April 30, 2008 - Schrader In For Injured Franchitti

• Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) driver Dario Franchitti was re-evaluated this week by his doctors and will sit out this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Richmond International Raceway (RIR).  NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader will drive the No. 40 Kennametal Dodge on Saturday for the 400-lap event. Franchitti was seen by Dr. Terry Trammel and Dr. Kevin Scheid in Indianapolis, Ind. on Monday.  The doctors confirmed the slight fracture in Franchitti’s left ankle.  Franchitti will be fitted for a carbon fiber brace later this week.  His status behind the wheel of the No. 40 Dodge will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. Schrader is confirmed to race for CGRFS in Richmond only.  Franchitti will also be in Richmond with the No. 40 team.

Rogers Teams With Schacht For Carolina 500

• Two time USAR Hooter’s Pro Cup Champion, Clay Rogers has teamed up with Bob Schacht Motorsports for the ARCA RE/MAX Series Carolina 500 at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway on Sunday May 4. The inaugural event will mark Rogers third appearance in the ARCA Series. Rogers has two previous ARCA RE/MAX Series events to his credit both coming at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 2003. However, he is no stranger to Rockingham Speedway. Clay had his first NASCAR Nationwide Series run at Rockingham in 2001 and just recently tested with the ARCA cars turning in some impressive lap times.

Bassett Joins MWR

• Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) expanded the depth of its executive staff today, announcing the hiring of Terry Bassett as Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer as part of the young company’s organizational growth. Bassett, with over 20 years of sports marketing experience, will oversee the sales, marketing, media relations, licensing and sponsor service divisions for MWR, entering its 15th month competing on the NASCAR Sprint Cup level.  Bassett comes to MWR after a two-year stint with the Miami Dolphins and previously worked for International Speedway Corp and Penske Motorsports, Inc.

Record Purse at LMS

• NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers will battle for a record $6.6 million during the May 25 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway while total posted awards for the track's schedule of May events is nearly $14.7 million. Nine races will be run at Lowe's Motor Speedway and The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway between Friday night, May 16, and Sunday evening, May 25, and each carries a record purse with a total of $14,692,658 up for grabs. Already one of the richest races on the NASCAR circuit, the $6,648,557 in total awards for the Coca-Cola 600 is $78,929 more than was posted for last year's event and $4,219,759 more than competitors raced for in the 600-mile event 10 years ago.

Kentucky Speedway Enduro List Grows

• Defending Kentucky Speedway “Frank Kimmel Enduro Nationals” champion Chuck Barnes of Louisville, Ky., highlights the current 71-car entry list for the 150-mile street stock event to be held May 24. Aspiring competitors represent Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington. Drivers will race for a $5,000 grand prize and shares of a $25,000 purse. Last season, 117 teams entered the event, 89 arrived at the speedway and 69 cars formed the largest starting grid in Kentucky Speedway history.

April 24, 2008 - Report: Stewart Wants Out

• ESPN and several other outlets are reporting that two-time NASCAR Cup champion Tony Stewart wants out of his current deal with Joe Gibbs Racing after this season. His current contract runs through 2009 and JGR President J.D. Gibbs said he expects to have the driver with his team through the 2009 season. JGR switched to Toyota from Chevrolet prior to this season, and the reports say Stewart is anxious to return to Chevrolet. On scenario has Stewart partnering with CNC Haas in a deal that would give him significant ownership in that company.

VW Official Car of VIR

• Volkswagen of America and VIRginia International Raceway announced today that Volkswagen has become the Official Vehicle of VIR. “This partnership makes an ideal arrangement for Volkswagen, especially when combined with the inaugural race for the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup,” said Clark Campbell, motorsports manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “With our North American headquarters in Virginia, not that far from the track, we will be able to use VIR’s facilities for every purpose imaginable, from testing, to dealer training, VIP events and media announcements. The track is also going to host the Jetta TDI Cup cars, in the race prep shop that we’re taking advantage of at the track.” Track General Manager Josh Lief echoed Campbell’s sentiment: “We expect that the Jetta TDI Cup and all of Volkswagen’s product line will be right at home on VIR. Our race track is a great place to debut the new Jetta TDI Cup series and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship between VIR and Volkswagen.”

April 16, 2008 - Hamilton To Return To Indy With Kingdom Racing

• The Associated Press reports that IRL IndyCar Series driver Davey Hamilton has signed with Kingdom Racing to drive in this year’s Indianapolis 500. Hamilton, who came back to racing after undergoing 21 operations and two years of rehabilitation following a devastating crash at Texas Motor Speedway in June 2001, finished ninth at Indy last year, his ninth start in the May race. He best Indy finish was fourth in 1998. “I will do anything I can to race at Indy,” Hamilton said. “I continue to train harder and am putting myself in the best physical shape of my life, because the most important race in the world is the Indianapolis 500. I’d like to thank Kingdom Racing for giving me that opportunity, and I look forward to a great partnership with them.” The new team is owned by Houston businessman George Del Canto, who hopes the Indy 500 entry will attract sponsorship for the 2009 IndyCar season. The Kingdom Racing entry makes the 40th car entered in this year's race.

Harvick, Vandergriff Partnership?

• NASCAR Sprint Cup star and 2007 Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick and his wife, DeLana, are reportedly teaming with NHRA drag-racing veteran Bob Vandergriff Jr. to explore fielding a Top Fuel dragster in NHRA competition. The proposed Harvick-Vandergriff Motorsports would offer its sponsors marketing opportunities in NHRA, NASCAR Sprint Cup, Craftsman Truck and the Nationwide Series. Vandergriff and Harvick hope to begin assembling a team and all the necessary components and people within the next two months as they prepare for a 2009 debut.

April 15, 2008 - Open Test Set For LMS

• NASCAR announced Tuesday that Lowe's Motor Speedway will host an open test for all Sprint Cup Series teams on May 5-6 in advance of the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the May 25 Coca-Cola 600. H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, last week encouraged NASCAR to consider an additional test at the 1.5-mile superspeedway. He was relieved to receive today's news. "I appreciate NASCAR being proactive and attempting to improve the racing on the intermediate tracks," Wheeler said. "It's become obvious that something needs to be done immediately to help these teams. Hopefully, the additional track time will provide them the opportunity to find some things that will help when they come back two weeks later. We want the fans to see the best racing of the season when they come to Charlotte."  Sprint Cup teams will test on Monday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to noon; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., then on Tuesday, May 6, from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Teams may test during a maximum of four of those five practice segments.

Stan Barrett To Drive For Son At Mexico City

• For the first time in NASCAR’s racing history a father will drive for a team owned by his son and not vice-versa.  Stan Barrett, the first man to ever break the speed of sound on the ground in 1979, will pilot the Stanton Barrett Motorsports No. 31 Interush and Grandstay.net Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS, while his son Stanton drives the No. 30 4Caring.org Chevrolet Monte Carlo with major associate sponsors Interush and Grandstay.net in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Corona Mexico 200 race on April 20.

Ganassi Swaps Crew Chiefs For 41, 42

• Chip Ganassi swapped crew chiefs for Juan Pablo Montoya and Reed Sorenson on Tuesday in an attempt to resuscitate his struggling NASCAR team. Donnie Wingo, who has worked with Montoya since his move to NASCAR midway through 2006, will now run Sorenson’s No. 41 Dodge. Jimmy Elledge leaves Sorenson after 80 races to run the No. 42 Dodge for Montoya.

Schrader In No. 70 At Talladega

• Haas CNC Racing is pleased to announce that Ken Schrader will drive the No. 70 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet during the upcoming race weekend at Talladega. “I’m definitely very excited about the opportunity to drive for Haas CNC Racing,” Schrader said. “It is a younger team that is going through the growing process but yet has all of the elements in place. “The team has an outstanding relationship with Hendrick Motorsports, and we know they have a proven engine program,” he added. “We certainly don’t have to second guess the equipment.”

April 11, 2008 - St. James Honored By Hall

• Lyn St. James, one of motorsports’ pioneering women, joined an illustrious group of automotive innovators and leaders when she was recently honored as one of seven recipients of the Automotive Hall of Fame’s Distinguished Service Citation. This honor annually recognizes individuals (currently active or recently retired) who have provided distinguished service to the motor vehicle industry or their respective organizations. The Distinguished Service Citation is the Automotive Hall of Fame’s longest-running recognition, dating back to 1940, and is voted on by the prominent executives who are on its board of directors. Since then, the non-profit organization has presented 417 Distinguished Service Citations, of which only 26 are women.

April 10, 2008 - Wheeler Wants Open Test At LMS

• H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, is encouraging NASCAR to host an open Sprint Cup Series test at
the 1.5-mile superspeedway prior to the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. "It's our intention to have the best racing possible here during the
month of May and I have always believed that preparation is the key to great racing," Wheeler said. "You can compute, work the post machine and
microscope the car until your tools bleed, but nothing, absolutely nothing, is as valuable as track time. So, we have offered NASCAR at least two days, May 5-6, to bring the teams in so they can test the new car. We'll have the track open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. so they can experiment with chassis set-ups during both daytime and nighttime conditions," Wheeler added. "Then, if further testing is needed, dates closer to the May 17 Sprint All-Star Race can be provided." If NASCAR accepts Wheeler's offer, the test session would take place on Monday and Tuesday following the Saturday night race at Richmond Int'l Raceway and prior to teams heading to nearby Darlington Raceway for another Saturday night event.

Cheever Joins ESPN For Indy 500

• 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner Eddie Cheever has been named as an analyst for ESPN on ABC’s coverage of the 92nd Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25. ESPN on ABC’s coverage starts at noon (ET), with the live race broadcast at 1 p.m. Cheever, who last raced in 2006, also will serve as analyst for ESPN’s coverage of Indianapolis 500 qualifications May 10-11 and 17-18, and Miller Lite Carb Day May 23. All telecasts will be presented in high definition. Cheever will work in the ESPN booth with lead announcer Marty Reid and analyst Scott Goodyear. ESPN’s IndyCar Series pit reporter team of Jack Arute, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welch will expand to four at Indianapolis with the addition of Jamie Little, and Brent Musburger will serve as host of
the Indianapolis 500 telecast.

LMS Walls Being Painted Yellow For All-Star Race

• In preparation for the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, the retaining walls at Lowe's Motor Speedway are once again being painted Sprint yellow. This is the second consecutive year the inside and outside walls have been changed from their traditional white to bright yellow for the sport's annual all-star event. It will take 286 man hours to complete the painting project which started late Sunday evening and will be finished Wednesday. Eleven men from JKS Motorsports are applying 575 gallons of Sprint-yellow paint to the inside and outside retaining walls using rollers and four gas-powered sprayers.

April 9, 2008 - Cooper Replaces Wilburn As No. 45 Chief

• Stewart Cooper was hired as crew chief for Kyle Petty on Tuesday, taking over the slumping No. 45 Dodge after it missed the past two races.

Cooper replaces Billy Wilburn heading into this weekend's race at Phoenix. Petty is scheduled to return to the driver's seat after stepping out last week to allow Chad McCumbee the chance to qualify the car at Texas. But McCumbee missed the race, just as Petty had done two weeks before in Martinsville, Va., leading the team to make the crew change. Cooper was recruited to Petty Enterprises by vice president Robbie Loomis, who noticed Cooper's work during a stint in the Nationwide Series running a team for Braun Racing. Now he steps into a team that ranks 41st in points and must qualify on speed for Sunday's race at Phoenix.

NASCAR Official Dies In Traffic Accident

• Brienne Davis, one of NASCAR's few full-time female inspectors, was killed in a car accident Tuesday night. She was 28. Davis joined NASCAR in 2004 and traveled every weekend to inspect carburetors and manifolds. She was scheduled to work this weekend at Phoenix Int'l Raceway. "We are deeply saddened at the loss of NASCAR Sprint Cup official Brienne Davis," NASCAR said in a statement. "She was a key member of our team of inspectors and will be missed by the NASCAR community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends." A Louisiana native, Davis relocated to North Carolina in 2002 as an engine builder for Dale Earnhardt Inc. She took the job after spending a year in Houston participating in an automotive technology training program that included six weeks of a NASCAR-approved curriculum on racing. (The Associated Press)

Fike Talks About Drug Use

• In a story appearing on ESPN.com, troubled driver Aaron Fike admits to being addicted to painkillers for six years prior to his use of heroin and says he shot heroin on race days while competing in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series. Read the whole story here.

New Zealanders Snub Mosley

• The Associated Press reports New Zealand’s peak automobile association has withdrawn an invitation to embattled Formula One chief Max Mosley.

Mosley, president of Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, was invited to the New Zealand Automobile Association’s transport and environment summit in June but organizers have now asked him not to attend. Mosley’s position has been in jeopardy since The News of the World tabloid reported March 30 that he engaged in sex acts with five prostitutes. Mosley, 67, acknowledged participating in the five-hour sex session.

Trucks Test At Darlington

• Competitors from NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series tested on the newly repaved surface at Darlington Raceway this week, a move that could signal the return of the series to the famed "Lady In Black." Darlington held truck events from 2001-04. The last one, won by Kasey Kahne, was the track’s first race to finish at night after lights were added to the facility. Since then, the track has undergone a series of improvements, including the addition of 6,300 seats in the new Brasington Tower in turn one. When Sprint Cup drivers show up next month for the Dodge Challenger 500, they’ll also see a new infield access tunnel along with track’s first repaving since 1995.

USAC To Sanction Anderson Events

• The nation’s longest Sprint and Midget races in 2008 will be sanctioned by the United States Auto Club following Tuesday's joint announcement by USAC and Anderson (Ind.) Speedway officials. The 60th “Pay Less Little 500” Sprint Car race and the inaugural “Anderson 400 Midget Classic” will be designated “special events” on the USAC calendar and therefore will not offer National points. Both races will be officiated by Anderson Speedway.          The May 24 Sprint car race continues a tradition begun in 1949 and the 500-lap race has traditionally been held the night before the Indianapolis 500 at the 1/4-mile banked, paved oval. The July 26 Midget race begins a new tradition, offering 400 laps of competition the night before the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard at IMS. “We are very excited about these two great events this year” said Rick Dawson, President of Anderson Speedway. “USAC and Anderson Speedway have a long history and these special sanctions will be great for both organizations. The format for the Pay Less Little 500 will not be affected by this sanction, however the prestige of both events will be substantially enhanced by it.”

April 3, 2008 - F-1 Teams Pressure Mosley

• Leading Formula One car manufacturers have called into question Max Mosley's ability to continue as president of the sport's governing body after a sex scandal. Mosley, who has said he will stay at the helm of the International Automobile Federation, showed no sign of changing his mind, however. Mercedes, BMW, Honda and Toyota all issued statements critical of Mosley's position after Britain's News of the World Sunday tabloid detailed how he had paid for sex with prostitutes in what was depicted as a Nazi-style orgy.

UPS Moving On?

• On Speed's "Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain," it was reported that UPS will be weighing its options after completing this season in the Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota with David Reutimann. UPS could be looking for a higher-profile driver for its future in Cup racing.

Attica Event Rescheduled

• Due to the rainy conditions forecast for Thursday and Friday, the Coors Light Spring Clash, featuring the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions, season opener at Attica Raceway Park has been moved to the raindate of Saturday, April 5. Pit gates will open Saturday at 4 p.m. with grandstand entry at 4:30 p.m. and racing at 7:30 p.m.

April 2, 2008 - IndyCar Race Earns Highest TV Ratings

• ESPN2 earned its highest rating ever for an IndyCar Series race for coverage of Saturday night's season-opening event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race averaged a 0.8 rating and 815,070 household impressions. The rating was up from 0.7 last year, previously ESPN2's highest rating for an IndyCar Series event.

Kentucky Speedway Holds 'Drive The Track' Promotion

• Kentucky Speedway will stage its first of two popular “Drive the Track” gift shop sales on Saturday, April 19  from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Guests that make a minimum purchase of $40 in the Fan Center Gift Shop will be able to turn paced laps on the Kentucky Speedway 1.5-mile paved tri-oval track in their own vehicles. The sale will feature Kentucky Speedway and popular driver merchandise specials. Event ticket purchases also will be applied to the customer purchase total. The Fan Center is located off of Interstate 71 Exit 57 and Ky. Hwy. 35 North in Sparta, Ky. Fans can phone 859-567-3400 for more information.

IRL, Coca-Cola Agree To Deal

• The IndyCar Series today announced a major multi-year agreement with Coca-Cola North America that will make Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most recognized brands, an official sponsor of the IndyCar Series through 2010. The agreement builds on Coca-Cola North America’s relationship with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500, which dates back decades. Through this expanded association, Coca-Cola will develop retail marketing programs to help enhance the IndyCar racing experience for fans throughout the season. This new partnership follows the announcement last year of a 10-year sponsorship agreement between Coca-Cola North America and International Speedway Corporation (ISC), owner of five tracks on the IndyCar Series schedule. Coca-Cola also has relationships with several other tracks on the schedule, making it the leading soft drink at the majority of the tracks where the IndyCar Series will race in 2008.

DSR's Lewis Named To Board Of Directors

• Mike Lewis, Senior Vice President of Don Schumacher Racing has been named to the Board of Directors for the Indiana Motorsports Association (IMA), as voted upon at the monthly board meeting on March 19. Lewis has more than 35 years of motorsports experience, including serving as the Vice President and General Manager at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis and the Vice President of Field Operations with the National Hot Rod Association.  Lewis got his start in drag racing at the Maple Grove Raceway, a facility built and managed by his family, in 1971.   

IndyCar Series Changes Road- And Street-Course Qualifying Format

• The IndyCar Series will enhance its popular Firestone Fast Six qualifying format for road and street courses beginning with the series’ visit to St. Petersburg, Fla. April 4-6. Single-car qualifying, which previously preceded the Firestone Fast Six shootout, will be eliminated on road and street courses in favor of group sessions that will progressively narrow the field to the fastest six, who will then enter a 10-minute shootout for the pole.  Preparations for qualifying at road and street courses will begin with two Friday practice sessions in which all cars will participate together for a total of 2½ hours. On Saturday morning, the cars will be randomly divided into two groups for a final practice session. Each group will get 30 minutes of practice time. Qualifying begins Saturday afternoon with the two groups competing for 20 minutes each. The fastest six cars from each group will advance to another round of qualifying while positions 13 down will be established for the race by the fastest laps turned by the remaining cars. The 12 advancing cars will then enter a 15-minute group qualifying session with all previous times erased. Following that session, the fastest six cars will advance to the Firestone Fast Six shootout while the remaining six cars will fill positions seven through 12 on the starting grid based on their fastest laps from that session. Once again, all times will be erased and the six finalists will battle for 10 minutes to win the Peak Motor Oil Pole.