"Announcing! - Nascar Wrecks...The Truth On What Really Happens!"

Bracket Gets Earnhardt's Brew Crew Top Popped

2007-05-16T19:55:00.000-05:00

Earnhardt Jr. docked 100 points, chief Eury Jr. fined, suspended
May 15, 2007
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. was docked 100 points Tuesday, and his crew chief was fined $100,000 and suspended for six races for an illegal part at Darlington Raceway.

The penalty, for illegal modifications to the rear wing on Earnhardt's Car of Tomorrow, is a significant setback in his team's bid to win a Cup title before racing's most popular driver leaves after the season.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. will appeal, team president Max Siegel said. Crew chief Tony Eury Jr., who is also Earnhardt's cousin, is expected to work Saturday night's All-Star race because suspensions do not begin until the appeals process is heard.

"We are not disputing the ruling," Siegel said. "But we are appealing the severity of the penalty because the penalty itself is not spelled out in the rule book."

NASCAR, however, sent a March 21 memo outlining penalties for specific infractions on the Car of Tomorrow and specifically listed fines of $100,000, points deductions and suspension.

The penalty knocked Earnhardt from 12th in the standings -- the final qualifying position for the Chase for the championship -- to 14th. He's now 721 points behind Nextel Cup leader Jeff Gordon, and 54 points out of Chase contention.

Read more on NASCAR's penalties for D.E.I.

Earnhardt Jr. To Chug A Bud And Think About It!

2007-05-12T06:39:00.000-05:00

Free Agent Frenzy Surrounding Junior

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. went back to work Friday, climbing into his race car at Darlington Raceway to escape the frenzy surrounding his free-agent status.

As his late father's boss threw his name into the race to sign NASCAR's most popular driver, Junior made it clear he needs a little time to figure out his future. He said Thursday he'll leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the end of the season.

"I would like to take a week or two to clear my mind a little bit, drink some beers and have some fun," he said after practice. "I have felt about as un-normal as I possibly could the past few days. Lost a lot of sleep. So I want to relax and just clear my head and get in a good football stance to go after this new deal that we're seeking."

Earnhardt wants a championship-caliber team, something he doesn't think he can have at DEI as long as his stepmother is running the show. He demanded 51 percent ownership during contentious contract negotiations, but Teresa Earnhardt wouldn't turn over control.

So he's leaving the family business, and there will be no shortage of suitors to sign him.

Richard Childress, who fielded cars for six of Dale Earnhardt's seven championships, indicated he'll make a run at adding Junior to his three-car team as soon as the time is right.

"We will sit and talk, I'm sure," Childress said. "I'm hoping he's considering us. But I think right now, we'll just give him some time and space to do his own due diligence on the race teams he's looking at."

Read more on Juniors next ride

Is Dale Jr. Majority Owner of D.E.I.?

2007-04-19T05:52:00.000-05:00

The Dale Jr. / DEI contract negotiations continue and the influence of ace negotiator Max Siegel may be bearing success. One contact told me on the down-low that the 51 percent (or majority ownership) that Dale Jr. requires to stay with DEI has essentially been negotiated – agreed to by Teresa Earnhardt. But that she, in turn, is requesting that....

Read More From MaxChevy.com

NASCAR To Honor Victims Of Virginia Tech Tragedy

2007-04-19T05:39:00.000-05:00

NASCAR has received permission from Virginia Tech to display the school’s logo on race cars for the next three weeks, in a tribute to the victims of this week’s shootings at the university's Blacksburg, Va. campus.

The logo will be displayed against a black background on the “B-post” – the area just to the right of the driver’s side window net – of cars competing in Nextel Cup Series and Busch Series events at Phoenix, Talladega (April 28-29) and Richmond (May 4-5). Additionally, trucks competing in the Craftsman Truck Series event April 28 at Kansas Speedway also will display the logo.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their family members, their friends – and the entire Virginia Tech community,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “We wanted to make a simple, but strong, gesture of remembrance. We are grateful the university gave us clearance to display their logo.”(NASCAR PR)(4-19-2007)

Did Jimmie Johnson Get A Free Pass On Loose Tire?

2007-03-13T06:38:00.000-05:00

Gas 'n Go: Official saved tire in spirit of safety
Jeff Hammond / Fox Sports

Safety first

Mike from Oklahoma City, Okla.: Why wasn't Jimmie Johnson penalized on the last pit stop when his tire went out of his pits and the official stopped it? The official should not be allowed to do that, and if he does, it should be an automatic penalty! Could you please explain this?

Jeff Hammond: A NASCAR official is there to referee and give assistance in the spirit of safety. For example, a tire crossing pit road is not in the best interest of NASCAR or anybody on pit road if an official can knock it down.

What I believed and perceived at the time was the official saw the crew member trip and inadvertently release the tire while making an effort to carry the tire over pit wall. When the No. 48 team was penalized during the fifth caution, nobody on the team made an effort to catch the tire, and a NASCAR official wasn't close to it. In that first instance, the car clearly had left the pit before they had gotten control of it.

It's a judgment call, and it's easy for us to go back because we have instant replay. The officials on pit road do not have replays, and the officials in the tower are reluctant to make calls based off of replays if they aren't able to see the entire circumstance.

While some people may think the No. 48 team got by with one, I have a hard time criticizing what happened because we do not need that tire on pit road. NASCAR officials aren't biased, and they have saved more than just Jimmie Johnson's tires from rolling onto pit road. The officials are there to promote safety as much as anything else. If they can intervene and prevent something from happening, they won't worry about penalties or any other kinds of ramifications after the fact.

more from Jeff Hammond

Kahne Takes Vegas Pole, Stewart Tired Of Tires

2007-03-10T06:21:00.000-05:00

By David Newton
ESPN.com

LAS VEGAS -- From the Neon Garage where fans can watch crewmen work on the cars of their favorite Nextel Cup drivers on a raised walkway to the new banked surface, there's a lot to like at renovated Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

There's one thing not to like -- if you're a driver.

The new left front tire, which Goodyear mandated to help slow speeds that are soaring because of the new track surface and banking, got more criticism than a fixed poker game.

From pole-sitter Kasey Kahne to two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart, nobody knows exactly what to expect in Sunday's race.

"The cars have so much downforce it's going to be hard to run side-by-side on a tire as stiff as a rock," said Kahne, who shattered his qualifying record by 10 mph with a lap of 184.856. "I mean, it's just solid."

Nobody was tougher on the new tire than Stewart, who will start 25th after a lap of 180.596 mph that was well above the record (174.904 mph) Kahne set in 2004.

"It [stinks]," he said. "You think a company like Goodyear can do a lot better job than what they're doing. Especially for a company that's been in this business for so long.

"They don't care about the competition. They don't care about the drivers. They don't care about the teams. All they care about is not having bad publicity and not blowing tires and getting bad publicity because of that."

Stewart said he'd give half of his $5 million-plus salary to have the Hoosier Tire Company make tires "instead of the crap we're running on now."

Half a dozen cars crashed during qualifying and several did during practice. None was more spectacular than Paul Menard, whose car went airborne sideways through the infield.

more from Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Mark Martin Stays In Current NEXTEL Cup ride

2007-03-03T19:04:00.000-05:00

Don't expect Martin to bail on Cup ride, backup saysBy David Newton
ESPN.COM

MEXICO CITY -- Regan Smith is more than an interested third party when it comes to whether Nextel Cup points leader Mark Martin will stick to his plan to run a part-time schedule.

He's the driver ready to replace Martin in the No. 01 Chevrolet when the series moves to Bristol Motor Speedway on March 25.

"When I go to Las Vegas [next week] I might put a couple of dollars on it," Smith said before practice for Sunday's Busch Series race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. "I'm sure it's going to be on the board soon. It's a pretty big story.

"I don't know what the odds are. All I can say is if I was in his shoes and leading the points after Atlanta it would be tough for me as a driver to get out of the car."

Either way, Smith will have a ride at Bristol.

Owners Jay Frye and Bobby Ginn have promised to put him in a fourth car, the No. 39, if Martin has a change of heart. They've even discussed using his Busch Series crew chief to run the show.

"If he stays in it that's awesome for the team and it's awesome for our company as a whole," Smith said. "If he decides to get out of it I'm going to do my best to keep it running as well as he's been running."

Martin, off to the best start in his Cup career with a second in the Daytona 500 and fifth last week at California, has been adamant that he won't change his mind. He insists he's happy with the part-time schedule and that he's looking forward to having an off weekend.

He also has a history of changing his mind. He extended his 2005 retirement tour at Roush Fenway Racing into 2006 after owner Jack Roush lost Kurt Busch to Penske Racing.

"I think it's going to be a split-second decision," Smith said. "I think he'll decide after the race at Atlanta. You've just got to go with your heart at that point."

more on Mark Martin remaining in current Cup ride

49th Annual DAYTONA 500 - Questions and The Answers

2007-02-18T13:38:00.000-05:00

49 reasons to watch

Many questions will be answered for Daytona 500
BY MARK DeCOTIS
FLORIDA TODAY

DAYTONA BEACH - Forty-nine questions, and answers, heading into today's running of the 49th annual Daytona 500.

1. Why is the 500 referred to as NASCAR's 'Super Bowl?' The traditional season opener on the speedway that is the sport's equivalent of Yankee Stadium is the richest and most prestigious race on the schedule. Its TV ratings are the highest in the sport and its trophy the most coveted.

2. Who is singing the National Anthem? Country singers Big and Rich. Hardly Billy Joel, who performed the song at the Super Bowl, but they'll do.

3. Who is driving the pace car? Baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal
Ripken.

4. Who will wave the green flag? Phil Parsons, younger brother of the late Benny Parsons, a NASCAR and Daytona 500 champion who died in
January.

5. Who will give the command to start engines? Actor Nicholas Cage.

6. What's up with all the cheating? Cheating has been as much a part of NASCAR history as tires and gasoline, but as the sport grows, the sanctioning body needs to convince sponsors and potential corporate partners that things are on the level. It appears NASCAR needs to do a better job.

7. Has there been more cheating this week as opposed to past 500s or has the media spotlight exacerbated everything? NASCAR's more stringent rules and inspections are resulting in more people being busted and thusly with the media out in force for the 500, every infraction is reported in detail -- as well they should be.

8. Is this Tony Stewart's year for his first 500 victory? Sure looks that way. His Chevy has been strong in winning the Budweiser Shootout and one of Thursday's two qualifying races.

9. Is he a lock to win? No. There is no such thing as a sure thing when it comes to the 500. The only predictability is the unpredictability.

10. Who else looks strong? Jeff Gordon (Chevy), Kevin Harvick (Chevy), Ricky Rudd (Ford), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Chevy), and race rookie and pole-sitter David Gilliland (Ford).

the next 39 questions answered

Michael Waltrip's "Who Done It"

2007-02-18T13:29:00.000-05:00

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Michael Waltrip spent the last week hoping someone would take responsibility for the fuel additive that led to NASCAR sanctions and prompted Toyota to re-evaluate its relationship with the two-time Daytona 500 winner.

He's still waiting.

"We just keep digging, digging, digging," Waltrip said Saturday. "Toyota's going to help us. A lot of people are going to help us. We're going to find out what happened. We have a lot of circumstantial evidence that implicates a couple of folks, but we don't have any proof. So we'll just keep digging until we find out what happened.

"When I was a kid and I did something wrong I would kind of see the writing on the wall. I'd say, 'Uh-oh. Things are getting tight around here.' And you'd fess up. No one's elected to do that."

Waltrip added that if anyone is implicated in the cheating scandal, that person likely would be fired.

"Somebody didn't get the company philosophy, which is we're going to beat them by working hard and working smart and not by cheating," he said. "I felt like I just had three kids and I was real proud of them, and one of my kids let me down, and you know how bad that hurts. In return, I let a lot of people down, because ultimately I'm responsible."

Waltrip was docked 100 series points for tampering with fuel. Crew chief David Hyder was fined $100,000. Hyder and team director Bobby Kennedy also were kicked out of Daytona International Speedway.

Waltrip's car was impounded, forcing him to miss two practice sessions and sending him into a backup ride for qualifying. Nonetheless, he drove his way into the Daytona 500 and will start 15th on Sunday.

more on what happened to Michael Waltrip Racing

If Dale Jr. Leaves, So does Eury Jr.

2007-02-18T13:24:00.000-05:00

By Marty Smith
ESPN.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- If Dale Earnhardt Jr. opts to leave Dale Earnhardt, Inc. at the conclusion of the 2007 Nextel Cup season, his crew chief will follow suit.

Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt's crew chief and first cousin, told ESPN.com on Sunday that if Junior goes, he'll go, too.

"Yes, [I'd go]," Eury responded when asked if he'd follow Earnhardt to a new race team.

"That's the way I based my feelings when I decided to stay there and sign a long-term contract. I made it very specific to them that if 2007 comes and Dale Jr. decided to do something else, I'd like to have my options open to do whatever I want to do."

Ultimately, though, Eury hopes Dale Jr. stays put.

"The best thing is to stay at DEI," Eury said. "DEI is his Dad's deal. [Junior] should be running the company. That's what Dale Sr. built the company for, was for those kids to have something later on in life.

"However it turns out, it turns out. I really don't want to get into the politics side of it with them, so I just let them handle it and we'll figure it out from there."

more on Eury Jr leaving if Dale Jr. does...

Four NEXTEL Cup Crew Chiefs Kicked Out Of Daytona 500

2007-02-13T19:22:00.000-05:00

NASCAR announced Tuesday that four Nextel Cup Series crew chiefs have been suspended from competition, starting with Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500.

Two of the four – Ken Francis, crew chief for the #9 Dodge driven by Kasey Kahne; and Robbie Reiser, crew chief for the #17 Ford of Matt Kenseth – have been suspended for four races and fined $50,000. Also, Kahne and Kenseth were penalized with the loss of 50 driver championship points while their car owners, Ray Evernham and Jack Roush, were penalized 50 car owner championship points.

The violations by the #9 and #17 teams were found during post-qualifying inspection on Feb. 11. Both teams’ qualifying times were disallowed. Two others – Rodney Childers, crew chief for the #10 Dodge driven by Scott Riggs; and Josh Browne, crew chief for the #19 Dodge driven by Elliott Sadler – have been suspended for two races and fined $25,000. In addition, Riggs and Sadler were penalized 25 driver championship points while their car owners, James Rocco and Evernham, were penalized 25 car owner championship points. The violations by the #10 and #19 teams were found prior to qualifying.

In each instance the violations were of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-Q (car, car parts components and/or equipment not conforming to NASCAR rules) and 20-2.1E (unapproved aerodynamic modification) of the series rule book.(NASCAR PR)(2-13-2007)

On Tuesday, Roush Racing appointed Chip Bolin, long-time engineer on the #17 team, as the interim crew chief for the remainder of Speedweeks at Daytona and throughout Reiser’s suspension.

Jack Roush stated, “I respect and accept NASCAR's determination that the car was out of compliance as it was inspected after Sunday's qualifying attempt. I have asked (Roush Racing President) Geoff Smith to evaluate whether the penalties assessed are unduly harsh for the circumstances before making a final decision as to whether or not we will appeal the severity of the penalty imposed." Smith said, "The extreme harshness of the penalty surprises me given NASCAR's recent history of imposing lesser penalties on habitual offenders engaged in radically more flagrant rule offenses. For that reason, I am likely to recommend that we appeal the penalty assessment, although I have some more study to do before I officially make that recommendation."
(Roush Racing PR)(2-13-2007)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wants Majority Of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated

2007-02-10T07:25:00.000-05:00

#8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't mince words on Thursday when asked what it would take to get him to re-sign with the Nextel Cup organization his father built.

"I want majority ownership, basically," Earnhardt Jr. said for the first time during media day at Daytona International Speedway. As in more than 50%? "Absolutely," Earnhardt Jr. said emphatically.

Earnhardt Jr.'s contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc. expires at the end of the 2007 season. Negotiation on a new deal began in the middle of 2006, with ownership of the company a major sticking point.

Asked if stepmother Teresa Earnhardt, who inherited sole ownership of the company when Dale Earnhardt was killed on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, was willing to budge, Earnhardt Jr. said, "We'll see."

Earnhardt Jr. and his sister, Kelley, met with Max Siegel, DEI's new president of Global Operations, on Wednesday along with director of motorsports Richie Gilmore. Earnhardt Jr. said it was more of a get-to-know-you meeting with Siegel than a contract negotiation, but added Siegel could expedite the process he initially hoped would be concluded by April or May.

"He's a great guy to talk to and a great guy to work with," Earnhardt Jr. said of Siegel. "He's going to speed things up. He's going to improve negotiations and help those things make it a little bit easier." Not in the meeting was Teresa, who has been asked to step aside in negotiations because of her somewhat tumultuous relationship with Earnhardt Jr.(ESPN.com)

Goodyear Re-ups With NASCAR

2007-02-04T10:54:00.000-05:00

Goodyear and NASCAR Extend Agreement:

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and NASCAR jointly announced on Saturday that they have signed an extended agreement for Goodyear to continue as the exclusive tire used in NASCAR’s top three racing series for the next five years. The agreement through 2012, naming Goodyear the “Exclusive Tire Supplier” of NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, was signed in front of more than 2,000 attendees at the 2007 Goodyear Dealer Conference.

Goodyear Chairman and CEO Bob Keegan, Jon Rich, president of the company’s North American Tire business, and Mike Helton, NASCAR president, delivered the news to Goodyear’s customers. “This extension of the more than 50-year relationship of two American icons is one that we are extremely proud to announce,” said Rich. “Nothing says racing like NASCAR, and Goodyear has been recognized as the longest-running sponsor of the sport. We plan to have our Eagle tires in the winner’s circle for another 50 years.”

“Our longtime relationship with Goodyear is a testament to the company’s consistent high-quality tire it supplies the race teams,” said Helton. “Goodyear has been a vital partner, which has been essential to NASCAR’s side-by-side competition.”

Goodyear has had an uninterrupted commitment to NASCAR since becoming a race tire supplier in the 1950s. This relationship has become one of the longest-running supply programs in any sport. Over the last 50 years, Goodyear has worked to bring innovation to its racing products, which, in turn, has helped foster heightened competition on the track. Since it first began supplying tires to NASCAR, Goodyear tires have logged 1,410 NEXTEL Cup (and formerly, Winston Cup) victories, and the number continues to rise. As a further extension, Goodyear takes innovations and cutting-edge technology from the race track, and applies that technology to tires that consumers use on streets and highways.

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. The company manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals in more than 90 facilities in 28 countries around the world. Goodyear employs more than 75,000 people worldwide. For more tire information on Goodyear tires, go to www.goodyeartires.com(NASCAR/Goodyear PR)

Jimmie Johnson Spills His Guts!

2007-02-02T06:23:00.000-05:00

Get ready for the new Jimmie Johnson
Reid Spencer / Special to FOXSports.com

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Quick!

Think of all the personality traits you'd ascribe to NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson.

Charming, intelligent, disarming, thoughtful, competitive and focused all might come to mind. You could even throw in courteous and kind.

Now you can add outspoken and edgy to the list. That's right. Johnson is using the platform of his championship to dispel the bland, Boy Scout image he knows he projects in public — and thinks is undeserved.

So don't be too surprised if you hear the champ question the cost savings of NASCAR's current sacred cow, the Car of Tomorrow, or take issue with the new structure of the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup.

This is the new Jimmie, imbued with the authority of his title. Though his delivery might be as low-key and matter-of-fact as ever, the message is not.

Johnson, 31, was in town for Wednesday's Jimmie Johnson Day in San Diego, a celebration complete with proclamations from Mayor Jerry Sanders and the County Board of Supervisors, not to mention a message from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Enshrined in the city's Hall of Champions in Balboa Park, Johnson, who was born in nearby El Cajon, is the first driver in any of the speed sports named athlete of the year in San Diego. After the festivities, at a lunch table on the Hall's second floor, Johnson fielded questions from a handful of writers and made his feelings crystal clear.

"For me personally, it's been hard to have my personality show up on camera, in articles, on the radio," Johnson said. "When I go to work, I put on my work shoes, and that's what I do. I go to work, and I treat it as a professional.

"But after work and away from it, I have just as much fun as everyone else out there. But I've had this labeling put on me as being too 'PC' or too correct, and it's been hard to really see my personality. But it's only because I take my work seriously."

Johnson also takes his sport seriously, and he's acutely aware of the enormity of resources the conversion to the Car of Tomorrow has required at Hendrick Motorsports, which fields his No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet.

Jimmie Johnson speaks out on FOXsports.com

NASCAR Announces A New "Chase"

2007-01-24T08:48:00.000-05:00

NASCAR Announces Adjustments to ‘Chase’ Format and Points System: Race victories will become more important than ever in 2007 as a result of adjustments to the points system and the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup format announced today by NASCAR. The adjustments are designed to establish more balance between winning and consistency, but there is a new emphasis on the former. “The adjustments taken today put a greater emphasis on winning races,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “Winning is what this sport is all about. Nobody likes to see drivers content to finish in the top 10. We want our sport – especially during the Chase – to be more about winning.”

Chase Adjustments: The Chase – consisting of the season’s last 10 races – will further reflect the importance of racing to win, via a variety of adjustments.

During the format’s first three years, the top 10 drivers in points after the 26th race of the season (at Richmond International Raceway) qualified for the Chase; in addition, any other driver outside the top 10 but within 400 points of the standings’ leader was also eligible.

Starting this season, the 400-point cut-off is eliminated.

Also, after Race 26, the top 12 drivers in the points will qualify for the Chase.

All 12 drivers will have their point totals re-set to 5,000; each will then receive a 10-point bonus for each race victory they had during the first 26 races.

The Chase drivers will be “seeded” to start the Chase based on the number of wins amassed during the regular season.
Points adjustment: In line with the Chase adjustments, wins throughout the season will be more valuable.

Race winners throughout the 36-race season will now receive 185 points, a five-point increase. Counting the five-point bonuses available for leading at least one lap and leading the most laps, a race winner now can earn a maximum of 195 points, creating a possible maximum of 25 points between first- and second-place finishers.

The 2006 season of Kasey Kahne provides a dramatic illustration of the adjusted Chase format’s implications. Kahne qualified for last year’s Chase, but started it in 10th place – despite having won a series-high five races. Under the new format, Kahne would begin the Chase in first place, with 5,050 points. Mark Martin and Jeff Burton, seventh and eighth at the outset of last year’s Chase, would instead start in 11th and 12th, each with 5,000, since they had no race victories entering the Chase. Also, Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle, who failed to make the Chase last year – they were 11th and 12th and beyond the 400-point cut-off – would qualify under the adjusted format. Stewart would be fifth with 5,020 points, Biffle 10th with 5,010.
(NASCAR PR)(1-22-2007)

Benny Parsons Dies

2007-01-16T21:19:00.000-05:00

1973 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion Benny Parsons, 65, passed away today at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

Parsons, who became an award-winning television and radio personality after retiring from driving in 1988, entered the hospital Dec. 26 as the result of complications stemming from his battle with lung cancer.

Born July 12, 1941, in Wilkes County, N.C., Parsons spent his childhood in the Blue Ridge Mountains and, after graduating high school, moved to Detroit, Mich., where his father operated a taxicab company. Parsons worked as a gas station attendant and taxicab driver during the early stages of his racing career.

He captured back-to-back ARCA stock car championships in 1968 and 1969 and joined NASCAR's premier circuit full-time in 1970 where his first victory came in 1971 at South Boston Speedway.

Parsons captured the 1973 championship in dramatic fashion as crew members from numerous teams literally rebuilt his car that was heavily damaged in an early race crash during the season finale at North Carolina Motor Speedway. He returned to the track and completed enough laps to edge Cale Yarborough for the title.

Parsons went on to record 21 victories, including the 1975 Daytona 500 and the 1980 Coca-Cola 600, in a 21-year career that included 283 top-10 finishes in 526 starts.

Even before hanging up his helmet in 1988, Parsons dabbled in the broadcasting industry, setting the stage for a very successful post-driving career.

He became a popular figure on NASCAR telecasts, first with ESPN and most recently with NBC and TNT. Parsons also hosted Performance Racing Network's "Fast Talk with Benny Parsons."

Parsons was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994 and became a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005. He was selected as one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

Survivors include his mother Hazel Parsons; wife Terri Parsons; sons Keith and Kevin Parsons; brothers Steve and Phil Parsons; sister Patty Severt; and granddaughters Emily and Libbie Parsons.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Connie E. Parsons Memorial Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 443, Ellerbe, NC 28338; Victory Junction Gang Camp; or the Blumenthal Cancer Research Center.

NASCAR now requires six-point belt harnasses

2007-01-12T08:15:00.000-05:00

Scenedaily - BY BOB POCKRASS - ASSOCIATE EDITOR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR is requiring drivers in its three national series to wear six-point belt harnesses beginning this season.

Most drivers already used a six-point device but some still used five-point seat belts. The six-point harness has an extra strap and does not come straight up through the crotch as a five-point. Some of those using the five-point belts have added two straps to make it a seven-point system.

"We have tested restraints pretty heavily the last few years, and as we continue to test and we continue to find better things, it only makes sense to implement them as they come," Nextel Cup Series Director John Darby said.

Drivers went through their annual safety briefing with NASCAR's safety expert Steve Peterson, General Motors biomedical research scientist Dr. John Melvin and General Motors Racing Safety Manager Tom Gideon on Tuesday morning.

Melvin said the change in belt requirements was probably the biggest change for 2007.

"It gives much better chest protection and it actually reduces your head motion," Melvin said. "One of the common injuries that occurred with crashes in five-point belts was broken ribs, broken sternums, broken clavicles.

"That was a common NASCAR injury. The six-point belt just eliminates that by making the shoulder belts work better. We've proven that in the laboratory."

Courtesy of Scenedaily.com

Shelmerdine and Daytona: "So, Your Saying I Have A Shot!"

2007-01-12T07:57:00.000-05:00

Shelmerdine Looking to Pull off the Impossible Again

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., -- Kirk Shelmerdine pulled off the Cinderella story of Speedweeks 2006 when he qualified for the 48th annual Daytona 500 as an independent team.

Shelmerdine, operating on a shoe-string budget with only two full-time employees and a third one hired for Daytona, qualified 42nd and finished 20th in NASCAR’s biggest, richest and most prestigious race. Among the notable names who failed to qualify included Kenny Wallace and Evernham Motorsports’ Scott Riggs.

The former crew chief that led Dale Earnhardt to four of his seven NASCAR championships says that making the field for the 49th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 18 gets tougher every year.

“It was impossible last year and that’s what we do here at Kirk Shelmerdine Racing is the impossible,” Shelmerdine said before he began testing on Thursday. “It’s gets tougher every week. We’re a year later and the same thing that got it done last year won’t get it done this time. We have to improve on it. That’s why we’re down here now.

“Last year, we had a snowball’s chance and that’s about the same right now too. We’re doing everything we can. It would be really great. We’re not out of it. The car is much faster than it was in testing a year ago relative to the other cars. We’ve found a few things since then. We still think it’s a pretty good car. We got a shot at it.”

more on Shelmerdine's chance at making the Daytona 500

Hamilton, longtime NASCAR driver, dies at 49

2007-01-08T19:48:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com news services

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Bobby Hamilton, the longtime NASCAR driver who won the 2001 Talladega 500 and was the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series champion, died Sunday of cancer, said Liz Allison, a family friend who co-hosted a radio show with Hamilton. He was 49.

Hamilton was at home with his family when he died, said Allison, the widow of former NASCAR star Davey Allison.

"The thing I loved about Bobby Sr. so much is that he treated everybody the same," Allison said. "It didn't matter if you were one of the drivers he competed against or a fan he'd never laid eyes on before.

"He didn't have a pretentious bone in his body. I think that's why people were drawn to him. He was just very real and had a way of relating to everyone."

Hamilton was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in February. A malignant growth was found when swelling from dental surgery did not go down.

"NASCAR is saddened by the passing of Bobby Hamilton," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of communications. "Bobby was a great competitor, dedicated team owner and friend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the Hamilton family."

Hamilton raced in the first three truck races of the season, with a best finish of 14th at Atlanta Motor Speedway, before turning over the wheel to his son, Bobby Hamilton Jr. The senior Hamilton then started chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

By August, he had returned to work at Bobby Hamilton Racing in Mount Juliet, about 20 miles east of Nashville, and doctors indicated his CAT scans looked good. But microscopic cancer cells remained on the right side of his neck.

more on Bobby Hamilton passing away

Earnhardt Jr. Staying With His Dad's Company?

2006-12-22T05:28:00.000-05:00

NASCAR NEXTEL CUP
Earnhardt Jr. not likely to leave DEI
DALE JR.
By David Poole McClatchy Newspapers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Teresa Earnhardt said it's time for her stepson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., to make an important decision.

"Right now the ball's in his court to decide on whether he wants to be a NASCAR driver or whether he wants to be a public personality," the CEO of Dale Earnhardt Inc. told the Wall Street Journal.

Teresa Earnhardt is absolutely right.

The ball is in Earnhardt Jr.'s court, because his contract to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet for DEI runs out after the 2007 Nextel Cup season. And should he go to another race team, the one Teresa Earnhardt runs would be in a world of hurt.

Let's be clear: There's no reason to believe Earnhardt Jr. is going anywhere.

I've always doubted he would leave DEI, at least not before winning a championship there. The family name means more to him than money or celebrity, and he wants DEI to succeed as much as his father did or stepmother ever has.

But if the sport's most popular and most marketable driver - and it isn't even close - did decide to fly the DEI coop, two things are certain. Any other car owner would love to have him.

more on Lil' E staying at DEI

Rudd Returns To RYR To Run In 2007 NEXTEL Cup

2006-12-10T18:43:00.000-05:00

Lee Spencer - Sporting News

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Ricky Rudd's self-imposed vacation from racing is over.

After nearly a year off from NASCAR Nextel Cup racing, Rudd and Robert Yates have agreed to join forces once again in what will prove to be more than just a nostalgic joyride down memory lane. Rudd, 50, replaces Dale Jarrett, his former teammate at Robert Yates Racing for three seasons starting in 2000. Jarrett has since joined Michael Waltrip Racing. Butch Hylton will continue in his role as the Yates team's crew chief.

Yates introduced the No. 88 in 1995, but in what could be a strange, yet positive, turn of events, it's likely Rudd will be reviving his former car number -- the 28 -- one of the most popular numbers in NASCAR. RYR first carried the No. 28 when the team was purchased from Ranier Racing in 1988. Davey Allison, Ernie Irvan and Kenny Irwin drove the No. 28 Texaco Havoline Ford, but after the sponsor moved to Ganassi Racing and Rudd left Yates at the end of 2002, the number hasn't been used.

The candy giant Mars, which already sponsors Yates' No. 38 M&M's Ford, also will back Rudd's effort.

During Rudd's earlier tenure at RYR, he scored three wins, 34 top fives, 53 top 10s and four poles. Rudd finished in the top five in the point standings the first two years and wound up in 10th place after a tumultuous 2002 season.

more on Ricky Rudd's return

Denny Hamlin Compared To Dale Earnhardt Sr!

2006-12-08T06:38:00.000-05:00

Riding shotgun with a rising star
NASCAR Expert Lee Spencer

There never will be another Dale Earnhardt, but Denny Hamlin has the ability to pull off the Intimidator's never-duplicated feat of following his rookie of the year award with a NASCAR championship.

Hamlin's car control is nothing short of amazing. It's hard to believe that two years ago he was running late models at Southside Speedway near Richmond, Va. Last week he was in New York accepting the award as the sport's top rookie, no small feat considering this season's rookies had the credentials to make this the most competitive class since 2002, the year Ryan Newman nudged Jimmie Johnson for the award.

Instead, Hamlin blew 'em away. He swept the Pocono races, won three poles and finished 20 times in the top 10, including eight top fives. Then he won a bet with his teammate -- and two-time Nextel Cup champion -- Tony Stewart that he would top the fourth-place finish Stewart had during his rookie of the year season in 2000. Hamlin locked down third place, 12 points behind Matt Kenseth and 68 behind Johnson.

Now, flash back with me to last month at the Bondurant Racing School in Phoenix, as a dozen members of the media participated in a little learning and leisure exercise in driving. After warming up and destroying many neon cones in a parking lot, we moved to the real road course.

Initially, the media members were paired together in souped-up street cars following the instructor. During the first run, my husband, Reid, drove gingerly around the track and generally did best to certify his AARP membership. I sat in the passenger's seat and tried to get a feel for the course.

More on Denny Hamlin's Rise To Fame

Ladies and Gentlemen, Your 2007 Budweiser Shootout Driver Lineup

2006-11-29T10:43:00.000-05:00

2007 Budweiser Shootout Driver Lineup Finalized:

The field for the 29th annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway is set. There will be at least 21 drivers that will be eligible for the 2007 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night, Feb. 10.

The field for the non-points Nextel Cup Series All-Star race features the previous season's pole winners and past Budweiser Shootout champions.

Drivers that have won pole positions during the 2006 season and qualified for 2007 Budweiser Shootout are three-time Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon, 2006 Daytona 500 winner and 2006 Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, 2006 Budweiser Shootout champion Denny Hamlin, Brian Vickers, rookie driver David Gilliland, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Elliott Sadler, Scott Riggs, Ryan Newman and Boris Said.

Past Budweiser Shootout champions eligible for the 2007 event are three-time Daytona 500 champion Dale Jarrett, 2004 Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., two-time Pepsi 400 winner Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Ken Schrader and Bill Elliott. With only prize money and the prestige of winning at "The World Center of Racing," the Budweiser Shootout turns into a no-holds barred race with an electric atmosphere.

Jarrett and Vickers will be behind the wheel of Toyotas in the manufacturer's first Nextel Cup Series event while Hamlin will be gunning for two straight Budweiser Shootout victories. Hamlin became the first rookie to win the Budweiser Shootout when he led 16 of the final 21 laps and held off restrictor-plate titans Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart in a green-white-checkered finish.

Speedweeks 2007 kicks off with the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 27-28. Also on tap for the three-week festival of speed are the Budweiser Shootout (Feb. 10), the Gatorade Duel (Feb. 15), the Chevy Silverado HD 250 Craftsman Truck Series race and IROC (Feb. 16), the Daytona 300 Busch Series race (Feb. 17) and the 49th annual Daytona 500 (Feb. 18).

Tickets to all exciting events at Daytona International Speedway are available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.(DIS PR)

Visit Cheap NASCAR Nextel Cup Tickets for more information

Who's The Most Improved In 2006 NEXTEL Cup Season?

2006-11-25T07:21:00.000-05:00

NASCAR Expert Lee Spencer

Which five teams improved most in 2006?

No. 31 Chevrolet: The intellectual Jeff Burton turned rebuilding Richard Childress Racing into a group effort. Last year, Burton finished 18th in points; this year, he finished seventh. The pit crew didn't change, but the addition of crew chief Scott Miller, who had been the engineer on Kevin Harvick's team during most of the 2005 season, has enabled Richard Childress' No. 29 and 31 teams to work together more closely.

The most dramatic difference on the track has been the improvement in the cars' aerodynamics and mechanics, which has bolstered the performances of all three RCR Cup teams.

No. 9 Dodge: Kasey Kahne had a solid rookie season in 2004, but after he finished 23rd in points under crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr. in his sophomore season, the kinder, gentler Kenny Francis took over the team for 2006.

Francis provided a comfortable environment in which Kahne could build confidence and flourish. It also helped that the crew from the No. 19 team, which had made the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup the past two years, moved to the No. 9 team before the season. The makeover worked; Kahne won six races and had 19 top 10 finishes, including 12 in the top five, in 2006 and made his first Chase appearance.

No. 11 Chevrolet: Though this team incorporates the technology of the other two Joe Gibbs Racing squads, it tailors its cars to rookie phenom Denny Hamlin. Crew chief Mike Ford credits Hamlin with turning around the team, which finished 33rd in owner points last season.

Hamlin made his Cup debut in the No. 11 car last season at Kansas, and Ford says he knew after four laps that he had "a wheel man that I could build a team around." Hamlin has become such a student of the sport that success -- a sweep at Pocono and a Chase berth -- has come easily.

No. 43 Dodge: Bobby Labonte inherited a team that had posted zero top 10s and just two top 15 finishes in 2005, but the addition of Labonte as driver, Todd Parrott as crew chief and Robbie Loomis as vice president of race operations at Petty Enterprises worked wonders for the No. 43.

The team's momentum was slowed by a late-race accident in the Daytona 500 and two engine failures in the first nine races, but Labonte persevered and finished in the top five three times and in the top 10 eight times in 2006. Parrott left the team in August, but Paul Andrews stepped in and Labonte never missed a beat.

No. 8 Chevrolet: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the brew crew were criticized by the media and fans in 2005, and that seemed to cause the No. 8 team to adopt a family-style mentality and pull together under the leadership of crew chief Tony Eury Jr.

Earnhardt's maturation was the key. He showed undying determination this season -- especially during the Chase race at Texas. Fighting the flu, he finished sixth after battling back from a midrace accident that dropped him to 34th. A weaker driver would have mailed it in.

Staff writer Lee Spencer covers NASCAR for Sporting News. E-mail her at lspencer@sportingnews.com

Last Race On Schedule Decides NEXTEL Cup Championship

2006-11-18T14:39:00.000-05:00

Championship Scenarios Heading to Homestead:

Any driver within 156 points is still mathematically eligible for the Nextel Cup Series championship. So, going into the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the following drivers can still win the title:
Jimmie Johnson 6332 points
Matt Kenseth -63
Kevin Harvick -90
Denny Hamlin -90
Dale Earnhardt Jr. -115
Jimmie Johnson is assured of winning the championship if any of the following occur:
Finish of 12th or better and leading no laps
Finish of 13th or better and leading at least one lap
Finish of 15th or better and leading the most laps
If Kenseth wins the Ford 400 and both Johnson and Kenseth tie in the point standings, they would also tie at the first tiebreaker with five wins each. The next tiebreaker is second place finishes. The advantage would go to Johnson, who currently has six runner-up finishes, better than the three runner-up finishes by Kenseth.(NASCAR Statistical Services)(11-13-2006)

AND

#48-Jimmie Johnson wins if any of the following occur:

Finish of 12th or better and leading no laps
Finish of 13th or better and leading at least one lap
Finish of 15th or better and leading the most laps
#17-Matt Kenseth wins if all of the following occur:

He wins the race and leads the most laps.
Jimmie Johnson finishes 13th or worse without leading a lap.
#29-Kevin Harvick wins if all of the following occur:

He wins the race and leads the most laps.
Jimmie Johnson finishes 22nd or worse and doesn't lead a lap.
Matt Kenseth finishes 4th or worse and doesn't lead a lap.
#11-Denny Hamlin wins if all of the following occur:

He wins the race and leads the most laps.
Jimmie Johnson finishes 22nd or worse and doesn't lead a lap.
Matt Kenseth finishes 4th or worse and doesn't lead a lap.
#8-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. wins if all of the following occur:

He wins the race and leads the most laps.
Jimmie Johnson finishes 30th or worse and doesn't lead a lap.
Matt Kenseth finishes 10th or worse and doesn't lead a lap.
Both Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin both finish fourth or worse and don't lead a lap. (FoxSports)
(11-17-2006)