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January 2005
NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series General News
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Office Depot, one of the world’s leading resellers of office products and services, has entered into a multi-year agreement with the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) to become the sport’s first-ever Official Office Products Partner, beginning with the 2005 race season. The relationship with NASCAR will be Office Depot’s primary national sponsorship platform this year and will be incorporated into the company’s new internal and external brand positioning campaign called Taking Care of Business – which also launches today.
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NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Test Session coverage from Daytona International Speedway begins January 11th at 7 pm ET on SPEED Channel. The home of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on television, SPEED Channel will air a half-hour NCTS Test Session show on Sunday evening, January 16th at 7 pm ET. SPEED Channel will be providing nightly 30-minute shows from NASCAR test sessions in Daytona. (High Sierra Photo)
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After many months of planning and work, OTW Racing is now ready to go public with announcement of it's new venture into the world of NASCAR. Company owner Mike Barmes along with his wife Linda have organized a group of experienced crew members to go over the wall in all of NASCAR's top three elite racing series.
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To help insure quicker and easier access into events, Martinsville Speedway will have a new policy for carry-in items beginning with the 2005 season. Fans may bring one soft side bag or cooler, no larger than 6 x 6 x12 into the venue. They may also bring in one clear plastic bag, no larger than 18 x 18 x 4. Binoculars, scanners, headsets and cameras, not placed in a bag, but worn separately over the neck or on the belt, and seat cushions carried separately are also allowed.
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The field for the 27th annual Budweiser Shootout under the lights on Saturday night, Feb. 12 at historic Daytona International Speedway will be large and strong. The field for the non-points NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series All-Star race that features previous season's pole winners and past Budweiser Shootout champions could feature as many as 20 drivers, two shy of the record 22 that competed in the 2002 edition of the Budweiser Shootout.
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Going into his rookie season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Todd Kluever has big shoes to fill. Kluever will be a contender for the 2005 Raybestos Rookie of the Year title, an award that Roush drivers have already won three times in the Craftsman Truck Series. Greg Biffle was the first to capture the title in 1998, followed by Kurt Busch in 2000 and Carl Edwards in 2003. All three drivers have since gone on to successful Nextel Cup careers. Kluever is ready for the challenge and intends to add his name to the list. "Certainly one of our goals going into the season is to win the rookie title," said Kluever, driver of the No. 50 Ford F-150."
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We just want to remind you of a couple of things before the testing sessions kick off in January at Daytona International Speedway.
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Just five days into the New Year, Michigan International Speedway President Brett Shelton has already come through on his new year’s resolution. He made his resolution way back in August for the 2005 season and can be summed up in two simple words with what fans have been asking for all year, “more racing!” Shelton announced today an enhancement to the MIS Friday and Saturday schedule for both the June 17-19 and August 19-21 NASCAR/ARCA weekends, giving fans more racing and adding value to each day.
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Memphis Motorsports Park is ringing in the New Year with three new faces. Track officials announced today the additions of Don Rovak as the new Director of Ticket Sales and Operations, and Josh Calbaugh and Shay McClain as Corporate Account Executives in Ticket Sales.
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Daytona International Speedway 2005 Speedweeks NCTS Schedule
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Darrell Waltrip Motorsports announces the addition of a second full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team with driver Robert Huffman. Huffman and Crew Chief Glenn Funderburk will campaign for the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship with the No. 12 Toyota Tundra entry alongside teammate David Reutimann, driver of the No. 17 NTN Bearings Toyota Tundra. “I am excited about joining Darrell Waltrip Motorsports and having the chance to work with David Reutimann too,” said Huffman. “I got to know David last year when we were both rookies. I built a pretty good friendship with him. It’s important to have two teams especially when you have two drivers like David and I that are willing to help each other. It’s a good situation when you’re not in competition with one another. Because of our backgrounds, we’ll work really well together.” (Toyota Motorsports Photo)
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REVISED:
NASCAR will implement a new procedure for establishing the starting race field in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series beginning with the 2005 season, NASCAR officials announced today. NASCAR has changed the system by simplifying the procedure with teams no longer accruing provisionals throughout the season to gain entry into the starting fields. While starting positions one through
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in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series still will be determined by qualifying speed, the new system will assure the highest-ranked 30 positions of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series owner championship points that have entered the event prior to the entry deadline one of those starting positions in the field, providing they have made an attempt to qualify. (Ronda Greer Photo)
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Roush Racing announced today that World Financial Group will expand its primary sponsorship to include Todd Kluever in the No 50. Ford F-150 entry in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for 15 races this season. In addition, World Financial Group will also be the primary sponsor for Carl Edwards in two NASCAR Nextel Cup races, and three Busch Series races. They will also sponsor one ARCA entry for Kluever.
RELATED STORY:
Shell Signs with Roush Rookie Todd Kluever
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A pair of championship-winning drivers are slated to compete full-time for ThorSport Racing in the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) season, it was announced Friday by team owner Duke Thorson. Matt Crafton, who claimed the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series title in 2000, returns to ThorSport to drive the No. 88 Menards Chevrolet. Crafton joins Tracy Hines, a two-time USAC national champion and recent victor in the 2005 Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Okla. Hines is slated to pilot the No. 13 entry.
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WHAT ARE YOUR RACING PLANS FOR 2005?
“The Orleans Racing Team plans primarily are for the No. 62 team and Steve Park. That is our primary goal, to get him the championship this year. He’s going to run full time. We’re looking for a sponsor still, but with Dodge’s help the guys back at the shop are really pumped up about the new season. Things are settled down now for the Orleans boys and they’re excited. As far as I’m concerned, I’m going to run a second Dodge truck out of the Orleans shop for at least 18 races. If we can do well enough, maybe we’ll do the entire series, but for right now it’s just 18 races. I have a sponsor. You’re going to hear about it in the next couple of weeks..." (BrendanGaughan.com Photo)
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Series is 10 Years Tough Entering its Second Decade - The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series enters its second decade of competition in 2005 with a decidedly veteran flavor spiced by its first three champions. Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet), Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) and Jack Sprague (No. 16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet) – winners of six titles and 74 races – will keynote a season-long celebration of a “10 Years Tough” campaign beginning with the Feb. 18 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Speedway. They’ll be joined by 2004 champion Bobby Hamilton (No. 4 Dodge) to mark the first time that four former titleholders have gone head-to-head for season laurels.
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Dodge drivers have won Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors the past two seasons on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup circuit. Jamie McMurray won it in 2003, and Kasey Kahne captured the 2004 rookie crown. Travis Kvapil will try to make it three in a row in 2005 behind the wheel of the new Dodge Charger.
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The rain finally ceased on Sunday afternoon allowing the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams to finally turn testing laps in preparation for the Feb. 18 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 under the lights at historic Daytona International Speedway. Ricky Craven, who is making the move to the Craftsman Truck Series in the No. 99 Superchips Ford for Roush Racing, was the first truck to complete a lap at 3:50 p.m. The session ran through Sunday night and teams were scheduled to continue testing on Monday. Ron Hornaday, a two-time champion in the Craftsman Truck Series, was anxious to kick off testing. He'll compete in a full schedule of races as the driver of the No. 6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. (TruckSeries.com Photo)
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WAS IT ENCOURAGING TO SEE WHAT HAMILTON DID IN HIS DODGE RAM LAST SEASON? “Bobby did an awesome job. They call it the senior citizens store. Well, there’s a lot of young guys failing over there and I like it. You’re going to see more and more of them fail. There’s more and more pressure being put on the above 40 crowd. I know Cale Yarborough and David Pearson and Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt won a bunch of races over 40. It ain’t changed. It’s just the people that work on the cars. That’s the key ingredient. Why did Junior (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) change his group? Why did Hendrick change his bunch of people around? The bottom line is it’s not just the driver. It’s also the people who are turning those wrenches.” (NASCAR Images Photo)
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Anyone who has ever stuck their arm out the window while driving down the highway has a basic understanding of wind resistance. Using that knowledge, consider the challenge of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams as they prepare for this year’s Daytona 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Unlike the small amount of air your arm displaces at 65 miles per hour, teams are trying to counteract the effects of a 3400-pound vehicle hurtling down the Daytona Superstretch at nearly 200 miles per hour. In short, truck body aerodynamics, or aero for short, are the critical to being at the front of the pack when the checkered flag falls on this year’s race Friday, February 18. (High Sierra Photo)
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"This is an opportunity of a lifetime. I truly feel blessed." After being a dominant driver in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division for the past three seasons, Timothy Peters of Providence, N.C. has received the opportunity he has longed for. Bobby Hamilton announced this past weekend in Daytona, Fla. that Peters, who claimed the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car crown last season at South Boston Speedway, will run a limited schedule this season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
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The biggest mistake Ted Musgrave (No. 2 Team ASE Dodge) must avoid entering next month’s Daytona Speed Weeks is climbing into the wrong truck. Musgrave, a high-profile competitor in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Ultra Motorsports since 2001, has swapped rides in 2005. The 15-time winner has vacated the No. 1 Mopar Dodge, which carried 49-year-old Musgrave to four consecutive finishes among the top three in championship standings. New Ultra driver Jimmy Spencer goes into the Mopar truck while Musgrave takes a seat in what was an all-star entry for much of 2004 – winding up in victory circle at Martinsville Speedway with Jamie McMurray and Darlington Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway with Kasey Kahne. (MOPAR Photo)
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Scott Cooper has been promoted to the newly created position of director of marketing and public relations for Lowe's Motor Speedway. The promotion is part of a restructuring which merges the speedway's marketing initiatives into the public relations department. Cooper had been senior manager of promotion and media relations since joining the speedway in 1999.
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Edwin Workman and Todd Little, the Hickory sanitation workers who returned $5,100 they discovered in a bag of discarded clothing while working their route, will be rewarded with VIP experiences during the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge Saturday night, May 21, at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
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Roush Racing drivers Carl Edwards and Todd Kluever hopped behind the wheels of the organization's No. 60 and No. 17 Busch Series Fords Wednesday, beginning a two-day test at Talladega aimed at gaining more superspeedway information as Daytona quickly approaches. Edwards, who will do double duty this year as the primary driver for Roush's No. 60 Busch Series and No. 99 NEXTEL Cup Series teams, was ecstatic to make his first NEXTEL Cup superspeedway start at Talladega last fall. Despite his excitement ending on Lap 122 of that race because of engine failure, Edwards maintained his characteristic positive attitude. Today he said he can't wait to give it another shot this spring.
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Crown Royal International Race of Champions officials announced today a star-studded field of drivers who will compete in the four-race schedule this season, including a stop at Richmond International Raceway on Thursday, September 8. That race will be paired with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, giving fans two great races "under the lights" for one low price of just $30.
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Dave Fuge, owner of Xpress Motorsports, announced today that Jay Guy has left his position as crew chief on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series No. 19 Silverado team with driver Regan Smith effective immediately. “Jay was offered an opportunity on a NASCAR Busch Series team,” said Fuge. “He said that while he felt Xpress Motorsports is a championship caliber NCTS team, he is more comfortable with a NBS team because of his past experience. As a result, he didn’t feel he could bring enough to the table to improve our teams. While I am disappointed to lose Jay so early the season,” Fuge continued. “I think we can look at this as a positive for Xpress Motorsports."
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Defending Crown Royal International Race of Champions titlewinner Matt Kenseth and Danny Lasoski, who captured the inaugural IROC race at Texas Motor Speedway, lead the talented 12-driver field named Wednesday to compete for the 2005 $1 million winner's prize. Kenseth, the 2003 NASCAR Cup Series champion, won two of the four 2004 Crown Royal IROC races enroute to the championship. Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws sprint car champion, topped the IROC Texas field last spring. Texas Motor Speedway will host the second round of the series Friday night, April 15. The season opener will be February 18 at Daytona International Speedway.
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Gateway International Raceway announced that individual race tickets would go on sale next Monday, January 24 beginning at 8 am. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series kicks off the 2005 schedule on April 30. Former Nextel Cup Drivers Ricky Craven, Jimmy Spencer and Brendan Gaughan join the circuit this season for some real rubbin' and racin'.
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When Timothy Peters rolls back into Martinsville Speedway in April he'll be sporting a new set of wheels, a new boss, a familiar sponsor and a huge smile. Reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton announced last Saturday that Peters would be driving one of his trucks for most of the 2005 season. Bailey's, a regional tobacco company based in Keysville that backed Peters' Late Model Stock team the past three seasons, will be the sponsor. Tuesday afternoon Hamilton and Peters, along with Bailey's founder and CEO Mac Bailey and Bailey's President Steven Bailey, unveiled the bright blue and yellow Dodge during a ceremony at the company's headquarters in Keysville. (TimothyPeters.com Photo)
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Bobby Hamilton Racing announces a one-race primary sponsorship with Cooper Hand Tools, manufacturer of Lufkin measuring products, Wiss cutting tools and Crescent adjustable wrenches , for the series-opener NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2005. The current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion’s No. 4 Dodge will feature logos of both Lufkin Pro Series and Wiss Pro Series for the kick-off night race event which starts at 8:15 p.m. EDT. “We are glad to have them on board with us for Daytona,” Hamilton said. “BHR started working with Cooper Hand Tools as an associate sponsor on our trucks last year. We worked with their Lufkin Tape Measures and Wiss cutting tools all season. They really did a lot for our teams and marketed its program well in the industry."(NASCAR Images Photo)
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WHAT IS YOUR RACING BACKGROUND? “I started racing motorcycles when I was 13. I grew up racing dirt oval motorcycles for a long, long time. I did that for nine years, the last three as a professional and then I got into stock cars. I started the last half of 1999 in the Midwest truck series at Madison International Speedway. It’s basically a late model with a truck body.” Then in 2000 I started super late models and I was the rookie of the year in 2000 and in 2001 I was the track champion at Madison International Speedway... "
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Having the opportunity to drive in three races last year really gave me a good taste of NEXTEL Cup racing: the feel of the racecars, the competition, and the longer races. I feel like I’m going to be okay. I’ve got a great team and a great sponsor behind me. I feel like everything is in place for myself to be successful. It’s obviously going to be an adjustment. The longer schedule and the longer races and things like that will be a lot to get used to and the sponsor demands and media demands are going to be a lot to learn but I think having success in the Craftsman truck series level and getting the opportunity to experience a lot of those things in the past will really help me.
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This Saturday is the eighth annual Ricky Craven Snowmobile Ride for Charity in Greenville, Maine, and Craven's goal for the event is to raise enough money to break the $1 million mark. Craven has raised over $800,000 for charity over the previous seven years and this year 500 riders will hit the trails to push him over $1 million. "With the money we raise this year we should be very close to hitting a grand total of $1 million," Craven said. "VIP Parts, Tires and Service has already pledged $45,000 so we are well on our way. This event just continues to grow every year and the support throughout the area has been tremendous."
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THERE IS A LARGE ROOKIE CLASS THIS YEAR IN THE BUSCH SERIES. IS THERE A GREATER EMPHASIS ON THE ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR TITLE THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE COMPETITION? “A lot of times you say that you were rookie of the year in a certain year, but there are some years that that means more than others. This year I think is one of the best rookie fields that this series has seen in a while. It would be a huge accomplishment, but it’s definitely far-fetched from right now; we haven’t even ran our first race, so we’ll see.”
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ppc Racing officials announced today the hiring of Rick Gay as crew chief of the No. 10 Power Stroke Diesel by International race team with driver Terry Cook in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Gay, a veteran crew chief in NASCAR’s top-three series since 1999, joined ppc Racing last month to lead the organization’s truck program in preparation for its second-year run at the championship trophy.
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Ted
Musgrave Returns to No. 1 MOPAR Dodge, Jimmy Spencer in No. 2 Team ASE Dodge -
Ultra Motorsports team owner Jim Smith will shift lineups for his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series stable for the 2005 Season. Effective immediately, Ted Musgrave will climb back into the No. 1 MOPAR Dodge entry while recently signed Jimmy Spencer will pilot the No. 2 Team ASE Dodge. After much thought and consideration, Smith has decided to leave his truck teams intact and not switch drivers for the 2005 season as originally planned. The two drivers will essentially swap paint schemes and numbers while maintaining the same driver, team and crew chief combinations. “Getting ready for Daytona made us aware just how many crewmembers would be affected by the switch, and I’m just not sure it will be worth the shakeup. Besides,” Smith said, “Spencer was in the #2 when we won at Loudon and Ted would really like to bring home a championship for Mopar.” Mopar has been the sponsor since signing on Musgrave’s ride since 2001. “I just keep saying to myself, why mess with a good thing?” (High Sierra Photo)
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Mason Motorsports and 17-year-old driver Mike Mason announced today the team will move its operation from Bakersfield, CA to the Charlotte, NC area later this season. In a related development, Mason Motorsports also announced it has retained Close Finishes, a Charlotte, NC motorsports media and marketing company, for the 2005 season. “This is an excellent opportunity to move our team and my racing career forward,” stated Mason. “Charlotte is the place to be if you are going to advance in the business of stock car racing."
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The official website of Roush Racing is getting a facelift for 2005. Roush Racing officials announced today that a renovated RoushRacing.com will go live later this week, complete with a fresh look and new features for the 2005 NASCAR season.
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Audio!
TruckSeries.com’s Charlie Krall caught up with the movers and shakers of the
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on Monday evening as Craftsman kicked off its 10 Year Tough campaign – Celebrating ten years of NASCAR truck series competition.
-- Many members of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series community gathered for dinner Monday evening with the media as a part of the annual Lowe’s Motor Speedway Media Tour. The four active previous NCTS champions, Mike Skinner, Jack Sprague, Ron Hornaday, and Bobby Hamilton, were invited to the stage to speak, while members of the media were asked to write down questions that would be asked at random to other drivers throughout the evening. (TruckSeries.com Photo)
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Rick Crawford, driver of the No. 14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series feels that the new logo on the hood of his truck reflects the attitude of the Circle Bar racing Team for the 2005 season. The team is pumped, prepared and ready to bounce back from the tough breaks, accidents, and mechanical woes that plagued them in 2004. Kevin “Cowboy” Starland joined the team as crew chief and the results were immediate. The Circle Bar Ford F-150 was the second fastest truck at Daytona testing. Starland had given Crawford a piece he could “mash”. The chemistry is back. (CBR Photo)
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Series Celebrates 'Ten Years Tough' in 2005
SPEED Channel will be the exclusive home of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the third consecutive year in 2005. The 25-event season launches at Daytona with a one-hour 10th anniversary special set to air Feb. 17 at 5:30 p.m. ET. Rick Allen, Michael Waltrip, and Phil Parsons will continue to add commentary to each live broadcast from the booth, while Ray Dunlap and Wendy Norris pass along the stories from pit road.
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A handful of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams got an early start on the 2005 season with a test session at California Speedway on January 24 and 25. The test, which included both single-day and two-day participants, saw approximately half a dozen Toyota and Chevrolet trucks.
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Beginning in 2005, NASCAR will once again allow straight-rail Late Model cars, which are raced at many short tracks and regional racing series throughout the nation, to compete in NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division events at tracks ¾-mile in length and under. The rule change will allow local and regional competitors with eligible cars to compete in NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division events when the NASCAR touring division visits their home track, a practice not allowed in recent seasons due to previous car specifications.
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SPEED Channel's much-anticipated new show, NASCAR Nation, will make its debut on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. Airing each week of the race season, Monday through Thursday, NASCAR Nation will be the signature show for SPEED's NASCAR TV block of programming, concentrating heavily on features and all-access content.
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1995 ARCA RE/MAX champion Andy Hillenburg reported this week his plan to hit the ground running at the ARCA RE/MAX Advance Discount Auto Parts 200 at Daytona International Speedway in February. Hillenburg, who also owns the Fast Track High Performance Racing School in Harrisburg, NC, said, "I've entered into an agreement with Chad McCumbee, who will drive for me this year and we plan to run him for the ARCA RE/MAX Series Rookie Of The Year. He's worked at the school and proven to me he has a natural ability to race."
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Terry Cook and Ford Power Stroke Diesel by International have a new look in the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) with ppc Racing. A traditional red and black paint scheme is no longer the scene on the circuit as the No. 10 truck’s bright yellow paint scheme will debut at Daytona International Speedway in the series’ first race of the season. (PR Photo)
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Following the world introduction of the all-new 2006 Dodge Charger this month in Detroit, Chrysler Group is auctioning the NASCAR body shell used in the press reveal along with first volume production Dodge Charger to roll off the line at its Brampton, Ont. (Canada) Assembly Plant. “The King,” Richard Petty, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series title winner and legendary Dodge Charger driver will personally deliver the keys to the top bidder at the May 7, 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. The auction proceeds will benefit Victory Junction Gang Camp and the Salvation Army.
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On a recent trip to your favorite local Mexican restaurant, did you ever stop and think to yourself, "Man, this salsa gets spicier every time I come here?" That's because they keep adding hot peppers all the time. That is exactly the type of scenario we have going into the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season - more hot peppers are heating up the sauce. To quote a former truck series sponsor, Nelly, "It's gettin' hot in here!" The 2005 roster brings us five new drivers in trucks capable of torching the track, and a couple of them are some real jalapenos. We will start off with perhaps the most highly seasoned relocated driver, Ron Hornaday Jr., who replaces Matt Crafton in Kevin Harvick's Goodwrench Chevrolet. Hornaday is the all-time NCTS win leader with 26 victories in only 125 starts. That is one win in every five starts - pretty zesty.
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NASCAR has announced that the second annual NASCAR Day will be held Friday, May 20. NASCAR Day, NASCAR’s largest annual charity, will once again unite fans across the country for a common goal. In exchange for a $5 donation to the 2005 NASCAR Day Designated Charities, fans, businesses and schools will be able to wear their favorite NASCAR gear to work that Friday. In addition, participants will receive a commemorative NASCAR Day 2005 lapel pin. This year, NASCAR Day will benefit three proud charities – Speedway Children’s Charities, Victory Junction Gang Camp and Speediatrics. Each of these charities shares a common thread – to better the lives of children in need.
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The 2003 and 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) seasons have seen the emergence of a new generation of powerhouse team and driver pairings. Dennis Setzer and Morgan Dollar Motorsports (MDM) have firmly established themselves as the leader of the pack of this strong, competitive group of owner/driver combinations. Of the eight drivers who drove for the same team owner both years, Setzer boasts the best season-ending points position finishing average -- second. (Ronda Greer Photo)
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Relaxed on a comfortable, plush chair in the Talladega Superspeedway garage office, Kerry Earnhardt said the place is beginning to feel like a lot like home. After spending so much time here testing last year, the eldest son of the late Dale Earnhardt truly seems as if he could just as easily be on his sofa at home, chatting naturally and laughing easily.
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The five journalists honored Wednesday evening during the 20th annual presentation of the Miller Lite Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence in honor of Russ Catlin included a writer who detailed the Hendrick plane tragedy for The Baltimore Sun and a television producer who told the story of legendary Bowman-Gray Stadium for "Totally NASCAR."
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Tracy Hines and the Wilke-PAK Motorsports team are still riding the wave of their impressive Chili Bowl Midget Nationals victory, but they've quickly shifted gears and set their sights on this weekend's USAC Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). "Winning the Chili Bowl was definitely the right way to start off the season, and we're going to try and carry that momentum into Copper World," Hines said. "But the Chili Bowl and Copper World are two different races. The Chili Bowl is pure short track racing, whereas the Copper World classic is held on a mile track." (MOPAR Photo)
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Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), announced today the signing of West Sacramento, Calif., native Burney Lamar. The 24-year-old Lamar, is the 2001 NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series Rookie of the Year, the 2000 USAC Western States Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year and most recently competed in the 2004 NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series. Lamar earned one win, six top-fives and eight top-10 finishes in 14 starts in 2004.
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NASCAR Craftsman Series drivers Rick Crawford, Terry Cook, Todd Kluever, Ricky Craven and Brad Keselowski are scheduled to test for Ford next Monday, Jan. 31, at Atlanta Motor Speedway to prepare for the March 18 World Financial Group 200. Roush Racing drivers Kluever and Craven will continue testing on Feb. 1 as they prepare for their first Craftsman Truck Series race at Atlanta.
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Hard-hitting questions. Controversy. Cutting-edge news. That’s what you would expect from the NASCAR press corps of top journalists and broadcasters who were assembled in Charlotte last week for the annual media tour. But these were not the questions on tap for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series media dinner on Monday night, the opening day of the tour. Instead, NASCAR’s premier pickup drivers got the chance to showcase their quick wit and affable personalities to the media pool that covers them each week.
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Mark Martin hinted on Monday that he is leaning towards fielding his own trucks in the Craftsman Truck Series.
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Robert Pressley returns to drive the No. 59 HT Motorsports Dodge for the entire NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule in 2005. Pressley is excited about the opportunity to return to a team building a platform for education and development of future stars of the racing industry. Pressley will team with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship crew chief, Fred Graves, who is returning to the truck series after several years in both the NASCAR Cup and Busch Series as a crew chief and engineer.
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The Ford 400, the season-finale for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series to be held Sunday, November 20, has officially sold out, Homestead-Miami Speedway President Curtis Gray announced today. Great seats remain available for the remainder of Ford Championship Weekend, including the season-finales for the NASCAR Busch and Craftsman Truck Series as well as qualifying and practice sessions for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.
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Hunter Kelly, son of NFL Hall of Famer and NASCAR Busch Series owner Jim Kelly, passed away on Friday, August 5 after being diagnosed with Krabbe Disease, an inherited degenerative disorder of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The disease hinders development of the myelin sheath, a fatty covering that protects the brain's nerve fibers.
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