for a few days, said Visser. "I think this last turn has been really hard on them (Dave and his wife Debbie) because he was looking good . . . It really took an awful lot out of them." For several weeks, Debbie has been living in a hotel near the QEII Hospital in Halifax. Visser said Gorveatt has received about 40 units of blood since the accident. He said Gorveatt was very quiet but in good spirits when he visited him three weeks ago. "The time I talked to him he had a pretty good attitude toward it all, said Visser. "He realizes it is going to be a long road but he has a good wife . . . He is thinking about recovery a lot and he would really like to go home."
  
  
• 5/8: Cy Harvey has purchased the Phillip Barkhouse pro stock racecar. Harvey plans a limited schedule; Barkhouse will be taking the year off.
  
  
• 5/1: Riverside Speedway (James River, NS) owner John Chisholm says construction is "on track" with the biggest job - the outside concrete retaining wall - due to be finished this first week of May. "We're working on the infield and that is just about finished, too," said Chisholm. "Once we're done the wall and the infield surface, we'll start the new infield building that will house the tech area, the canteen and the pit washrooms. That building will be located on the inside of turn four and built so as not to interfere with fans view from the grandstands. We'll be starting to replace the stands by mid-May, too." Chisholm says he is close to making a decision on a season-ending pro stock open race, and date; if it happens, it is likely to be a 250-lap event. A new website is also under construction; fans can watch the progress and get the latest Riverside Speedway news at www.RiversideSpeedway.ca.
  
  
• 4/28: Bandalero scale-model racecars are making their debut in the Maritimes at Scotia Speedworld (Halifax, NS) this season. The local supplier says they have guaranteed the track eight cars for opening day (May 26). The division will be sanctioned by INEX and run their rules. Kids eight to 15 will compete. The Bandaleros are the sixth division for the Scotia Speedworld weekly racing series.
  
  
• 4/26: Two-time former CARQUEST Tour champ John Flemming (Halifax, NS) will make a charge for the 06 series championship. Flemming has been racing part-time for the past two seasons but is back "110%" this year. "We're getting both cars ready, one for the Tour and one for select PASS shows - and the guys on the team are with me 110%, too," said Flemming, who will drive a yet-to-be sponsored Dodge. Flemming is also excited to see his son Cody (11) make his racing debut in the new Bandalero division at Scotia Speedworld (Halifax, NS) this season.
  
  
• 4/25: 05 CARQUEST Tour Rookie of the Year Shawn Turple (Enfield, NS) has an aggressive sophomore season planned in the SFR racecar fielded by Frank Fraser (Shubenacadie, NS). They plan to run the entire CARQUEST Tour plus six to nine other events, including the two PASS shows at Scotia Speedworld. Turple, a former sportsman division champ at Speedworld, split his 05 season between the pro stock and sportsman but is totally dedicated to pro stock this year - and his sportsman car for sale.
  
  
• 4/24: Scott Alexander (Dartmouth, NS) is having a new racecar built specifically for the Truenorth Bank 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway (Maine). Alexander, a two-time PASS race winner, is having the car built in North Carolina by Gary Crooks, a close friend of Alexander's formerly from Dartmouth. Alexander spent time with Crooks at New Smyrna Speedway (Florida) during SpeedWeeks as Crooks was crew chief for Travis Kittleston, the Super Late Model SpeedWeek division champ. Alexander's new car will be on a Hamke chassis, crafted by another Dartmouth transplant, Dean Clattenburg. Crooks will crew chief for Alexander at Oxford. Alexander is also excited to see the third generation of his family get behind the wheel. His son, Michael, will race the weekly hobby stock division at Scotia Speedworld this year. Alexander's dad Donnie was also a racer.
  
  
• 4/21: NASCAR officials are said to be touring race venues in Montreal looking at an expansion for the Busch Series into Canada - as soon as 2007.
  
  
• 4/20: Stan Dicks has sold Island Speedway to Barry Cusack Jr. Stan and his daughter Cheryl have done an admirable job of running the Syney track prior to the start of the 1990 season.
  
  
• 4/16: Dean Clattenburg, formerly of Dartmouth NS - now residing in North Carolina, finished ninth in the April 15 Easter Bunny 150 Pass South race at Hickory Motor Speedway. Click here to see a picture of Dean's racecar.

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