Stock Car Gazette

The Stock Car Gazette e-zine for Tuesday, 8/25/09

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 42 reads
Mike Irwin

Good Tuesday morning to you. Here’s today’s Stock Car Gazette.

____________________________________________________________

T H E * S T O C K * C A R * G A Z E T T E
by http://MotorSportsNews.Net

Do you know for sure?

http://motorsportsnews.net/you-can-know-for-sure

____________________________________________________________

The Stock Car Gazette is sponsored by:

Hasco Collectibles
Div. Hasco Services, LLC
701 Mantooth Ave.
Lufkin, TX 75904

http://www.hascodiecastcars.com

hasco@diecastcars.net
866-66-HASCO (866-664-2726)

FINAL PRE-ORDERS FOR HASCO COLLECTIBLES:
Click The Pre-Order Category On Our Site For:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. ACU Camo, Get On The 88, AMP Sugar Free,
Jr. Foundation, Brad Kesolowski Cup Talladega Win.

SALE CONTINUES!
We still have hundreds and hundreds of items at 15% to 85% off of retail.
Over 1000 items are reduced from cars to apparel to trinkets including
most 2007/2008 items. Just click the red sale banner at the top of our
home page, click the Special Sale link in the left column of the home
page, or, just click this link: http://www.hascodiecastcars.com/sale.aspx

Hasco Collectibles
Div. Hasco Services, LLC
701 Mantooth Ave.
Lufkin, TX 75904

http://www.hascodiecastcars.com

hasco@diecastcars.net
___________________________________________________________

E d i t o r ‘ s * N o t e s
___________________________________________________________

Good Tuesday morning to you. Here’s today’s Stock Car Gazette.
___________________________________________________________

Stock Car Gazette Columnists Speak Out!
___________________________________________________________

TV Times – Michigan Sprint Cup TV Ratings Show Modest Increase
by Lou Modestino

ESPN officials say the network’s broadcasts of the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series races at Michigan International Speedway both earned ratings increases over 2008. Read more about it at http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/4019
___________________________________________________________

N A S C A R * S P R I N T * C U P * S E R I E S
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of www.FrontStretch.com

Sprint Cup Race Recap
by Phil Allaway

For teams that are outside of the Top 12, time is running out to force their way into the Chase. In order to get into the Championship playoffs, one of those contenders has to make some kind of a big splash.

Kyle Busch chose Saturday night to make his splash.

Busch ran up in the top 10 for much of the event Saturday night, but never really challenged for the lead. That is, until his team gave him got him valuable track position with a fast stop on their last trip down pit road. Busch won the race out of the pits, and lined up fourth on the restart behind Michael Waltrip (who did not pit) with four fresh tires. On the restart, Kyle followed Waltrip to get past Martin and Newman on the inside, and then blasted by Waltrip a lap later to take the lead.

Once Busch was out front, he pulled away fast. However, four yellows pulled him back in. After the last restart on lap 497, Martin, who was the dominant car of the evening, hounded Busch for the last four laps, getting to Busch’s door but never able to make a clean pass. Busch held off Martin’s final assault to claim victory at Bristol by just a car length.

This was Kyle’s fourth victory of the year, tying him with Martin for the most in the Cup Series this season.

After the race, Kyle was very happy with his result.

“The whole M&Ms team did a phenomenal job this weekend,” Kyle said in the post-race press conference. “We just kept plugging away at it, making some adjustments, trying to make the car faster, make it better in the short run, better in the long run, where it was capable enough of keeping up with the 5 in general.”

The only thing that might come as a surprise to many fans was the deference that Kyle had towards Mark Martin after the race, claiming in Victory Lane that he wished Mark was there instead of him since he felt that Martin deserved the win.

Mark Martin, who led the most laps (240) on Saturday night, was not bitter that he was denied the victory on Saturday night. He was happy to get a good run.

“I’m so grateful to have a chance to do what I did tonight, which is drive a really fast racecar and finish where it was running,” Martin said after the race. “We’ve had so much trouble this year, not finishing like we ran.”

Behind Kyle Busch and Martin was Marcos Ambrose in third (a career-best oval finish), followed by Greg Biffle and Denny Hamlin, who started 41st. Ryan Newman brought his No. 39 home in sixth, followed by Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson in eighth; which was good enough to clinch his spot in the Chase. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top 10.

Race To The Chase (Top 12)
by Phil Allaway

Points leader Tony Stewart had a terrible weekend at Bristol. First, a bad qualifying effort put the Office Depot No. 14 back in the 30th starting spot. Then, radio issues hampered the run almost from the start. Stewart pitted to install a new radio under the first caution, and lost a lap. Handling issues never really allowed Stewart to get involved in the action. A stall under caution cost him even more laps. Eventually, Stewart brought the No. 14 home in 33rd, 11 laps down, his worst finish of the season, so far. This allowed the Hendrick duo of Gordon and Johnson to gain ground. Despite a late issue on pit road that dropped Johnson out of the lead, he rebounded to bring the Lowe’s No. 48 home in eighth. This moved Johnson back into second in points, 220 behind Stewart.

Jeff Gordon, who was second coming into the race, ran fairly well until contact with Denny Hamlin caused a fender rub. The result was Gordon falling off the lead lap all the way back to a 23rd place finish. Hamlin had a great run on Saturday night, after spinning out in qualifying and having to start 41st. Once the green flag fell, Hamlin started a slow progression towards the front, getting all the way to fifth by the end of the race; boosting him to fourth in the standings.

Carl Edwards also had a bad qualifying run, and as a result, lined up 32nd. Unfortunately, his car also had handling issues. As a result, Edwards couldn’t make all that much progress up through the field and was lapped at one point. Getting the free pass during the eighth caution allowed Carl to move up the order, and the wrecks helped to thin out the field. At the end of the race, Edwards was 16th; nearing the highest position he had all night. Kurt Busch is still sixth after a quiet, yet solid run to a seventh place finish; just the type of run necessary to solidify a Chase spot. Ryan Newman is up two spots this week to seventh after a great run to sixth, a big jump forward after a tough couple of weeks for the No. 39 team. Greg Biffle is also up two spots to eighth after a fourth place finish Saturday night.

Juan Pablo Montoya is down two places to ninth after a 25th place finish Saturday night. Montoya got a flat tire late in the race while running in the top 5, which forced him to pit under green to change right side tires; losing two laps in the process. Martin is up two places to tenth after finishing second and leading the most laps on Saturday night. Kasey Kahne was the big loser, dropping three places to 11th after a tough 28th place finish, three laps down. Matt Kenseth rounds out the top 12. Kyle Busch, after his victory, is now 13th in points, 34 behind Kenseth.

Tracking The Top 35
by Phil Allaway
After Saturday night, the margin has closed up between the Front Row Motorsports No. 34 and the Red Bull No. 82. Scott Speed, driving the No. 82 qualified a very strong third. However, he quickly slipped back into the 20’s, even getting lapped at one point. Thanks to the attrition, Speed was able to get the free pass during the ninth caution and began to move up the running order. By the time the race ended, Speed had a decent 15th place finish.

For John Andretti in the Taco Bell No. 34, it was a completely different race. Andretti qualified in the back and rode around for much of the race, trying to stay out of trouble. However, trouble found the No. 34. Just after halfway, Andretti went into the wall in turn 1, shedding parts in the process. The team spent a few laps on pit road fixing the car, then sent Andretti back on the track. Andretti rode around for the rest of the night, eventually bringing the car home in 30th, six laps down. This closes the margin between Andretti and Speed to 122 points.

For much of the night, the No. 71 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet driven by David Gilliland was having the best run of the teams around the cut-off, actually running as high as eighth early on. Gilliland slowly began to drop back in the field, eventually falling back as far as 24th before beginning to climb back up the order. He was still on the lead lap in 20th on lap 356 when he hit the wall in turn 3, ending his day. Gilliland was classified 39th at the finish.
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of Insider Racing News

http://www.insiderracingnews.com

Motorsports This Week on ESPN
NASCAR Goes North of the Border for Montreal Event
The only international event on NASCAR’s calendar happens this weekend as ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series with a live, flag-to-flag telecast of the road course race at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. NASCAR Countdown begins ESPN2’s coverage on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 2 p.m. ET, and the race’s green flag is at 2:48 p.m. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. Marty Reid will be lap-by-lap announcer with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Shannon Spake. ESPN2 airs same-day coverage of NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying from Montreal on Saturday, Aug. 29, at 9 p.m.

Busch Hands Flag To Fan
Just moments after winning the Food City 500 and getting the checkerd flag from the Bristol Motor Speedway flagman, Kyle Busch saw a young girl on the other side of the fence, wearing a Kyle Busch T-shirt. She was in tears so Busch walked over to her and handed her the flag. Only trouble was, a Tony Stewart fan tried to steal the flag from her. The crowd interviened and made sure the flag got to the one it was intended to go to.

Danica Patrick To Stay In Indy Cars
Danica Patrick pretty much confirmed Saturday that not only was she staying in the Indy Racing League, she’s also staying put at Andretti Green Racing. Just two days after Michael Andretti announced he was taking charge of the racing team Patrick has been with since 2007, IndyCar’s biggest star acknowledged she was happy with the changes and wants to be part of solution. “Every team has its pitfalls and people who are difficult but I like some of the changes being made for this team and that’s good for me,” said Patrick.

NASCAR Considers Fuel Injection
NASCAR is looking at eliminating carburetors and using fuel-injection systems in the future, but there is no timetable for implementation of that, NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said Saturday. Pemberton also said that he expected any change in the system would not come during a season, but would be implemented at the start of a year. He indicated that 2010 likely would be too aggressive of a time line. “We’re not far enough into it right now [to predict when it will be used],” Pemberton said prior to the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. “I can’t ever imagine it happening in the middle of a season. … We’re way early in the process. There is not a time line. There is not a determination of what series it may start in. We have not defined a type of system or how it would be controlled.”
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of Jayski

http://www.jayski.com

Johnson’s commit $500k to schools: Chandra and Jimmie Johnson announced a $150,000 commitment for K-12 education in the Charlotte area. The foundation has partnered with Lowe’s, Johnson’s primary sponsor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and its Lowe’s Toolbox for Education program to offer a competitive grant opportunity to four local school districts in the city where the Johnsons currently reside. The Johnsons have also announced similar initiatives in their hometowns in California and Oklahoma, bringing the total commitment to education to more than $500,000. More info on my Racing Charities page.(8-25-2009)

http://jayski.com/pages/charities.htm

Brothers with the most wins [each has had to win a Sprint Cup race]
94 – Allison: Bobby (84), Donnie (10)
88 – Waltrip: Darrell (84), Michael (4)* [both Daytona 500 Champs]
62 – Flock: Tim (39), Fonty (19) Bob (4)
49 – Thomas: Herb (48), Donald (1)
43 – Labonte: Terry (22)*, Bobby (21)* [both Series Champs]
35 – Busch: Kurt (19)*, Kyle (16)*
26 – Burton: Jeff (21)*, Ward (5)
22 – Parsons: Benny (21), Phil (1)
19 – Bodine: Geoff (18), Brett (1)
* still active.(8-25-2009)

HANS Finds Counterfit parts – offers free replacements: HANS Performance Products has found counterfeit Post Anchor parts on a helmet purchased from Impact Racing Products. Preliminary investigations suggest that counterfeit parts may have been supplied with other helmets provided by Impact. “We are seeking the source of the counterfeit anchors and to establish how widely they may have been distributed,” said HANS CEO Mark Stiles. He continued, “It is extremely possible that counterfeits may have been installed on other helmets, either factory-fitted by a helmet manufacturer or by racers installing replacement parts during equipment changes.” For more info see hansdevice.com.(8-25-2009)

Changes at RCR? Changes are coming at Richard Childress Racing. “We’re getting ready to make a lot of changes to hopefully change [the performance],” Team owner Richard Childress said last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. He wouldn’t get any more specific, but those close to the situation said there will be some major restructuring announced early this week that hopefully will improve performance. The organization already has made some changes within the teams to put the best at-the-track personnel with Clint Bowyer, the only one of RCR’s four drivers with a shot at the Chase. Bowyer is 15th in points, 112 points out with two races remaining before the field is set. Jeff Burton is 18th, Casey Mears is 20th and Kevin Harvick is 24th. Childress has already switched the crew chiefs of Harvick and Mears in an attempt to improve performance, so any further changes likely will come in a shakeup of managerial or engineering structure.(ESPN)(8-24-2009)
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of Racin’ Today

http://www.racintoday.com

Atlanta Has A Shining Reason To Host Labor Day Race
By Rick Minter | Senior Writer
A week from Sunday, NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series will return to the South for a Labor Day weekend race. Traditionalists likely will argue that the race should be held at Darlington Raceway, where the Southern 500 was a Southern Labor Day spectacle for decades.

http://www.racintoday.com/archives/9237

Woody: Free Answers To Your Toughest Questions – http://www.racintoday.com/archives/9257

Pedley: Busch, Martin Opt To Do It The Right Way At Bristol – http://www.racintoday.com/archives/9178
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of That’s Racin’

http://www.thatsracin.com

Andretti confident about deal with Danica – http://www.thatsracin.com/116/story/16407.html

Controversial driver hits a different note in Nashville – http://www.thatsracin.com/140/story/16463.html

Kyle Busch is good for what’s ailing NASCAR – http://www.thatsracin.com/140/story/16423.html
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of www.Valvoline.com

Yes, He REALLY Said That
Mark Martin, on his new racing philosophy. “I can’t help if we have a flat tire, or we get caught up in a wreck, or a part breaks, or if rain comes at an inopportune time. I can’t help that. So I’m not going to stay awake at night or stress about that, because I’m having too much fun.”
___________________________________________________________

P R E S S * R E L E A S E S
___________________________________________________________

Nothing pressing today.
___________________________________________________________

N A S C A R * N A T I O N W I D E * S E R I E S
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of www.Frontstretch.com

Top News Stories
by Tom Bowles

Montreal Entry List Has Hometown Flavor
The Canadian crowd on hand for this weekend’s Nationwide Series race at Montreal should expect to see plenty of their hometown heroes sprinkled throughout the 43-car field. On the entry list released Monday were over a dozen of the country’s racing stars, including Jacques Villeneuve’s return to NASCAR as he drives the No. 32 for Braun Racing. Other countrymen entered include:

Andrew Ranger: Driving CJM Racing’s No. 11 Toyota

Ron Fellows: Driving JR Motorsports’ No. 5 Chevy

Jean Francois Dumoulin: Driving R3 Motorsports’ No. 23 Chevy (making series debut; he’s a part-time Grand Am Series driver who finished 9th in the 2004 24 Hours of Daytona, part of the winning team for the Super Grand Sports class)

J.R. Fitzpatrick: Driving Kevin Harvick, Inc.’s No. 33 Chevy

D.J. Kennington: Driving Specialty Racing’s No. 61 Ford (one-race deal, replacing Matthew Carter who struggled in a road course start at Watkins Glen earlier this month)

Alex Tagliani: Driving MacDonald Motorsports’ No. 81 Dodge

Patrick Carpentier: Driving Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 99 Toyota
A total of 45 cars are on the list, with a driver yet to be announced for Wayne Day’s No. 05. The race will be televised on ESPN2 this Sunday starting at 2:30 EST.

Fastenal To Sponsor Carl Edwards In Nationwide Series In 2010
Sometimes, even NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver can lose out on some hard-earned sponsor money. After an up-and-down year paired with JR Motorsports’ No. 5 (owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr.), primary sponsor Fastenal announced a 15-race deal Monday to move over to Roush Fenway’s No. 60 car for 2010. It’s a reunion of sorts for the tool company, one of the first to take a chance on RFR driver Carl Edwards’ driving career as it began to blossom ten years ago.

“I’m really excited about the partnership,” he said in a press release. “It’s special to me, because in 1999 the local Fastenal store in Columbia, Missouri was nice enough to let me bring in one of my first sponsorship proposals that I had ever given to anyone. I used their storage bins, fasteners, drill bits, and rivets for years on all my dirt cars. We won two track championships. I was really proud of that first sponsorship, and I am proud to be back with them in the Nationwide Series. That’s going to be neat.”

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Edwards still plans to run all 35 races in 2010, running full schedules in both the Cup and Nationwide Series for the sixth straight season.

Mike Wallace Gets Full-Time Ride Capable of Running Full Distance
Johnny Davis Motorsports announced Monday that Mike Wallace will drive their No. 01 Chevy for the rest of the season starting at Montreal. The 50-year-old Wallace has already driven for the team in a handful of races this year, most of them start and parks in the team’s second car, the No. 0. But after JDM’s primary driver, Danny O’Quinn, Jr., quit after Friday night’s race at Bristol, that opened the door for the veteran to move up the pecking order.

“I know that this opportunity will be great for all of us,” Wallace said of the change, as he’ll now look to keep the underfunded team inside the top 30 in owner points (they’re currently 27th with 11 races left in 2009). “I see this as a way to help our team move forward into 2010.”

It’s the first full-time Nationwide ride for Wallace since being released from Germain Racing and sponsor GEICO at the end of the last season. So far this year, he has yet to score a top 10 finish in a total of seven Cup and Nationwide Series starts.
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of Jayski

http://www.jayski.com

Gaughan running Grand Am race at Montreal: NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brendan Gaughan will drive the #66 South Point Casino/TRG Porsche GT3 at this weekend’s Grand-Am Rolex Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. Gaughan, from Las Vegas, will make his first Grand-Am Series start with co-driver and Rolex 24 at Daytona winner Andy Lally.(TRG Motorsports PR)(8-24-2009)

Fitzpatrick in the #33: This weekend the NASCAR Nationwide Series moves north of the border to run the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. Cambridge, Ontario native J. R. Fitzpatrick will climb into the driver’s seat of the #33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Schick Chevy for the first time this season and his second Nationwide Series start of the season for KHI (previously ran the #4 KHI Chevy at Watkins Glen, finishing 18th).(KHI PR)(8-24-2009)

Mike Wallace in the #01 for the rest of the year: J-D Motorsports announced that Mike Wallace will drive the #01 Chevy for the remainder of the year. Mike will be in the #01 beginning this weekend at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuv in Canada.(J-D Motorsports PR)(8-21/2009

Braun in the #16 at Montreal: Colin Braun will make his first NASCAR Nationwide Series start of the season this weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Braun will be behind the wheel of the #16 3M Ford, the same car he drove in five NNS events last year. This will be Braun’s first race at the 2.71-mile road course. The 20-year-old Camping World Truck Series regular practiced the 3M Ford Fusion for Greg Biffle in this race last year.(Roush Fenway PR)(8-24-2009)

Special hood on the #60 at Montreal: As a special thank you for their dedication to servicing more than 300 communities all over Canada, the hood of the #60 CitiFinancial Ford will display the names of the 385 employees that make up the CitiFinancial Canadian Branch Management team in this weekend’s Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.(Drivers Choice PR),see an image of the hood on the #16 Paint Schemes page.(8-24-2009).

http://www.jayski.com/schemes/2009/nationwide/16nationwide.htm

Fastenal sponsoring Edwards in 2010: Roush Fenway Racing announced that they have signed Fastenal to a multi-year contract to sponsor Carl Edwards in the Nationwide Series beginning in 2010. Fastenal, North America’s largest fastener distributor and one of the world’s fastest-growing full-line industrial suppliers, will appear on the #60 Ford for 15 races in 2010.(Roush Fenway PR)(8-24-2009)

Bires to the #88? JR Motorsports President Kelley Earnhardt confirmed that Kelly Bires is on the list of possible replacements for Brad Keselowski should the company and the driver part ways. Many in the garage have called Bires, who turns 25 Tuesday, the front-runner for the #88 Nationwide Series ride.(FoxSports)(8-24-2009)

Danny O’Quinn leaves #0 team: J-D Motorsports’ owner Johnny Davis was informed by Danny O’Quinn, Jr. after the race at Bristol Saturday night that he was quitting the team. “This came a quite a shock to me, said Johnny Davis. Danny was consistently moving up in the driver points and we had based our business plan around Danny for the rest of this year.” The J-D Motorsports team has fielded three cars at many races this year. Johnny and Lori Davis are rethinking just what they will do to replace the driver. The #01 Chevy remains solidly in the top 30 in owner points. The team had invested considerably in the #01 and will continue to do so. “Our program has flourished in a very lean year for independent teams. We have stepped-up every aspect of our operation. We have approached sponsor acquisition with a zest that is beginning to produce results. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but we will move on and grow this business. We will consider all of our options,” said team owner Davis.(J-D Motorsports PR)(8-22-2009)

Kimberly-Clark [Kleenex] announced a partnership with JTG Daugherty Racing for the 2010 season, making it a sponsor of the #47 Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car driven by Marcos Ambrose. The partnership will commence with the Daytona 500 in February and mark the 16th season Kimberly-Clark has been active in NASCAR. As sponsor, Kimberly-Clark brands will be present on the #47 for the entire 2010 season, serving as the primary sponsor on paint schemes for five races, including Daytona. The move to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series brings to end one of the longest-standing team/sponsor relationships in the Nationwide Series. “Kimberly-Clark has partnered with Baker Curb Racing and that organization for a long time,” Kimberly-Clark’s Don Quigley said. “We certainly wish that team the best of luck and expect it to continue finding success. We also hope nothing but the best for Jason Keller in his endeavors both on and off the track. As we graduate up, we will certainly remain fans of the Nationwide Series.”(Kimberly-Clark)(8-22-2009)
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of The Hot Lap

http://www.TheHotLap.com

NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brendan Gaughan will drive the No. 66 South Point Casino/TRG Porsche GT3 at this weekend’s Grand-Am Rolex Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.Gaughan, from Las Vegas, will make his first Grand-Am Series start with co-driver and Rolex 24 at Daytona winner Andy Lally. Gaughan will also be competing in his regular ride, the No. 62 USfidelis Chevrolet, in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race there on Sunday.

Entry List for Montreal

http://thehotlap.com/modules.php?name=Press_Releases&op=view&rid=4498

Cambridge, Ontario native J. R. Fitzpatrick will climb into the driver’s seat of the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Schick Chevrolet for the first time this season and his second Nationwide Series start of the season for KHI (previously ran the No. 4 KHI Chevrolet at Watkins Glen, finishing 18th). DOUBLE DUTY: Fitzpatrick will compete in both the NASCAR Nationwide and Canadian Tire Series races on Sunday, August 30, at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, driving for Sponsor Schick in both events.

Jeffrey Earnhardt returns to the No. 40 Chevrolet for this weekend’s race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec. When Jeffrey takes the flag this Sunday, he will be the first Earnhardt to ever race in Canada.(KM) (08-25-09)

NASCAR drivers Joey Logano, Sam Hornish Jr., Kenny Wallace and Brendan Gaughan will make appearances in the Scotts Miracle-Gro Party Zone fan hospitality area on Friday, September 11, prior to the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 race at Richmond International Raceway. All of the drivers, as well as SPEED-TV personality Hermie Sadler and track president Doug Fritz will participate in question and answer sessions for all guests in the fan hospitality area.(RIR)
___________________________________________________________

C A M P I N G * W O R L D * T R U C K * S E R I E S
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of Jayski

http://www.jayski.com

Busch making the trek to Chicago: Kyle “Rowdy” Busch is back behind the wheel of the #51 Miccosukee Resort Billy Ballew Motorsports Tundra coming off a dominant win at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series race August 19th. Busch leads the team to Chicagoland Speedway with five previous NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts with one win from the pole, posted in 2008. He has six Nationwide Series starts posting one win, three top-five and three top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval racetrack in Joliet, Illinois. Busch will also be driving the #18-Interstate JGR Toyota at this weekend’s Nationwide race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Busch is planning to attend all practice sessions & qualify the truck at Chicagoland.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(8-25-2009)

PC*MILER returns primary sponsor for Skinner: Though the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at Chicagoland Speedway marks the inaugural race at the 1.5-mile track, Mike Skinner has raced in three NASCAR Sprint Cup and one NASCAR Nationwide events at the Joliet, Ill. track. Skinner finished in the runner-up spot in the Nationwide event in 2001. The #5-Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota is a brand new truck and will feature PC*MILER Navigator as primary sponsor. PC*MILER Navigator is changing the way commercial truck drivers work, as it is the first GPS navigation system specifically designed for company drivers, owner operators, and leased operators and the only way to get industry standard PC*Miler directions in the cab. (Randy Moss Motorsports PR)(8-25-2009)
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of TruckSeries.Com

http://www.truckseries.com

Chicagoland Speedway New To Series, Not For Everyone
08-24-2009 | TruckSeries.com Report
Chicagoland Speedway One might assume an inaugural event at a track new to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series would find everyone on equal footing. Not necessarily so.

http://www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/NCTS_09/articles/000010/001060.htm

___________________________________________________________

A R C A (Automobile Racing Club of America)
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of ARCA

http://www.arcaracing.com

Can’t Stop ARCA Rookie Kligerman on Springfield Mile-Dirt; Becomes Youngest Winner of Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds

SPRINGFIELD IL (8-23-09) – ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Parker Kligerman, in his first-ever dirt track attempt, padded his point lead Sunday afternoon with a historic victory in the 47th running of the Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile-dirt in Springfield.

By doing so, Kligerman, 19, surpassed Justin Allgaier – who was 20 at the time – as the youngest winner of the annual stock car classic. Ironically, it was Allgaier who offered advice to Kligerman right before the start. Both drivers race under the Penske Racing banner.

“Before practice Justin Allgaier came up to the car and just sort of told me to watch out for certain things,” said Kligerman. “He told me not to be worried and gave me little pointers-just confidence building stuff. Before the race he came up to the car and gave me a rundown of everything that I should do. ‘Watch out for this; don’t do this. Definitely don’t do this.’ And I think those tips were a huge part of it. I think that’s what kept us from being freight-trained.”

Kligerman, who started second in the Cunningham Motorsports Dodge, pitted out of sequence and much later than the majority of the front-runners which buried him deep in the field near the halfway point. However, Kligerman methodically maneuvered his way back toward the front, picking cars off one by one just in time to challenge for the win.

“It was just car by car. Here, the track is one groove. You’ve got to be inside or you’re going backwards. And I tried really hard every time to get my nose to the inside and at that point they have to give up the position. And we just kept doing that, and doing that and then especially in the braking zone, going down in there harder than them; and if you can get down inside of them they have to give up the position.”

Kligerman, after some contact, got underneath Justin Lofton on lap 89 of the scheduled 100 lap/100 mile race and never looked back.

“Me and Lofton had a little bit of a deal and I didn’t want to get into him. We were just racing hard and that’s how it is,” added Kligerman.

Ron Cox, who led 11 laps in Wayne Hixson’s Dan Shaver Memorial Scholarship Chevrolet, finished a career-best second about 10 lengths away.

“We’ve been trying since ’99 to finish in the top-three,” said Cox. “It took a long time to get here; it’s really exciting to finally do it. I want to thank the Dan Shaver Memorial Scholarship and Hixson Motorsports. Maybe we can do one better at DuQuoin.”

Patrick Sheltra finished third in the Buffalo Wings & Rings Dodge.

“It wasn’t too bad; the Buffalo Wings & Rings Dodge was good today,” said Sheltra. “We thought about coming in and taking tires, but we would have given up too much track position. But I love it here; it’s like going back to grass roots racing.”

Galesburg, Illinois favorite AJ Fike finished fourth in the RFMS-Liberty Village Ford. Fort Frances, Ontario’s Steve Arpin, in his first Springfield appearance, was fifth in the Pinewood Sports Chevrolet.

Frank Kimmel, who finished ninth, also etched his name further into the record books after the Clarksville, Indiana veteran led 34 laps during the race. By doing so, Kimmel surpassed the 10,000 laps-led mark bringing his career total to 10,028 laps-led overall.

“Overall and in the grand scheme of things, today was good day for Kimmel Racing,” said Kimmel. “To lead laps and to reach the milestone of 10,000 laps led was a huge accomplishment for us. At the end of the day, though, anything but a win is a bit of a disappointment here at Springfield. The right side tires just had somewhat of a blistering feel to them there from the middle of the race on. It’s just not the result we hoped for but what can you do but go on to the next one and keep our head in the game as we focus on getting the first win for Ansell and Menards.”

Eight cautions for a variety of spins and wall-bangers slowed the race for 42 laps, including a late-race caution that ultimately lengthened the race to 103 laps to accommodate the ARCA-mandated green flag finish. Although it would come down to a two-lap dash to the checkers with 18 cars still on the lead lap, no driver had anything for Kligerman in the end. Kligerman led 18 laps overall, including the final 15 circuits.

Lofton, who earned the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell with a new one lap track record (110.592 mph), led the most laps overall (40) but faded in the late stages of the race after Kligerman got underneath him. Lofton eventually finished sixth in front of veteran Ken Schrader, who brought his own Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet home in seventh.

Will Kimmel, in his first dirt track attempt, was eighth in front of Uncle Frank in ninth. Matt Merrell finished 10th in the Red Line Oil Dodge.

The ARCA RE/MAX Series travels next to Chicagoland Speedway for the Ansell Cut Protection 150 this Friday, August 28 live on SPEED.

Official Finish
ARCA RE/MAX Series, Allen Crowe 100
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield IL, 8-23-09

Springfield, Ill., (AP) _ The official finish for Sunday’s Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds for ARCA RE/MAX Series stock cars with starting position in parenthesis, driver, hometown, type of car, laps completed, and reason out of race, if any:
1. (2) Parker Kligerman, Westport, Conn., Dodge, 103; 2. (6) Ron Cox, Soddy Daisy, Tenn., Chevrolet, 103; 3. (4) Patrick Sheltra, Indiantown, Fla., Dodge, 103; 4. (10) A.J. Fike, Galesburg, Ill., Ford, 103; 5. (9) Steve Arpin, Fort Frances, Ont., Chevrolet, 103; 6. (1) Justin Lofton, Westmorland, Calif., Toyota, 103; 7. (8) Ken Schrader, Fenton, Mo., Chevrolet, 103; 8. (14) Will Kimmel, Sellersburg, Ind., Ford, 103; 9. (3) Frank Kimmel, Clarksville, Ind., Ford, 103; 10. (5) Matt Merrell, Portland, Texas, Dodge, 103; 11. (16) Joe Cooksey, Centralia, Ill., Chevrolet, 103; 12. (17) Kelly Kovski, Springfield, Ill., Chevrolet, 103; 13. (20) Robb Brent, Shelby Township, Mich., Dodge, 103; 14. (19) Tim George, Jr., New York, N.Y., Toyota, 103; 15. (26) Kory Rabenold, Slatington, Penn., Ford, 103; 16. (27) Jeremy Petty, Smolan, Kan., Chevrolet, 103; 17. (31) Andrew Belmont, Mooresville, N.C., Ford, 103; 18. (22) Mark Littleton, Arenzville, Ill., Chevrolet, 103; 19. (24) Darrell Basham, Henryville, Ind., Chevrolet, 96; 20. (21) Bryan Silas, Stuart, Fla., Chevrolet, 95, accident; 21. (11) Joey Coulter, Miami Springs, Fla., Chevrolet, 84, accident; 22. (12) Eddie Pearson, Spartanburg, S.C., Ford, 83, overheating; 23. (15) Tom Hessert, Cherry Hill, N.J., Ford, 79, overheating; 24. (37) Chris Lafferty, Concord, N.C., Chevrolet, 76; 25. (29) Kyle Chady, Benton, Ill., Ford, 68, accident; 26. (18) Craig Goess, Greenville, N.C., Toyota, 63, accident; 27. (34) Barry Fitzgerald, Sykesville, Md., Ford, 61, accident; 28. (33) James Hylton, Inman, S.C., Ford, 60; 29. (38) Damon Lusk, Kennewick, Wash., Ford, 58, accident; 30. (7) Brian Tyler, Parma, Mich., Chevrolet, 57, accident; 31. (13) Mark Gibson, Winder, Ga., Dodge, 56, accident; 32. (25) Dale Shearer, Alhambra, Ill., Ford, 47, accident; 33. (23) Ken Butler III, Lilburn, Ga., Ford, 29, overheating; 34. (30) Brad Smith, Shelby Township, Mich., Ford, 13, overheating; 35. (32) Todd Antrican, Lebanon, Ohio, Chevrolet, 4, clutch; 36. (28) Brad Dubil, Bettendorf, Iowa, Ford, 2, overheating; 37. (36) Wayne Peterson, Pulaski, Tenn., Chevrolet, 1, handling.

Time of race: 1 hour, 26 minutes, 32 seconds; Margin of victory: 2.638 seconds; Lap leaders: Lofton 1-21, Kligerman 22-24, Cox 25-35, Kimmel 36-69, Lofton 70-88, Kligerman 89-103.
Post Race Special Awards

Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell: Justin Lofton/32.552 seconds/110.592 mph *NTR

Highest Finishing Rookie: Parker Kligerman/No. 77 Cunningham Motorsports Dodge

Cometic Crew Chief of the Race: Chris Carrier/No. 77 Cunningham Motorsports Dodge

Klotz Engine Mechanic of the Race: John Hayden/No. 60 Buffalo Wings & Rings Dodge

CGS Imaging Hard Charger: Andrew Belmont/No. 83 LoanMax Ford

Aaron’s Lap Leader: Justin Lofton/No. 6 Lofton Cattle Toyota

TOP TEN UNOFFICIAL ARCA RE/MAX SERIES POINTS AFTER THE ALLEN CROWE 100 AT THE ILLINOIS STATE FAIRGROUNDS (8-23-09, Race 14 of 21);1) Parker Kligerman, 3425; 2) Justin Lofton, 3390; 3) Frank Kimmel, 3095; 4) Joey Coulter, 2890; 5) Steve Arpin, 2880; 6) Craig Goess, 2875; 7) Bryan Silas, 2840; 8) Patrick Sheltra, 2770; 9) Tom Hessert, 2635; 10) Robb Brent, 2535.
___________________________________________________________

U S A R (United Speed Alliance Racing)
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of USAR

http://usarprocup.com

Brandon Ward Secures Emotional Victory in Hampton Virginia Honor Flight 250
HAMPTON, Va. (August 23, 2009) – Brandon Ward claimed an emotional victory Sunday in the rain-delayed Hampton Virginia Honor Flight 250 at Langley Speedway, a day after the North Carolina resident’s father suffered a heart attack in the track’s garage.

http://www.usarprocup.com/?p=803

___________________________________________________________

C O L U M N S / C O M M E N T A R I E S
___________________________________________________________

Insider Racing News

http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/RG/082109.html

Potential NASCAR Champions Flying Under the Radar
by Rebecca Gladden

The Nascar Insiders
Why Cost Saving Measures Don’t Matter
Doesn’t it seem lately that many of the moves made by NASCAR have dollar signs attached to them in terms of the teams?

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/-xXTmWuoU7c/

Insider Racing News

http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/BB/082209.html

Michigan International Speedway Leads the Way for Fans
by Brenda Benedict

Insider Racing News

http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/RF/082309.html

Kyle Busch Back On Track, Wins at Bristol
by Ron Felix

The Nascar Insiders
The NASCAR Week That Was: Aug. 16-22
Another week into the season and just a few more until the Chase begins, more dominos look to be falling.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/X6PuVcGq3Eo/

Insider Racing News

http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/MP/082409.html

Earnhardt Has Spoken ~ Will NASCAR Listen?
by Matthew Pizzolato

The Nascar Insiders
The Chase Isn’t Disappointing (For Me At Least)
We have just two races to go before the chase for the Sprint Cup begins and at this point there is still a lot of room for change.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/6RsPMMXl3Ag/

The Nascar Insiders
Won’t You Be My [Pit Road] Neighbor?
Each week when we set up on pit road for the race, we’ve got two neighbors.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/L7Lv05Jih4Q/

___________________________________________________________

T V * L I S T I N G S
___________________________________________________________

Courtesy of Race Fan TV

http://www.racefantv.com/

MONDAY, AUGUST 24
1:00P-2:00 TSN Parts Canada Superbike Championship, round #4, Mosport International Raceway, July 18/09, HD, N
3:00P-6:00 TSN NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing ELIMINATIONS, Toyo Tires Nationals, Reading, PA, Aug 23/09, HD, N
4:00P-5:00 VS IRL Indy Lights, Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA, Aug 23/09, HD
5:00P-6:00 espn2 NASCAR Now, HD, L

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25
5:00P-5:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, HD, L

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26
5:00P-5:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, HD, L

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27
3:00P-4:00 SPEED NASCAR Camping World Touring Series East Mohegan Sun 200, Lime Rock, CT, Aug 15/09, HD, N
5:00P-5:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, HD, L

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28
8:00A-9:30 SPEED FIA Formula One PRACTICE, ING Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, L
1:00P-2:00 TSN Parts Canada Superbike Championship, round #5, Mosport International Raceway, July 19/09, HD, N
5:30P-6:30 SPEED NASCAR Camping World Truck Series QUALIFYING, Chicagoland 250, Chicagoland, Joliet, IL, HD, L
6:00P-7:00 VS IRL IndyCar Series QUALIFYING, Peak Antifreeze Indy 300, Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, IL, HD, SDD
6:30P-8:30 SPEED ARCA RE/MAX Series Chicagoland ARCA 200, Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, IL, L
6:30P-7:00 espn2 NASCAR Now, HD, L
8:30P-9:00 SPEED NASCAR Camping World Truck Series SETUP, Chicagoland 250, Chicagoland, Joliet, IL, HD, L
9:00P-11:30 SPEED NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chicagoland 250, Chicagoland, Joliet, IL, HD, L (expect green at 9:19P)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29
7:55A-9:00 TSN FIA Formula One QUALIFYING, ING Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, 16:9, L
8:00A-9:30 SPEED FIA Formula One QUALIFYING, ING Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, L
12:00n-1:00P TSN NASCAR Canadian Tire Series GP3R 100, Trois Rivières, QC, Aug 16/09, HD, N
1:00P-3:00 RDS NASCAR Série Nationwide NAPA Pièces d’Auto 200, Qualifications, HD, L
2:00P-4:30 SPEED Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montréal, QC, HD, L
5:00P-6:00 SPEED IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Mopar Canadian Nationals, Grand Bend, ON, July 19/09, HD, N
7:00P-8:00 SPEED FIM MotoGP World Championship QUALIFYING, Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IN, SDD, N
8:00P-9:00 SPEED AMA Pro Motocross 250, Budds Creek MX Park, Mechanicsville, MD, Aug 22/09, N
9:00P-11:00 espn2 NASCAR Nationwide Series QUALIFYING, NAPA Auto Parts 200, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, QC, HD, SDD
9:00P-10:00 SPEED AMA Pro Motocross 450, Motocross 338, Southwick, MA, SDD, N
9:00P-12:00m VS/TSN2 IRL IndyCar Series Peak Antifreeze Indy 300, Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, IL, HD, L

SUNDAY, AUGUST 30
6:00A-7:30 SPEED GP2 Championship Series at the Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, Aug 29-30/09, N
7:30A-10:00 SPEED FIA Formula One ING Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, L (may be blacked out in Canada)
7:55A-10:00 TSN FIA Formula One ING Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, 16:9, L
2:00P-2:30 espn2/TSN NASCAR Nationwide Series COUNTDOWN, NAPA Auto Parts 200, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, QC, HD, L
2:30P-6:00 espn2/TSN NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, QC, HD, L (expect green at 2:48P)
2:30P-6:00 RDS NASCAR Série Nationwide NAPA Pièces d’Auto 200, HD, L
3:00P-6:00 SPEED American Le Mans Series Mobil 1 Grand Prix of Mosport, Mosport, ON, HD, L
3:00P-4:00 FOX FIM MotoGP World Championship Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IN, HD, L
6:00P-7:00 SPEED FIM 250 World Championship Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IN, HD, SDD
7:00P-8:00 SPEED The SPEED Report, HD, N
9:00P-10:00 SPEED Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, HD, L

We do not list all the programming offered by SPEED; for complete listings go to their website, http://www.speedtv.com/schedule/

Always CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS!
___________________________________________________________

The Stock Car Gazette
Copyright 2002-2009 by MotorSportsNews.Net
All Rights Reserved

DONATIONS

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6356277

Find us on Twitter

http://www.twitter.com/motorsportsnews

SUBSCRIBE / UNSUBSCRIBE INFORMATION

http://groups.google.com/group/StockCarGazette

Miss an edition of the Stock Car Gazette? Visit the E-ZINE ARCHIVE:

http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/category/stock-car-gazette/

IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE: The Stock Car Gazette mailing list is maintained completely by MotorSportsNews.Net. Therefore, we can tell you we have not and will not ever share your e-mail address with anyone for any reason.

IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTICE: ALL broadcast, publication, retransmission to e-mail lists, WWW or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, is STRICTLY PROHIBITED without PRIOR written permission from the editor. However, you MAY manually forward an issue by e-mail to your friends IF 1.) The text is forwarded IN ITS ENTIRETY including all subscription and web page information, and 2.) NO FEE is charged. We ALWAYS appreciate readers who report violations of the copyright to webmaster@motorsportsnews.net.

IMPORTANT PERSONAL NOTICE: Do you know for sure? You can. http://motorsportsnews.net/you-can-know-for-sure
___________________________________________________________