Beckman to race Freightliner Trucks Dodge Funny Car in Brainerd
NORCO, Calif. (Aug. 9, 2010) – Freightliner Trucks will be featured on the Dodge Charger Funny Car that Jack Beckman will race at the 29th annual NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway this weekend, the final event of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series “regular” season. The Countdown to 1 playoffs kick off for the top 10 in points in the final six races of the year, beginning with the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
Freightliner Trucks, a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, has been a Don Schumacher Racing associate sponsor for six years and DSR has used Freightliner tractors since 2004. The team currently counts eight Freightliner tractors among its fleet.
“Freightliner is excited to have Fast Jack Beckman representing us in the upcoming race in Brainerd,” said David Hames, General Manager, Marketing & Strategy, Daimler Trucks North America. “Don Schumacher Racing has been a longtime valued partner of Freightliner and showcases our trucks and equipment to a nationwide group of loyal NHRA fans.”
Said team owner Don Schumacher: “Freightliner has been supplying us with outstanding equipment for six years now. Featuring Freightliner Trucks on the Funny Car that Jack Beckman will drive in Brainerd is our way of showing our appreciation to them for being such a solid and longtime supporter of our teams.”
“It’s an honor to be representing Freightliner Trucks in Brainerd,” said Beckman, who primarily races the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger in the series. “They’ve been a large supporter of motorsports for many years and they know all about teamwork and trying to achieve success.”
Fourth in the point standings, the California native has already clinched a spot in the Countdown, but hopes to close out the “regular” season with his second win of the year.
“It looks to me like John Force and Robert Hight have locked up the first two spots and it’s between them battling for first,” said Beckman, who was runner-up in Brainerd in 2008. “And it looks like the Schumacher cars (Matt Hagan, Beckman and Ron Capps) are battling for third, fourth and fifth.
“No matter what, we’ve had a good initial part of the season. We’re going to be a top-five car going into the Countdown, we’re solid, we’ve been in multiple finals (three in 2010), we’ve got a race win. Everybody wants that championship and I think throughout the first part of the year the top six or seven cars have kind of stood out.
“I have no reason to think that we can’t close the regular season with a win. If we can accomplish that, we can go into Indy – with the points reset – in third place, and well within striking distance of the championship.
“I’m very confident that (crew chief) Rahn Tobler and (assistant crew chief) John Collins have enough data to make us quick right out of the box in Brainerd.”
Ryan Newman to appear in the Monster Mile Club at Dover
DOVER, Del. – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Ryan Newman will be the special guest of a hosted question-and-answer session in the Monster Mile Club at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 26. The Monster Mile Club, an all-inclusive hospitality option including driver appearances, an opportunity to walk on the track before the race, and unlimited food with beverages, is available for $99 and can be added on to any Sunday race ticket.
Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army/Tornados/Hass Automation Chevrolet, is currently in his second season with Stewart-Haas Racing. Newman owns 14 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories, including a win earlier this season at Phoenix, along with three career wins at the Monster Mile. He currently sits 16th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings, just 99 points behind Clint Bowyer for the 12th and final “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” spot.
The Monster Mile Club opens at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26 with a continental breakfast. Trackside tours begin at 8:30 a.m. and the hosted question-and-answer session with Newman will follow later in the morning. An all-you-can-eat lunch will be served at 11 a.m. prior to the start of the “AAA 400” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at 1 p.m. Monster Mile Club ticket holders will also receive a souvenir gift and a race program.
Admission to the Monster Mile Club costs $99 and can be added to any Sept. 26 AAA 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race ticket by calling the Dover ticket office at 1-800-441-RACE or by visiting DoverSpeedway.com.
NASCAR returns to the Monster Mile on Sept. 24-26, 2010. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 1-800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.
Aflac & Edwards Honor Cancer Survivor at Indy
Columbus, Ga. – July 21, 2010 – Aflac, NASCAR driver Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Aflac Roush Fenway team have announced that Indiana resident and three-time cancer survivor Jerry Snyder will be inducted July 25 as the newest member of the Aflac Crew of Courage during the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Crew of Courage is a season-long campaign that spotlights stories of amazing bravery.
Snyder, who has overcome throat, tongue and lung cancer, continues to fight a longtime battle with multiple sclerosis. Through multiple rounds of cancer treatment, Aflac was by his side. To recognize Snyder for being an inspiration to those around him, he will be treated to an exclusive at-track race experience where he will have the opportunity to meet Edwards, his favorite driver.
“I’m fortunate to meet many Aflac policyholders and hear their stories of personal triumph,” Edwards said. “Jerry Snyder is one of these individuals, and he deserves to be recognized and honored. We’re proud to welcome him into the Aflac Crew of Courage and I look forward to spending time with him.”
Crew of Courage members are Aflac policyholders who know firsthand how the company helps individuals in times of need. They have benefited from Aflac when they were sick or hurt by using their claims payments to help with expenses not covered by other major insurance policies.
“When you are as sick as I was, the last thing you want to worry about is finances,” Snyder said. “Aflac helped make sure that I had nothing to worry about. The policy from Aflac was and has been the best thing that could have ever happened to my wife and me.”
In select race markets this season, Aflac Racing and Edwards are welcoming inspirational Aflac policyholders into the Crew and giving them VIP experiences at their local tracks. Selected Crew of Courage members share one-on-one time with Edwards and receive special access to the garage and pit areas, as well as tickets to the race. What’s more, Edwards will honor Crew members by wearing their names on feather-shaped stickers on his helmet throughout the season. Crew members will also receive autographed replica race helmets as mementos of their experiences.
“We’re touched when Aflac policyholders share their stories with us and say thanks for helping them through tough times,” said Danny Fleishman, vice president of sponsorships and emerging markets at Aflac. “We’ve been proud to honor this year’s inductees and look forward to adding more members to the Crew of Courage as the racing season continues.”
The Crew of Courage officially launched at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, the anniversary of Edwards’ 2009 last-lap, airborne crash. Blake Bobbitt, a racing fan injured in the Talladega crash, was honored as the program’s inaugural member. Bobbitt was covered by an Aflac hospital confinement indemnity insurance policy that paid cash benefits she could use to help with things like recovery expenses.
On May 16, Aflac and Edwards inducted Delaware resident Malania Smith into the Crew of Courage during the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway. After suffering an ankle injury that required surgery and a lengthy recovery, Smith battled through her rehabilitation. An Aflac accident insurance policy helped Smith by paying cash benefits that she used to cover some of her most-costly bills.
Kelly Bires to make JRM debut at Homestead
JR Motorsports PR
MOORESVILLE, N.C.—JR Motorsports announced today that Kelly Bires will make his team debut driving the No. 5 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 21 with primary sponsorship from Ragú®.
Ragú® has been a season-long partner with JRM, but this marks its first primary paint scheme with the team. Ragú® joins Hellmann’s®, Klondike®, Lipton® and Degree® V12 as brands under the Unilever umbrella with primary schemes in 2009.
“We wanted to get Kelly in one of our cars before the season was out,” said team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. “Ragú® has been with us since the beginning of the year, and I appreciate them stepping up their involvement and helping us put this deal together. It’s important that Kelly hit the ground running at Daytona next year, and this certainly helps.”
JR Motorsports’ principal involvement with Ragú® has been through packaging and point-of-sale displays. For 2010, Ragú® has plans with Earnhardt Jr. to utilize NASCAR’s six-time most popular driver on Ragú® packaging, through promotions, and in continued point-of-sale displays.
“This is going to be a great opportunity,” said Bires, whose best finish at Homestead was a ninth-place showing in 2008. “I’m thrilled. I was really hoping to race a JRM Chevrolet before the year was out. Thanks to our partners at Ragú®, we’ve made it a reality. I think this will go a long way in our preparation for 2010.”
In September, JR Motorsports announced it had signed Bires to race for the team in 2010-11. Bires has 67 career starts in the Nationwide Series with three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. In his first full year in the Nationwide Series, he finished 13th in the point standings.
Bires joins Earnhardt Jr., Ron Fellows, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Scott Wimmer and Richard Boswell as drivers to pilot the No. 5 in 2009. With the addition of Homestead to the No. 5 Ragú® team’s schedule, it brings the team’s total races to 23 this season.
In preparation for the race weekend, Tony Eury Jr. has been announced as the crew chief for the No. 5 Ragú® Chevrolet.
Truex Jr., crew chief penalized for Texas infractions
(NASCAR PR)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—NASCAR announced penalties for the car No. 1 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for a violation that occurred during post-race inspection last Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.
The team was penalized for violating Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-I (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-12.8.1B (front of the car did not meet the required height specification; too low in post-race inspection).
Crew chief Kevin Manion was fined $50,000 and remains on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31, 2009. Car owner Teresa Earnhardt and driver Martin Truex Jr., were penalized with the loss of 50 championship owner and 50 championship driver points, respectively.
Sprint Cup Series Events Moving To Earlier, Uniform Start Times For 2010 Season
NASCAR PR
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Continuing the sport’s “back to basics” approach, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and its television broadcast partners today announced earlier, uniform start times for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2010.
NASCAR worked closely with FOX, Turner, ESPN/ABC and the tracks on this project for the fans. The race start times for NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2010 in the Eastern and Central regions of the country will begin at 1 p.m. ET, West Coast events will begin at 3 p.m. ET, and night races will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. (The one exception is NASCAR’s longest night race, the Coca-Cola 600, which will have the same 5:45 p.m. ET start time.) Following the invocation and national anthem, the green flag will drop at approximately 15-20 minutes past the hour after each listed race start time.
“NASCAR fans have been asking for earlier and more consistent start times, and we are making this change for our fans, beginning with the Daytona 500 next February,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “We are revisiting our sport’s tradition of earlier green flags, and the added consistency will make it easier for fans to know exactly when the races are being televised. Additionally, the new start times will help track operators get fans in and out of the track earlier in the evening. Many fans heading home from the race earlier will be able to eliminate the costs of an extra travel day.”
A total of 28 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2010 will be held at an earlier time compared to 2009, with 20 races moved to 1 p.m. ET, including the Daytona 500. Moving up the start of “The Great American Race” two-and-a-half hours will produce the earliest start time for the Daytona 500 since 2003, when the race was also scheduled for 1 p.m. Five races move earlier to a 3 p.m. ET start and three races start earlier at 7:30 p.m. ET.
In making the decision for earlier, more uniform start times, NASCAR consulted its Fan Council, comprised of 12,000 avid fans who serve as a sounding board on important topics. Half of NASCAR avid fans said they are often unclear about what time NASCAR races actually start. When given the chance to choose a start time, more than two-thirds of avid NASCAR fans preferred early Sunday afternoon.
“It’s become clear to us that traditional, early Sunday afternoon, start times are favored by NASCAR fans who both attend races and watch on television,” said FOX Sports Chairman David Hill. “NASCAR, perhaps more than any other sport, belongs to the generations of fans who have passed on their passion, father to son, mother to daughter, so whatever we can do to make them feel better connected to the sport they love should be done.”
“Many fans have been interested in standard start times for NASCAR’s television partners. In the long term, we believe this change will make the viewing experience better for everyone,” said David Levy, president of Turner Broadcasting’s distribution, sales and sports. “NASCAR races continue to deliver solid, consistent ratings for TNT. When you combine TV ratings with the number of people who visit NASCAR.COM, the sport clearly remains very healthy and popular.”
“We enthusiastically support consistent start times and are happy to have worked with NASCAR on this move,” said John Skipper, ESPN’s executive vice president, content. “We are thrilled about our position with NASCAR and bullish about the long-term prospects.”
“An earlier starting time for the Daytona 500 is great news for our race fans,” Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig said. “In recent years, race fans made their desire very clear for an earlier starting time. With the help of our partners in the sport at NASCAR and FOX Sports, we’re proud to deliver an earlier starting time for the 2010 Daytona 500.”
“This is a very positive move for our fans,” said Jerry Gappens, executive vice president and general manager for New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “For example, it allows us another hour of daylight to run our races and to get traffic out before nightfall. Based on the letters I receive from fans, I know they will appreciate NASCAR making this change. For years, the NFL has been very successful with its standardized start times of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. You never have to guess when their games start on Sunday. I think that same template will help our sport as well.”
“We believe this will be well-received by NASCAR fans who attend races in Dover, especially those traveling long distances,” said Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. “A large percentage of our fans come from the Northeast, and some drive great distances to get here. Consistent, earlier start times is great news for both fans headed to the track and those watching at home.”
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races will be seen on either FOX, TNT, ESPN or ABC. The 2010 television schedule for points races is below.
2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule With Start Times (All Times Eastern)
Date Day RaceSite Network Start Time
Feb 14 Sun. Daytona 500 FOX 1:00 PM
Feb 21 Sun. Auto Club Speedway FOX 3:00 PM
Feb 28 Sun. Las Vegas Motor Speedway FOX 3:00 PM
Mar 7 Sun. Atlanta Motor Speedway FOX 1:00 PM
Mar 21 Sun. Bristol Motor Speedway FOX 1:00 PM
Mar 28 Sun. Martinsville Speedway FOX 1:00 PM
Apr 10 Sat. Phoenix International Raceway FOX 7:30 PM
Apr 18 Sun. Texas Motor Speedway FOX 1:00 PM
Apr 25 Sun. Talladega Superspeedway FOX 1:00 PM
May 1 Sat. Richmond International Raceway FOX 7:30 PM
May 8 Sat. Darlington Raceway FOX 7:30 PM
May 16 Sun. Dover International Speedway FOX 1:00 PM
May 30 Sun. Lowe’s Motor Speedway FOX 5:45 PM
Jun 6 Sun. Pocono Raceway TNT 1:00 PM
Jun 13 Sun. Michigan International Speedway TNT 1:00 PM
Jun 20 Sun. Infineon Raceway TNT 3:00 PM
Jun 27 Sun. New Hampshire Motor Speedway TNT 1:00 PM
Jul 3 Sat. Daytona International Speedway TNT 7:30 PM
Jul 10 Sat. Chicagoland Speedway TNT 7:30 PM
Jul 25 Sun. Indianapolis Motor Speedway ESPN 1:00 PM
Aug 1 Sun. Pocono Raceway ESPN 1:00 PM
Aug 8 Sun. Watkins Glen International ESPN 1:00 PM
Aug 15 Sun. Michigan International Speedway ESPN 1:00 PM
Aug 21 Sat. Bristol Motor Speedway ESPN 7:30 PM
Sep 5 Sun. Atlanta Motor Speedway ESPN 7:30 PM
Sep 11 Sat. Richmond International Raceway ABC 7:30 PM
Sep 19 Sun. New Hampshire Motor Speedway ABC 1:00 PM
Sep 26 Sun. Dover International Speedway ABC 1:00 PM
Oct 3 Sun. Kansas Speedway ABC 1:00 PM
Oct 10 Sun. Auto Club Speedway ABC 3:00 PM
Oct 16 Sat. Lowe’s Motor Speedway ABC 7:30 PM
Oct 24 Sun. Martinsville Speedway ABC 1:00 PM
Oct 31 Sun. Talladega Superspeedway ABC 1:00 PM
Nov 7 Sun. Texas Motor Speedway ABC 1:00 PM
Nov 14 Sun. Phoenix International Raceway ABC 3:00 PM
Nov 21 Sun. Homestead-Miami Speedway ABC 1:00 PM
Best Buy offering $9,000 in gift cards if Kahne wins championship
Best Buy knows Kasey Kahne and his No. 9 Budweiser team don’t need any extra incentive to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup title, but the Minneapolis based company is giving a little extra anyway in hopes of triggering a Kahne comeback in the Chase.
Best Buy Racing said Wednesday it will donate nine $1,000 Best Buy gift cards to the Kasey Kahne Foundation if the Richard Petty Motorsports driver overcomes his 161 point disadvantage to Mark Martin and wins his first Sprint Cup championship.
With nine races remaining, Kahne said he’d like nothing better.
The 29-year-old Enumclaw, Wa. native vowed the foundation would donate each of the gift cards to nine underprivileged families to help with gifts during the holiday season.
“I plan on getting back in the hunt for this championship,” said Kahne. “This will go a long way to help these families, especially around the holidays, and would be one heck of a story if we can pull this off.”
In addition to helping Kahne with his foundation, Best Buy will give each of Kahne’s No. 9 team members a $900 gift card upon winning the title.
This season marks Best Buy’s first entry into the Chase for the Championship, through its associate sponsorship of the No. 9 Budweiser team and Kasey Kahne. Best Buy also serves as primary sponsor for Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 19 Dodge, associate sponsor of the No. 43 Dodge, and primary sponsor of the No. 44 Dodge in three races.
In 2005, Kasey Kahne created the Kasey Kahne Foundation as a way to give back to chronically ill children and their families as well as disadvantaged youth. Every year the KKF raises funds for these deserving causes through several exciting events, such as sprint car races and concerts.
Kahne, an 11-time Sprint Cup race winner including two victories in 2009, is one of the favorites to contend for the championship this season, but encountered the Petty organization’s first DNF (did not finish) of the season Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The team begins its comeback this Sunday at Dover International Speedway in Delaware.
DiBenedetto Leads The Way At Dover in Camping World East practice
DOVER, Del. — Continuing a season-long trend, first-year NASCAR Camping World Series East driver Matt DiBenedetto took little time to adapt to a new track.
The Joe Gibbs Racing development driver clocked a fast lap of 23.963 seconds (150.232 mph) in final practice Thursday in his first appearance at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. He was also second-fastest in the first practice session earlier in the day at 24.436 (147.324). In just six starts this year DiBenedetto has two poles and a pair of wins.
Kevin Swindell was the second-fastest driver in Thursday’s sessions with a lap of 24.320 seconds (148.026 mph) during final practice and rookie Brett Moffitt was third-fastest on the day at 24.350 (147.844), also in final practice.
Matt Kobyluck led the way during the earlier practice at 24.347 seconds (147.826 mph) and Jeff Anton was third behind DiBenedetto at 24.499 (146.945).
Friday’s Sunoco 150 will decide the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East championship. Ryan Truex enters with a 30-point lead on Eddie MacDonald, while Jody Lavender is 102 points out of first place. Truex was 10th fastest in the first practice and 13th in the final session while MacDonald finished sixth and ninth, respectively, on the speed charts. Lavender was 23rd fastest in both practices.
Qualifying for the Sunoco 150 is set for Friday at 12:40 p.m. and green flag on the season finale will drop at 4:45 p.m. A live audio stream of the Sunoco 150 action will be available through www.nascarhometracks.com.
Fans To Get Opportunity To Attend Annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony In Las Vegas
For the first time in NASCAR history, fans will have the opportunity to join drivers, team owners and industry leaders to celebrate the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. This year’s awards ceremony is scheduled to be held at Wynn Las Vegas on Friday, Dec. 4, 2009.
Approximately 300 tickets will be made available to the top 12 teams and drivers, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series track operators and NASCAR partners to utilize for fan promotions. Fans will make up about 25% of the audience as they join drivers, team owners and industry officials for the awards ceremony. The available tickets will be used as part of sweepstakes, contests or promotions.
“Making tickets available provides the teams, tracks and partners a truly unique opportunity to reach out to the fans like never before,” said NASCAR CMO Steve Phelps. “We’re looking forward to seeing creative promotions for the limited number of tickets. We’ve worked very hard over the past four months to iron out details for the awards ceremony and the fan element was top priority.”
Last April, NASCAR made the decision to move the awards ceremony to Las Vegas after holding the prestigious event in New York City for the past 27 years. After considering several options for the 2009 awards ceremony, NASCAR formed a partnership with Las Vegas Events, with Las Vegas becoming the “Official Host City of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week.”
In coming weeks there will be additional announcements about the events planned for “Champion’s Week” in Las Vegas. Specifically, more details will be provided about the Top 12 Victory Lap Parade, entertainment and other fan event opportunities.
ESPN reports third-straight week of ratings increase
ESPN PR
Following two consecutive weeks of rising TV ratings for both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series on the ESPN networks, ratings rose again for this past weekend’s Nationwide Series race at Montreal. The Sprint Cup Series had the weekend off.
ESPN2’s live telecast of the event from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal earned a 1.6 final national household coverage rating, up from the 1.5 rating for last year’s race that also aired on ESPN2, and the 1.4 rating for the inaugural race in 2007 that aired on ESPN2. The telecast averaged 2,094,211 viewers.
During the previous two weeks, ESPN’s live coverage of Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races from Michigan International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway all earned ratings increases from the previous year’s telecasts.
