Ex-NASCAR pit crew chief is accused in fatal wreck |
 | Former NASCAR pit crew chief Tim Kohuth was jailed this morning and charged in connection with a fatal wreck Thursday in Iredell County that left one man dead and a woman hospitalized. (news-record.com) |
Intermediate tracks get grip on tire |
 | "I think it's a slap in the face to Bruton Smith, our chairman, and to our company who have both been very supportive of the Indy Racing League since its inception," Gappens said.
He also said he disagreed with indications that the two SMI tracks were omitted because of concerns about added costs to race teams that will come from the two new races.
"I believe that the purse and the strength of adding the seventh-largest media market in the country would offset those costs and concerns," he said. |
NASCAR control of media |
| Per NASCAR policy, no Nationwide Series officials were able to discuss the pending litigation. Instead, all media inquiries were directed to NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston. (DBS 5) |
NASCAR is still pouring over dynomometer test data |
| Nationwide Series director Joe Balash said Friday at Gateway International Raceway that NASCAR is still pouring over data culled from dynomometer tests on 10 engines pulled from cars after last week’s race at Chicagoland Speedway. “That’s a lot of data to go through,” Balash said. “We’re disseminating the data to the teams right now, but as much information as we’ve gathered over 10 engines, it’s going to take us awhile to have our engineers go through and look at all the data before any decisions are made.” Balash wouldn’t say if NASCAR had found any patterns in the data and said the sanctioning body also needs to compare the latest data with dyno runs earlier this year after the Atlanta and Milwaukee races. (SceneDaily.com) |
Pacific Raceways shortens NHRA track |
| "We are fully behind their decision to shorten the track and feel it will enhance the safety and competitiveness of the sport," Pacific Raceways general manager Doug Greenfield said this week, even as he and track personnel were still making last-minute preparations for the event.
Pacific Raceways, which has one of the longest shutdown areas on the circuit anyway, moved the catch fence forward 39 feet, poured another 1,700 gallons of sand in the sand trap and put water barrels on the perimeter behind the sand. As a last line of defense, it also bolted tire barriers at the far end. (seattlepi.com) |
IRL might have '09 Vegas race |
| A return to the Las Vegas oval after an eight-year hiatus is "still being talked about," IRL vice president of public relations John Griffin said Thursday. (Las Vegas Review Journal) |
NASCAR Cutobacks could hit NASCAR |
| “Racing is not exempt,” GM Racing Director Mark Kent said.
“We will implement significant reductions in promotional and event budgets, motorsports activities and all expenses,” said GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner. (San Diego Union Tribune) |
Kitsap: NASCAR lost opportunity or good riddance |
| The candidates were asked about NASCAR’s failure to build in Kitsap County, and whether it represented a lost opportunity or good riddance.
All leaned toward the latter, but cited poor communication as the culprit. (PortOrchardIndependent.com) |
Unser Sr. sues Sheriff |
 | Indy racing legend Al Unser Senior has filed a federal suit against Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, three of his deputies and Bernalillo County commissioners claiming his rights were violated when he was arrested in 2006. (KOB New Mexico) |
Hitting The Skids |
| ...in maintaining the status quo during this economic crisis, NASCAR risks Ganassi being just the first owner to kill a race team. (Tampa Bay Online) |
Yates Racing a 3 car team come 2009 |
| Paul Menard to drive 3rd car for Yates Racing (Anonymous) |
Mears' good reputation not enough to keep ride |
| "There has never been anyone who has driven a car for me that represented our company any better," Hendrick said. "He goes above and beyond whatever you need him to do. You know you could count on him. He's just a model person for the company."
Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to keep his seat. (Myrtle Beach Online) |
Race Fans to Receive Event Info Via Bluetooth |
| International Speedway Corporation ("ISC"), owner and/or operator of 13 major motorsports facilities including Daytona International Speedway, has partnered with Ace Marketing & Promotions (OTCBB: AMKT) to set up several Bluetooth and Wi-Fi-enabled "hotspots" in high-traffic areas throughout the speedway property. Ace Marketing & Promotions is, to our knowledge, the only proximity marketing solutions provider to utilize both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in the United States. (CNN Money) |
Lawsuit reinforces negative “redneck” stereoty |
| Maybe her fellow officials thought they were just joking and kidding around – treating her like one of the guys, as it were – but unless they’ve been living under a rock for the last few years surely they know that’s unpardonable in this day and time.
It’s not so much about the money (although $225 million isn’t chump change); the real damage is to the sport’s image and reputation.
The lawsuit reinforces every negative “redneck” stereotype that NASCAR has been trying to overcome for decades. (The City Paper) |
Ken Clapp has seen it all |
 | Ken Clapp has seen it all. He remembers when Sears Point was home to a big dairy farm, not race cars.
Clapp was on hand 40 years ago when construction began to transform the rolling Sonoma hillsides into a world-renowned road course. Two decades after that, the longtime track owner/promoter was instrumental in bringing NASCAR's top division to Northern California. (Sacramento Bee) |
China's top rally driver killed in Russia |
| China's top rally driver and two-time Dakar Rally participant, Xu Lang, died of head trauma after an accident on Tuesday during the fifth leg of the ongoing Transoriental Rally in Russia.
The 31-year-old Xu was hit in the face by the tow hook of a trailer while trying to drag Xu's submerged off-roader out of the mud. (RallySport Magazine) |
The image that NASCAR just can't shake - Redneck |
| Not only does it threaten to derail what NASCAR is officially trying to achieve, it raises the question again about blacks and stock car racing. (San Diego Union Tribune) |
Even Owensboro drivers feel pain of new Nascar |
| From Whitesville, one worked his way up to the track at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville. There, it was possible to catch the eye of NASCAR car owners or their ”scouts“ and gain entry to the big time.
Now, that pathway is gone. The track in Whitesville is closed. After the Nashville Superspeedway was built in 2001, the races at the fairgrounds no longer carry the same prominence.
”That was the way that the guys who made it from here did it,“ Jennings said. ”It doesn't work anymore.“
Its all about having the most money now... (Lexington Herald Leader) |
France Says Harassment Claims Were News To Him |
| On Wednesday, France e-mailed all NASCAR employees, emphasizing the organization's zero-tolerance policy for harassment of any kind. (Tampa Online) |
Nascar officials call employee Nappy Headed Mo |
| According to a fired Nascar employee she was referred to with racial comments such as when she was packing up a dark garage at Texas Motor Speedway an official told Grant: "Keep smiling and pop your eyes out 'cause we can't see you." She also claims to have been sexually harassed. (Forbes) |
Indy Racing League enters talks for new TV deal |
| One thing is certain. Lots of people are watching the IRL’s TV ratings in what has become a critical year for the series. While the buzz around the series is growing, that hasn’t yet led to significant ratings gains, and some in the broadcast industry are growing impatient. (Indianapolis Business Journal) |
Bauer Pushing For New Track In Myrtle Beach |
| (Andre Bauer and Bruton Smith) have met twice to discuss the possibility of building a race track in the Myrtle Beach area.
Bauer says the Grand Strand's airport, along with numerous hotels and restaurants, could support a NASCAR event, although Bauer admits the track might have to start by hosting ARCA events. (WLTX News 19) |
The Track That Defied the Writing on the Wall |
| “You have short tracks, you have intermediate tracks, you have superspeedways, you have road courses,” said Jim Hunter, Nascar’s vice president for communications and a former president of Darlington Raceway. “And then you have Darlington. There’s no other one like it. I mean, none. So there should be a place for that.” (The New York Times) |
Altamont West date ...still a go? |
| Altamont to lose its West date to Stockton 99 Speedway or another nearby track heard from numerous west owners (Anonymous) |
Tony Stewart could become car owner |
| “I think that Tony has always been really good at making smart business decisions, and he’s sort of always on the front lines of what’s going on and what he needs to do and what’s good for him,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “He’s always trying to put himself in a better position constantly, in the business sense of the job and the sport.
“It’s pretty admirable, I guess, how involved in it he is and how he’s constantly trying to discover a better position for himself and a better way for him to succeed in his future. I feel like he would be successful if he chose to go that way. I think he would be a fun owner. I’m sure he’s going to continue to race, but at one point he won’t, and having been a driver will (help). He would be a fun owner. He would be a great guy to work for, I’m sure.” (Chatanooga Times Free Press) |
