NASCAR News 2006

[joeguy]

Originally Posted by Unklescott

This isn't exactly NASCAR news but it sounds cool as hell. Joe are you with me on this?

you bet!!!!, just tell me where to sign up and I'll be there

[Google]

 

[Toby]

Originally Posted by Ilikai

From the That's Racing site.
http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/14995547.htm


Posted on Sat, Jul. 08, 2006

In today's squeaky clean NASCAR, neglecting to send a thankyou note can be trumpeted as a 'feud'

By ED HINTON
The Orlando Sentinel

Seldom if ever has there been so much ado about so much silliness as in the first half of this NASCAR season, which will be mercifully concluded Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway.

Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth accidentally wrecked each other in NASCAR’s all-star race in May, got out of their cars and jawed about each other into TV microphones. In the aftermath, breathless media shrieked that a “feud” had erupted.

You want a feud? In 1986, Dale Earnhardt stuffed Darrell Waltrip head-on into a guardrail at Richmond, Va., so hard that car owner Junior Johnson fumed that Earnhardt tried to kill his driver. That was the culmination of a feud that had lasted more than five years.

Also in May, Kyle Busch climbed out of his car in a snit during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, N.C., and threw his HANS head-restraint collar at the passing car of the perceived offender, Casey Mears. He missed. Besides, the device, made of composite fiber and some straps, hardly qualifies as a missile. Busch was fined $50,000 by NASCAR – an acronym that nowadays seems to stand for National Association for Squeaky Clean Auto Racing – and headlines screamed that “road rage” had come to the race tracks.

You want rage? In 1966, Curtis Turner and Bobby Allison wrecked each other at Winston-Salem, N.C., and kept beating on each other until they spun off into the infield. There, they continued to collide, like a two-car demolition derby, until “there was nothing left of those two cars but the steam coming out of the radiators,” one witness said.

At Texas Motor Speedway in April, Kurt Busch wrecked Greg Biffle, whose girlfriend then walked the length of the pit road and said something irate to Busch’s girlfriend. That was about it. The ensuing headlines: “Cat Fight!”

Listen: The late behemoth Tiny Lund once single-handedly took on the entire Petty clan in a pit brawl, and was holding his own against the men when he was knocked unconscious by one of the Petty women, with her purse. Lund later reasoned that the handbag must have contained either a bottle of whiskey or a gun, to carry that much force.

(“It had to be a gun,” one witness reckoned, because the lady in question “was a Baptist.”)

After time trials for this season’s opening race, the Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson’s car was caught with a cheated-up rear window, meant to enhance aerodynamic performance. His crew chief, Chad Knaus, was suspended from the 500 and three subsequent races.

Even after Johnson’s car was corrected to the satisfaction of inspectors, and went on to win the 500 and passed another inspection, Knaus’ infraction was referred to in the media for weeks as the “cheating scandal.”

Cheating never has been scandalous in NASCAR. It’s part of the game. But if you want a “scandal,” try figuring out how many of Richard Petty’s NASCAR-record 200 wins, including a record seven Daytona 500 victories, were in cars prepared by Petty’s own rule of thumb: “I always told my guys, ‘Cheat neat, and you can get by with a bunch of stuff.’”

Or listen to Junior Johnson, now retired to his cattle farm, tell about gimmicks he never got caught with, and figure out how many were applied to his 50 wins as a driver and 140 more as a car owner. In the aftermath of the Knaus “scandal,” Junior opined that the only legal cars in this year’s Daytona 500 were “the ones runnin’ at the back.”

In March at Bristol, Tenn., an angry Jeff Gordon gave a two-handed shove in the chest to Kenseth, who’d just wrecked him near the end of the race. On a teleconference the next week, Gordon was asked whether he’d “snapped.”

Once, a raging A.J. Foyt drove his stock car all along the pit road at Talladega, Ala., sending NASCAR officials diving over the walls to safety. Foyt was so masterful at car control that he never would have actually hit anyone, but, “Man, I was hot!” he later recalled.

There was hoopla in June over the announcement that Mears next year will become a teammate of Kyle Busch at Hendrick Motorsports. Why, those two are feuding – aren’t they?

That’s “very much” overblown, Kyle Busch says. “I don’t have any ill feelings toward him.”

You want ill feelings? From 1967-71, Bobby Allison and Richard Petty knocked each other all over virtually every track in America. At times they focused more on wrecking each other than on winning. All the way through the 1990s, when both were in retirement, you could tell Petty something Allison had said, and he’d contradict it. And vice versa.

Driving a street vehicle in the ’90s, Petty got a ticket for rear-ending a left-laner on Interstate 85 in North Carolina. Next race, Allison – limping, still feeling the effects of his near-fatal 1988 crash – was walking by the Petty transporter in the garage area. He couldn’t resist.

“Hey, Richard!” Allison yelled. “That guy on I-85 must have looked like me.”

“Naw,” Petty retorted. “He was just actin’ like you.”

Not until 2000 did Petty and Allison reconcile completely. That was when Allison came to console the King at the funeral of Petty’s grandson, Adam, who was killed in a race car.

And so, despite all you may have heard and read, NASCAR has not entered into a new era of feuding, scandals and rage in the 2006 season, which reaches halftime with Sunday’s USG Sheetrock 400 at the Joliet track. NASCAR just has become so squeaky clean that the slightest outburst from one of its polished young drivers is deemed an egregious offense.

Thanks for posting that article. Sounds like i should have been a fan back in the day. I mean its not just on the track but in the courtrooms as well. NASCAR is squeaky clean and whether its on the track or in the courts they are in the news. Its too bad good old traditional NASCAR is being threatened.

[Unklescott]

Danica Patrick Says NASCAR Option Still Open
Written by: Jeff Olson, RACER Magazine Nashville, Tenn. – 7/14/2006


Danica Patrick said Friday she has received a preliminary offer from a NASCAR Nextel Cup team for the 2007 season and doubts an IRL IndyCar Series team can match the money being discussed. However, she also said she prefers to stay in open-wheel racing, and that preference could play a part in her decision.

“The money doesn‘t really matter,” Patrick said after qualifying at Nashville. “If the top teams came to me, no matter what the number was, and I thought I had a chance to win, I‘d really think about it. Winning is what puts me in headlines.”

Meanwhile, IRL team owner Michael Andretti indicated he might - given the right circumstances - be interested in hiring Patrick, but echoed her sentiment that not many open-wheel teams are able to generate the sponsorship money to pay multi-million dollar retainers.

“I like Danica,” Andretti said. “I’ve always been a fan of hers. I think she can win races. A lot of times she’s the best one of the weekend on her team. I think she can get the job done, given the right situation. Do I like her? Yes. Would I be interested? Probably.”

Two of Andretti Green Racing’s drivers - Dario Franchitti and Bryan Herta - will be at the end of their contracts at season‘s end, and neither has re-signed with the team. AGR’s two other drivers, Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti, are signed to long-term deals. Patrick’s contract with Rahal Letterman Racing concludes this season.

The story of Patrick and NASCAR erupted last weekend, when a comment by Patrick’s father, T.J. Patrick, at Chicagoland Speedway was interpreted as a possible move by his daughter from the IRL to Nextel Cup. Danica Patrick acknowledged Friday that financial numbers have been discussed with a Nextel Cup team, but declined to say which one.

“I haven‘t seen an offer, but I‘ve heard about one,” she said. When asked which team made the offer, she said, “I‘m definitely not at liberty to say.”

Then, when asked if any team in the IRL would be able to match a top-level NASCAR bid, Patrick said, “I doubt it.”

Andretti said open-wheel racing needs a draw like Patrick, and alluded to a possible end to the split between the IRL and Champ Car as hope that NASCAR money doesn’t pull her away.

“I hope she doesn‘t leave,” Andretti said. “(NASCAR) has a lot more money to play with, and that’s why we have to get this series better. Hopefully, with a lot of stuff that’s going on, it will get better so we can afford to be able to pay what we used to pay. I’d love to see (open-wheel) drivers get paid what we used to.”

While Patrick’s marketability is the primary attraction for Cup team owners, it’s also considered to be an asset in the effort to keep her in the IRL, where she has been able to pursue individual endorsements. In NASCAR, it’s likely that she’d trade the endorsement money for a larger retainer.

“It’s kind of open-ended how much I could make because I’m able to bring sponsors,” she said. “I am able to make money afterward, but I doubt (anyone in the IRL) would be able to come up with a straight salary offer like NASCAR.”
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/indycar/28634/

I'm not too excited about all these open wheel racers coming in. Pay your dues first.

[Ilikai]

What I find very interesting is the fact that "Hoity toity" Indy cars can't match the salary of the "hillbilly" NASCAR drivers. So much for the elitist ambiance of open wheel racing.

[Unklescott]

Silly season starts early.

Last Lap: NASCAR confusion for Ford
Sadler's move to No. 19 latest in long line of Ford defections
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
July 18, 2006
11:04 AM EDT (15:04 GMT)

Though he denies any contact with Ray Evernham, Elliott Sadler will drive the No. 19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge in 2007, multiple sources close to Robert Yates Racing have confirmed.

Contrary to recent speculation, M&Ms, Sadler's current primary sponsor at Yates, will not accompany him to Evernham, those same sources say.

A rather substantial -- and seemingly unnoticed -- subplot to this development is the loss of yet another marquee driver by Ford Motor Company to a rival manufacturer.

Since 2000 seven drivers, including three of Ford's last four champions, have defected either to Dodge or Toyota, and another retired. A fourth champion, Alan Kulwicki, died in a plane crash in 1993, a year after he won the title.

Bill Elliott, Kasey Kahne, Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman -- a decision made by team owner Roger Penske, not Wallace and Newman individually, of course, but a departure from Ford, nonetheless -- Kurt Busch and now Sadler left Ford for Dodge.

Dale Jarrett departed to join Michael Waltrip's Toyota organization, and Ricky Rudd, a Ford fan-favorite, retired. That's a ton of star power gone to competitors. Ford added Jamie McMurray, but the No. 26 team is the biggest disappointment to date in the 2006 season.

Speaking of Jarrett and Sadler, with both having opted to leave RYR, what will become of that organization? Two seats to fill. Few prospects. Well behind the curve in the crucial engineering department.

Young Busch Series driver Stephen Leicht could very well be promoted to the team's flagship No. 88 next season, possibly backed by CitiFinancial. It's not a done deal, but it's being discussed.

Leicht has 10 Busch Series starts to his name. He'll attempt to make his Nextel Cup Series debut this weekend at Pocono Raceway in the No. 90 Ford.

And the No. 38? TBD. David Gilliland's win at Kentucky Speedway could ultimately prove to be a career maker.

Or maybe RYR can woo a marquee name to stabilize a shaky program, solidify a porous empire.

LOUDON, N.H. -- Jeremy Mayfield has been offered the opportunity to drive for Michael Waltrip Racing next season.

That could open the door for Elliott Sadler to move into Mayfield's No. 19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge as Bob Dillner of SPEED reported during Friday's qualifying for Sunday's race at New Hampshire International Speedway.


Many folks can't fathom why Sadler would leave Yates for a team much worse-off in the overall standings. It comes down to performance potential. He sees more at Evernham than at Yates.

Selfishly, I hope RYR is able to rebound like Richard Childress did. Like Childress, Robert and Doug Yates are throwbacks, good ol' boys.

We should all hope new-wave NASCAR doesn't leave them in its wake.
http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/feat..._19/index.html

[Unklescott]

Sadler To Exit From Robert Yates Racing After 2006
7/20/2006

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 20, 2006) – Robert Yates Racing (RYR) announced today that driver Elliott Sadler has requested and been granted a release from his contract to take effect at the conclusion of the 2006 season. Yates has started searching for a driver to take over the No. 38 Ford Fusion for 2007.

"We would like to thank Elliott for his commitment to our organization over the past four seasons and for all the success we’ve enjoyed together”, said Robert Yates. “We are excited about the opportunity to find a new driver who will continue the successful run of the #38 Ford as we maintain our focus on the future of our organization.”

“Our objective this year is to finish the season on a strong note,” said Doug Yates. “It is our goal to continue to build this team so we will be better positioned next season to contend for the championship.”

http://www.ryr.com/pages/news/news_d...asp?newsid=313

[joeguy]

I wonder what happened over there at RYR? when Jarrett went, they said Sadler was staying....now he is gone too. something is going on behind the closed doors that isn't being said in public.

[BoBoFan]

http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/...ap2905747.html

Associated Press

Auto Racer Benny Parsons Has Lung Cancer
By JENNA FRYER , 07.26.2006, 10:47 AM

Former NASCAR champion Benny Parsons has been diagnosed with lung cancer and began treatments on Wednesday.

Parsons, the 1973 Cup champion and currently a commentator for NBC's NASCAR coverage, was diagnosed two weeks ago after he had trouble breathing.

"Needless to say this was a huge shock," Parsons said. "The first thing everyone asks me is, 'Are you a smoker?' The answer is that I smoked my last cigarette way back in 1978, and since then I've hated being around smoking.

"I don't even allow anyone in my foursome to smoke on the golf course."

The 65-year-old Parsons began chemotherapy Wednesday, and also will undergo radiation five days a week. He's seeing Dr. Steven Limenpani, who treated NASCAR car owner Rick Hendrick during his battle with leukemia in the early 1990s.

"I'm determined to pull through this and I appreciate everyone's concerns and prayers during this time," Parsons said. "Everyone I work with has been gracious and accommodating. I plan to keep on talking about racing for as long as I can."

Parsons made 526 starts from 1964 until his 1988 retirement. He won 21 races, 20 poles, led at least one lap in 192 races and earned more than $4 million.

[Unklescott]

That's a shame. I hope Benny is able to recover.

[Ilikai]

Big Benny needs to beat this!!!! A real great announcer.