Happy Tuesday. Today In Nascar History Dec. 8, 1975: Kevin Harvick is born on this day. Harvick has started 322 consecutive Cup races since entering the series in the second race of the 2001 season, filling the GM Goodwrench seat after Dale Earnhardt's death. Harvick has 11 wins in the Cup Series and 34 in the Nationwide Series in addition to two Nationwide championships (2001, 2006). He also has six wins in the Truck Series and two championships as an owner (2007, 2009). Quote of the Year There's an unwritten rule in NASCAR: Thou shalt not take on Dale Earnhardt Jr. --Terry Blount/espn
Countdown to Daytona 68 Bits and Pieces Kyle Busch Wins 42nd Annual Snowball Derby: Kyle Busch has won the 42nd Annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. Busch started third in the 300-lap race and took the lead late from 2005 Snowball Derby winner Eddie Mercer to collect the $22,500 winner's check. Mercer held on to finish second with NASCAR Nationwide Series regular Steven Wallace placing third. Two-time Snowball Derby winner Bobby Gill came from last place at the start to place fourth at the finish. John Bolen overcame an early wreck to finish fifth. This is the fourth major Super Late Model event that Busch has won this season. He also won Speedfest at Lanier Speedway (GA), the Redbud 300 at Anderson Speedway (IN) and the Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway (IN) in his free time from his NASCAR obligations. This event concludes the racing season at Five Flags Speedway for 2009. The track will open its 2010 season with the TBARA Winged Sprint Cars on March 19th. For more information on the 43rd Annual Snowball Derby, contact Five Flags Speedway by calling (850) 944-8400 and be sure to visit www.snowballderby. Stremme looking to firm up 2010 plans: NASCAR driver David Stremme said Friday he's still working to firm up his 2010 plans. "We're still talking to quite a bit of people," said Stremme, who lost his Sprint Cup ride with Penske Racing in late October. His immediate focus is trying to win Sunday's 42nd annual Snowball Derby. Stremme's biggest Late Model victory came a year ago when he won the Winchester 400. "This is a big race," Stremme said. "I won the Winchester 400 last year. I definitely want to win this one. It's a big short track race. You just got to look at the names on the trophy and that tells what it is. This is a pretty stout field. It's probably the toughest field I've seen in a long time."(Racin' Today) Hendrick honored with Bill France Award of Excellence: Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports was honored with the Bill France Award of Excellence at the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony. The award was presented to Hendrick by Betty Jane France, wife of the late Bill France Jr., who guided the sport from 1971-2003. "I wasn't expecting this one," Hendrick said during his acceptance speech at the Wynn Las Vegas. "This award means so much to me because of the relationship I had with Bill France and the respect I had for him." The award is not handed out annually by the France family, which has owned and operated NASCAR for 61 years. Named for NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., the award is presented when the NASCAR leadership believes someone is worthy of the recognition for contributions to the sport. "NASCAR has had many iconic figures throughout its rich history, and Rick Hendrick certainly falls into that category," Betty Jane France said. "Through the years, he has not only won our respect but our hearts as well." Hendrick did not know that Betty Jane France was at the banquet and the award was not listed in the agenda for the evening that celebrated Jimmie Johnson's fourth consecutive title in a season where Hendrick drivers swept the top three spots in the standings. "I've never seen him where he's in a position where he couldn't say what was on his mind," Johnson said after the ceremony. "It really got him. & for a minute there, I thought he was going to need to sit down and start over and come back to the podium. It's amazing. It means so much to Rick because of his friendship with Bill. I could only imagine how much that means to him. And then this year, you look at the 1-2-3 and all the success. You roll it all up in one, he's going to remember 2009 forever."(SceneDail Penske donates $25,000 to Brienne Davis scholarship: Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Foundation announced Roger Penske has donated $25,000 toward the Brienne Davis Memorial Scholarship for one qualified female to attend UTI's NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C. The Penske award is part of the Brienne Davis Memorial Scholarship Fund for women pursuing careers in the automotive industry. Davis, a UTI graduate and Sprint Cup official, died tragically in 2008. "The automotive industry needs outstanding people, like Brienne Davis, who are dedicated to top-notch service," Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Corporation, said. "This scholarship was created to provide more opportunities for women committed to pursuing technical excellence through a career in the motorsports and racing industries." In addition to the $25,000 scholarship, the Foundation, through the support of The NASCAR Foundation and the NASCAR family, will also be awarding three $10,000 Brienne Davis Memorial Scholarships to women who wish to attend one of UTI's nine automotive campuses across the United States. The deadline for scholarship applications is Dec. 31, 2009. More information about the scholarships is available on the UTI Foundation Web site at www.utifoundation. Blickensderfer honored: Drew Blickensderfer, crew chief of the #17 Ford, won the Moog Problem Solver of the Year Award for 2009. This marks the first time Blickensderfer has won the award coming of a season that included winning the Daytona 500 and following that up with a win at the Auto Club Speedway the next weekend. Blickensderfer led his team to two wins, one pole, seven top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 2009, his first full-season as crew chief for Matt Kenseth and the #17 team.(Roush Fenway Racing) Sporting News' Driver and Crew Chief Of The Year named: #48-Jimmie Johnson, the first driver in Sprint Cup Series history to win four consecutive championships, is the Sporting News driver of the year, the magazine announced today. Chad Knaus, Johnson's crew chief since Johnson became a full-time Cup driver in 2002, was voted the top crew chief. The voting was done by Sprint Cup drivers, crew chiefs and owners. Besides the four championships, Johnson and Knaus have combined for 47 Cup wins in 291 starts, a 16.2 winning percentage that ranks Johnson sixth all time.(Sporting News) TRG and Labbe part ways UPDATE 2 to the #98: Official Statement from TRG Motorsports Regarding Former Crew Chief Slugger Labbe: TRG Motorsports today released Slugger Labbe as crew chief of the #71 Cup car. TRG appreciates Slugger's dedication in its first year as a Cup organization where he helped guide the team to 35 consecutive starts and TRG's first top-10 finish in the Sprint Cup Series. TRG Motorsports will, as planned, compete full time in 2010 with Bobby Labonte behind the wheel of the #71 with TaxSlayer.com on-board for a good portion of the season and is currently in negotiations with several top-level crew chiefs.(TRG Motorsports) UPDATE: Labbe has several offers on the table and is expected to make an announcement concerning his future on Monday. GM Mike Brown has left TRG as well. Brown was a longtime fixture at Bill Davis Racing prior to joining TRG in March. Brown says he has no formal plans but "several irons in the fire".(FoxSports) UPDATE: Labbe will be the crew chief for Paul Menard and the #98 Menard's Ford in 2010. A formal announcement is expected from Yates Racing on Monday. Labbe parted ways with TRG Motorsports on Thursday to accept the new role. Labbe was touring the Yates shops on Friday and was introduced as "Menard's new crew chief," several sources confirmed. Menard's previous crew chief Larry Carter parted ways with the organization at season's end.(FoxSports) Showtime Adds Weekly NASCAR TV Show: Showtime said on Monday it will carry a new series, "Inside Nascar," that will be shown each week of the Sprint Cup season. The hour-long program will be taped at the new Nascar Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., and shown Wednesday nights at 10pm, starting Feb. 10. It will carry footage shot at each week's race, as NFL Films does for "Inside the NFL," with commentary from a group of studio analysts that has not been announced. The 38-week-long series will also have access to the many drivers, crew chiefs and owners who are based in the Charlotte area. Showtime has given the series a two-year deal with an option for a third. Ken Hershman, the senior vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports, said the announcers on the show will be familiar from their work at ESPN, Fox, Turner and the Speed Channel.(New York Times) Ambrose to race at Dubai 24 Hour sportscar race: Marcos Ambrose will race in the Dubai 24 Hour sportscar race at the Dubai Autodrome on January 14-16, 2010. Ambrose will drive the #148 Ferrari F430 GT2 of the AF Corse team, partnered by Rob Kaufman, Michael Waltrip, Rui Aguas and Niki Cadei. AF Corse team owner Kaufman is also a co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, with which Ambrose's team JTG Daugherty Racing has a close technical alliance. Ambrose has previous experience in GT and sportscar racing, entering the Grand-Am Rolex Sportscar Series event at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada earlier this year with fellow Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards. The Australian driver competed in the GT class at the 2005 Daytona 24 Hour in a Porsche GT3 Cup car with fellow Australians Paul Morris, Craig Baird and John Teulen.(BAM Media) Professor studies the culture of NASCAR: John D. Miller teaches early-American literature at Longwood University, but lately he has lectured on a more contemporary theme: NASCAR and globalization. A fan himself, Miller says the lure of NASCAR is not so much the cars and the race as the spin they bring to an archetypal American narrative. "I think most fans are attracted to NASCAR because it celebrates this national culture," he said. NASCAR's popularity has increased with the rise of globalization, which some people see as a threat to traditional American identity, he said. They look to NASCAR as a way "to celebrate and reaffirm a traditional set of American values." That script is followed from the start of the race. Miller notes that NASCAR is the only professional sport that still begins with a prayer over the public address system. The national anthem is sung by a national recording artist, accentuating its importance, and the military fly-by seals the association between patriotism and the military. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a doctorate from the College of William and Mary, Miller wrote his master's thesis at Auburn University on the culture of NASCAR. Miller looks to NASCAR for the stories it tells about America "that help define that cultural identity for people, for readers or for sports fans."(see full story and quotes at the Richmond Times Dispatch) NASCAR-Mayfield case to continue: A U.S. District Court judge has turned down NASCAR's request to halt the pre-trial discovery phase in a lawsuit brought against the sanctioning body by suspended driver Jeremy Mayfield. NASCAR had asked for the suspension of the investigative phase of the case until a judge can rule on a NASCAR motion for a judgment based on pleadings already submitted. The decision, issued Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen, means that depositions and production of documents will not be delayed because of the NASCAR request. The judge still needs to rule on the motion for judgment itself. In another ruling issued Monday, the judge set the date for a deposition of NASCAR Chairman Brian France for Jan. 19. The judge also ruled as moot requests by NASCAR and France's ex-wife Megan France, that they not be forced to produce documents under seal in litigation between her and Brian because Mayfield's attorneys indicated they would not seek those documents. He did grant a motion stipulating that in Megan France's deposition, she cannot be asked about the documents in that lawsuit or about the divorce agreement (SceneDaily) RCR Pit Crew Member Recovering in Massachusetts Hospital: Richard Childress Racing pit crew member Donald "D.J." Richardson is recovering in a Massachusetts hospital from severe complications due to the H1N1 virus. Richardson, 37, of Leominster, Mass., approximately 35 miles northwest of Boston, joined RCR in July 2009 and finished the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season as the rear-tire changer for the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy team. He contracted the H1N1 virus during a visit to Massachusetts over the Thanksgiving holiday. His condition worsened due to the onset of pneumonia before he went to Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster for evaluation. Doctors quickly admitted Richardson to the hospital's intensive care unit with acute respiratory distress syndrome. "Our thoughts and prayers are with D.J. and his family during this very trying time," said Mike Dillon, RCR's vice president of competition. "All of us at Richard Childress Racing and Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines wish him a full and speedy recovery." Richardson is unable to accept phone calls or flowers from well-wishers while in the intensive care unit. His family has asked that cards, letters and notes of encouragement be sent to his attention at his father's house: Donald Richardson, 494 Merriam Avenue, Leominster, Massachusetts 01453. Richardson began his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career with Andy Petree Racing in 1999. He has also worked for Penske Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Braun Racing. The RCR communications department will continue to provide updates on Richardson's status. Ernie Irvan's Race2Safety Foundation Presents Helmets: After comprehensive fundraising efforts conducted during the first five years of its existence, former NASCAR driver Ernie Irvan's Race2Safety Foundation made its first major presentation this past week of more than 3,000 child bicycle safety helmets to Boys & Girls Clubs of America locations in the Southeast, as well as to a pair of organizations that also promote brain injury awareness and prevention with a special focus on kids. Thanks to funds raised via NASCAR fan track walk events at Michigan International Speedway and Pocono Raceway, the tremendous support of the NASCAR Foundation, proceeds from personal appearances by Irvan, as well as gifts from the former driver's fans and supporters, Race2Safety conducted helmet presentations to Boys & Girls Clubs in Atlanta, Charleston, S.C., Columbia, S.C., and the Charlotte area. Race2Safety also will donate quantities of helmets to the Helmets for Kids organization in Minnesota headed by brain injury survivor and endurance cyclist Mike Heikes, as well as to the St. Camillus Health & Rehabilitation Center in Syracuse, N.Y. "After raising money for the last four or five years, we are extremely excited to finally have this first opportunity to see it all come together as we make our initial presentation of bicycle helmets and to help elevate awareness of brain injuries and their effects on our lives, particularly those of children," said Irvan, whose illustrious NASCAR career was sidetracked by head injuries sustained in a horrific racing accident at Michigan International Speedway in 1994. "It's difficult to find the right words to express how happy we are to be able to donate helmets to the Boys & Girls Clubs, to Mike Heikes and his Helmets for Kids organization, and to St. Camillus. I hope this will be the first of many, many events like this in the years to come." Finally? Danica to announce Nationwide ride on Tuesday: UPDATE: Danica Patrick will announce on Tuesday in Phoenix her decision to drive a part-time Nationwide Series schedule for JR Motorsports in 2010. ESPN.com reported last month that Patrick was in the final stages of negotiations with JRM to compete in about a dozen races in a #7 -- her number in IndyCar -- Chevy with GoDaddy.com as the sponsor. The source said that has not changed. The GoDaddy.com sponsorship will be only for the races in which Patrick drives, sources said. JRM continues to look for sponsors for the #88 that will be driven by Kelly Bires and any remaining races for the second car. When Patrick announced her three-year extension with Andretti Autosport last week in New York a picture appeared on her Web site with her in a NASCAR fire suit bearing a JRM and other NASCAR-related logos. It quickly was removed. The plan is to enter Patrick in the ARCA Series opener in February at Daytona International Speedway and get her approved by NASCAR for the Nationwide [Daytona] race. ARCA owner Bobby Gerhart recently was contacted about putting Patrick in one of his cars for a Dec. 18-20 test at Daytona. He told ESPN.com on Monday he expected her to be in a car prepared by JR Motorsports at the test. "My gut feeling is I think she'll drive something out of Mooresville, N.C.,'' he said, referring to the location of JR. "That's what I'm hearing. It'll be that powerful of a program that that's the way it would go if that happens.''(ESPN. Randolph named crew chief for Labonte: TRG Motorsports announced that veteran crew chief Doug Randolph will take the reins as the new crew chief for Bobby Labonte and the #71 Sprint Cup Series team effective immediately. Randolph, who was most recently at the helm of the #07 at Richard Childress Racing, began his Cup career with Junior Johnson and has worked with organizations including DEI, Bill Davis Racing and sat atop the pit box for Labonte in 2007 at Petty Enterprises. In their short time together, the pair garnered some strong finishes and are eager to renew their relationship under TRG Motorsports banner.(TRG PR) Sprint Cup MAHLE Engine Builder of the Year named: MAHLE Clevite Inc. announced Shane Parsnow of Hendrick Motorsports as the 2009 MAHLE Engine Builder of the Year for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Parsnow, engine builder for Hendrick Motorsports, received this award for accumulating the most MAHLE Clevite points (307), based on qualifying, laps lead and finishing position. Fellow Hendrick Motorsports engine builders, Danny Emerick and Earl Wheeler, finished in second place with 288 points and third place with 254 points respectively. This is Hedrick Motorsports' fourth consecutive Engine Builder of the Year title, and Parsnow's second in four years. Parsnow was presented with the coveted award at the annual Myers Brothers' Award Presentation held a day in advance of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Banquet at the Wynn Las Vegas on Friday, December 4th. Over the years, Hendrick Motorsports has racked-up a total of 14 MAHLE Engine Builder of the Year titles. For more information about MAHLE Clevite and its brands, visit www.mahleclevite. Racing stars appear at benefit today to collect toys Associated Press MOORESVILLE, N.C. Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears and NASCAR driver Ryan Newman head the slate of about 50 racing greats signing autographs at a holiday benefit event. Ray Evernham, Ned Jarrett, and Sam Hornish Jr. are among the other motorsports notables who will sign for fans at Tuesday's event in Mooresville. Proceeds from the 21st annual Stocks for Tots benefit go to helping prevent child abuse and helping parents in Iredell County. Since its first fundraiser in 1989, Stocks for Tots has raised more than $850,000 and distributed nearly 50,000 Christmas toys to children in need in the Charlotte region. General admission costs $10 plus a new, unwrapped toy. Kyle Busch is becoming a team owner By Jim Utter - charlotteobserver. Sprint Cup series driver and reigning Nationwide Series champion Kyle Busch is set to become a NASCAR team owner. Busch has finalized plans to begin fielding up to three teams in the Camping World Truck Series next season, the Observer and ThatsRacin.com have learned. An official announcement regarding Busch's plans in the series next season is expected on Friday, multiple sources said. Busch could not be reached for comment Monday and a team spokesman would say only more information on Busch's 2010 season plans would be available later this week. Busch, 24, has driven recently for team owner Billy Ballew and there had been speculation he would buy into that organization but he is instead starting his own team having purchased assets from Xpress Motorsports, sources said. The headquarters for Kyle Busch Motorsports is still under construction and the team will use the old Xpress Motorsports facility until KBM is completed. Busch has made 69 series starts and has 16 wins, 35 top-five and 51 top-10 finishes. He had seven wins this season in 15 starts. Rick Ren, who led Ron Hornaday to the Truck series title this season as crew chief, confirmed in a recent interview on Sirius Satellite Radio he was joining KBM in a management position next season. Former Nationwide team owner Daniel Kinney pleads guilty in $12.7M scheme By Bob Pockrass/scenedaily A former Nationwide Series team owner pleaded guilty Monday to one charge of mail fraud as part of what federal prosecutors say was his part in a $12.7 million embezzlement scheme over a period from 1995 to 2007, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Jim Letten out of New Orleans. Daniel Kinney, whose Premier Motorsports team fielded the No. 85 Nationwide Series car in select series races in the last seven years, was charged for his role in a scheme that included his girlfriend's sister, Donna White, who worked at J.W. Stone Oil Distributor. According to documents filed in the case, prosecutors allege they worked together to steal checks and funds belonging to the company and deposit funds into their personal accounts. According to the news release, the stolen funds were used in part to fund the race team as well as for personal expenses and gambling expenses. Kinney, a Kentucky resident, and White face possible maximum sentences of 20 years' imprisonment, a fine of $250,000.00 and three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, according to the news release. Sentencing is scheduled for March 11 in U.S. District Court in New Orleans. Premier Motorsports is not the same team as Premier Racing, which competed in the Camping World Truck series this year with Timothy Peters. Sources: Addington turns down No. 19 team offer by Lee Spencer/foxsports. Steve Addington is still on the market. Kyle Busch's former crew chief had been offered the head post for Elliott Sadler's No. 19 team at Richard Petty Motorsports, but sources told FOXSports.com that he turned it down. It was previously reported by FOXSports.com that Addington cleaned out his office at Joe Gibbs Racing on Monday after spending six years with the company. It is rumored that he is a candidate for the crew chief post for the No. 2 Penske Racing team. Kurt Busch said coyly prior to an event at Champions Week in Las Vegas that there are several candidates still being considered for the job, but admitted that he spoke with Addington after hearing of his release following approval from J.D. Gibbs. Independent car teams feel economic pinch By Pete Pistone/Special to CBSSports.com 2009 review The economic problems that hit the NASCAR world in 2009 divided the garage area into more of a "Haves and Have Not's" lineup than the sport has seen in some time. The financial road was rough for many of the independent and one-car teams, with some not surviving the entire season. Others morphed into "Start and Parks," organizations that were forced to simply consider qualifying for races a moral victory and instructing drivers to pull off the track after only a handful of laps to collect whatever prize money possible. Running more laps and incurring additional expenses in tires, fuel and equipment wear and tear just wasn't possible. The Hall of Fame Racing team began the season sporting an alliance with Roush Fenway Racing and was able to lure Bobby Labonte into the fold with a somewhat solid sponsorship deal from Ask.com. Labonte did what he could with the equipment he had to deal with in the still underfunded No. 96 ride and posted a sixth-place run in his Gatorade Duel Daytona qualifying races as well as a top 5 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the second event of the season. But it was all downhill from there and eventually Labonte left the organization in favor of Erik Darnell, a young driver from within RFR's truck series and Nationwide Series programs. Darnell too struggled and unfortunately with Roush closing up its truck effort and scaling back the Nationwide plan due to lack of sponsorship, the former short-track standout is currently without a ride for 2010. Ironically Labonte landed with the TRG Motorsports team by season's end, an upstart operation headed by Kevin Buckler, who had found success in the sports car world and was looking to extend his racing empire into NASCAR. Buckler fielded a Cup entry as well as several truck and Cup efforts in 2009 with the No. 71 Sprint Cup ride mainly driven by David Gilliland. With veteran crew chief Slugger Labbe calling the shots, TRG made 35 straight races and despite several weeks of starting and parking, actually posted some impressive finishes before all was said and done, including a top 10 in November at Talladega. Long-time independent driver Robby Gordon didn't fall into the "Start and Park" category in 2009, but the veteran driver suffered through a disappointing season that too was punctuated by the lack of sponsorship. Although Gordon carried Jim Beam colors for the bulk of the season, other races found the familiar No. 7 in a bare black paint scheme without any company backing. Gordon finished 34th in the point standings with a third-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 the highlight of his long campaign. 2010 preview Gordon announced at the season-ending Homestead weekend he only has sponsorship for the first eight races in 2010 with Jim Beam pulling back its support of the team. Although he's locked into the Daytona 500 and the next four races of the season by virtue of his finish within the top 35 in the point standings, the future of Gordon's one-car team is very much in doubt unless a new sponsorship can be found. Sponsorship has been uncovered for the TRG Motorsports effort in 2010 with TaxSlayer.com coming on board for more than half the season. Team owner Buckler is confident the funding will come together for the rest of the schedule and Labonte is set to return for a full-season assault. Labbe has left the crew chief position for a spot at the newly retooled Richard Petty Motorsports team where he'll call the shots for Paul Menard, so Labonte is still not sure who he'll work with in the 71 Car in 2010. The sponsorship news is also better for Tommy Baldwin Racing, which hired veteran Mike Bliss to drive the No. 36 entry in 2010 thanks to a full season commitment from Wave Energy Drink. There's also good news for Furniture Row Racing, which scaled back to a limited schedule in 2009. The Denver-based team has intentions to run the entire slate this year with young Regan Smith, the 2008 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year behind the wheel. Although crew chief Jay Guy left to take the spot at Penske Racing for the No. 12 Dodge driven by Brad Keselowski, the team expects to name a replacement very soon. One other small team plans to compete next year after making it through 2009 but complete details are still sketchy. Front Row Motorsports plans to field two NASCAR Sprint Cup cars full time in 2010, but who will drive them is still to be determined. Team owner Bob Jenkins ran John Andretti and Tony Rains in his No. 34 entry last season and hopes to possibly field a pair of cars with Travis Kvapil and David Stremme potential candidates to drive. It won't be much easier for any of these teams that were able to survive in 2009 and are looking ahead to the new year with some hope and optimism. If the economy continues to improve and more dollars flow into the sport, the independent stable can at least stay afloat. Until then most all are doing their best to simply tread water. Keeping up appearances: Ambrose busy in offseason Films TV show, receives Aussie award, plans Dubai race By Official Release The season may be over, but Marcos Ambrose hardly has slowed down. A television crew from the Outdoor Channel program "Gold Fever" joined Ambrose for a week of filming in Tasmania last week for a show to be aired early next year. More recently, Ambrose was honored with the prestigious Sir Jack Brabham Award by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport, the governing body of motorsport in Australia. Come Jan. 14-16, Ambrose will compete in the Dubai 24 Hour sports car race at the Dubai Autodrome. He will drive the No. 148 Ferrari F430 GT2 of the AF Corse team, partnered by Rob Kaufman, Michael Waltrip, Rui Aguas and Niki Cadei. AF Corse team owner Kaufman is also a co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, with which Ambrose's team, JTG Daugherty Racing, has a close technical alliance. "It is a bit out of left field," Ambrose said. "Rob Kaufman has his own race team in Europe that he 'plays with' and because JTG Daugherty Racing has an association with MWR I thought it would be great fun to go across and help Rob out. "It will help me out too because it gets me back behind the wheel of a race car again before the season starts. I've never been to Dubai and I've never raced a 24-hour race over in the Middle East, so it's a racing first for me. Ambrose has previous experience in GT and sports car racing, entering the Grand-Am Rolex Sportscar Series event at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal earlier this year with fellow Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards. The Australian driver competed in the GT class at the 2005 Daytona 24 Hour in a Porsche GT3 Cup car with fellow Australians Paul Morris, Craig Baird and John Teulen. "A 24 Hour race is a different mind-set. It's not about running the car at ten-tenths. It's about running the car at seven-tenths all day and looking after the gearbox, the brakes and the engine. I'm looking forward to it and it should be fun," Ambrose said. Award winner Ambrose was in New South Wales this past weekend for the Sydney Telstra 500, the final event of the 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Series, when he was presented with the Sir Jack Brabham Award by CAMS president Andrew Papadopoulos. The award is in recognition of the remarkable achievements of Sir Jack Brabham OBE, the outstanding Australian engineer and driver who rose to the pinnacle of world motorsport. The Sir Jack Brabham Award recognizes outstanding achievement and success by an Australian motorsport competitor at the international level. The recipient must demonstrate outstanding talent, determination and a significant level of success in international competition. Sir Jack Brabham is a three-time Formula One World Champion and remains the only man in history to win the F1 title in a car of his own make. "The award is unexpected and I feel privileged to be given the nod for it," Ambrose said. "Sir Jack is obviously a hero of mine, as all the Brabhams are, to be honest. It's a real racing dynasty. So I take that honor with pride. "Jack and the whole Brabham family are pioneers in Australian racing and it's a privilege to be given the honor of this award and I hold it in high regard and I am very thankful that I've been given the nod for it." Ambrose moved to the United States in 2006, leaving behind a successful five-year career in V8 Supercars that yielded two championships to pursue a career in NASCAR. Gold standard Ambrose will take the spectacular scenery of his home state of Tasmania to millions of television viewers in the United States as he co-stars in episodes of "Gold Fever" on the Outdoor Channel. The filming commenced with a media event at the Beaconsfield Gold Mine last Monday, where Ambrose and show host Tom Massie were given a tour of the Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage Centre by Brant Webb, one of the survivors of the 2006 Beaconsfield mining disaster. "Last week was amazing," Ambrose said. "We showed them a great time for six days in the Tasmanian bush and it was just a lot of fun. "We did some camping, went down some mine shafts, did some gold panning, meet some characters in the local towns and stuff and it was just a really, really great trip and I'm pleased to have been able to facilitate it." Since moving to the U.S., Ambrose has taken up gold prospecting and panning as a hobby, venturing out in the countryside around Charlotte, N.C., where his young family is based in search of gold. Ambrose also has visited several former gold sites around the country as he travels the U.S. on during the NASCAR schedule. JR's Popularity Is Not All About Dad by Jim/bump-drafts. "Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s popularity is all about his dad. If his name were Dale Johnson Jr., he wouldn't be so popular. He wouldn't even be in NASCAR." I know some of you have heard this. Heck, some of you have said it. Today, I am not going to get into his performance, though I will be quick to point out that 18 career wins in about a decade of racing is nothing to be ashamed of. It's 39th on the all-time list, and it puts "Little E" side-by-side with Geoff Bodine, Matt Kenseth, Harry Gant, and his dad's old buddy Neil Bonnett. If that's not an impressive list, I don't know what is. I'll also point two championships in the NASCAR Busch Series, though for the skeptic, that will never be enough. I digress. On the matter of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s popularity, let me unequivocally clear: though a significant number of Junior fans came to their love of the driver because of his dad, it's much, much more than that. I ought to know. I am married into Junior Nation. My wife is a DIEHARD Junior fan. She became a fan after the Intimidator's death, and what she knows of Dale Sr. doesn't necessarily endear him to her. For my bride, it's about cheering on a young man out to try to carve out his own place in history. It's about a guy trying to respect, yet shake loose of a legendary shadow. In a weird sort of way, it IS kind of about rooting for the underdog. As I've mentioned before, I belong to a handful of online communities for NASCAR fans. I know one young lady (about 16) so eager to see Earnhardt's fortunes improve next year, she has written a letter to Rick Hendrick imploring the owner to be sure that Junior has equipment on a par with his teammates. How about that for loyalty and passion? Whether or not her perceptions are correct is not up for discussion on this occasion. I just find the passion and the loyalty to be touching in a way. And again, let me point out- this fan was a small child when the infamous crash that took the life of Dale Earnhardt occurred in 2001. I find that she is not alone, that there are legions of teen fans drawn to Junior, and it has nothing to do with his dad. I know of another fan in that same community with a similar loyalty who is old enough to be Junior's mom. She didn't get into NASCAR until a season after Earnhardt Sr. died. She likes the Opie Taylor persona, and like many others in Junior Nation, she appreciates what she sees as an honesty about the man. In this way, Junebug is like his dad: he's not P.C., he doesn't always use perfect grammar, and there's a lot about him that lacks polish. She wishes she could marry her granddaughter off to Dale Jr, and frankly, I think there's a part of her that wishes she were 30 years younger to make her own play for him. Trust me, I know the woman is not alone on that score. Something else that catches people's eyes is Dale Jr.'s soft spot for children, especially the sick and disabled. It's yet another way Junior bares a similarity to his dad. Don't get me wrong, I know Earnhardt isn't the only one. I've chronicled Kyle Busch's work with orphans, what Jeff Gordon has done with children's hospitals and the last goes on. I'll tell you, these things resonate with me, as one whose late brother was afflicted by Cystic Fibrosis. I remember well the therapeutic effect that meeting baseball great Hank Aaron had on him- enabling my brother to forget about his struggles, if only for a moment. Don't get me wrong- this doesn't mean YOU have to like the guy. The beauty of the diversity of NASCAR is there's someone for everybody out there- whether its the California cool Jimmie Johnson, the teen sensation Joey Logano, the fiery Tony Stewart, or the sunny Marcos Ambrose. You're entitled to wonder why a guy who's one only two races while his teammate has won four championships in the same time span enjoys such massive adoration. I am simply submitting there's much more to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s popularity than his name. It's a part of it, but it's not all of it. You're entitled to like who you want. So is Junior Nation. You may think he's unworthy of the loyalty, and that's your opinion. I'm just saying it's high time to let Junior fans have their opinion, and recognize the driver's popularity is more than just about his name. If you do think that way, then I'd suggest you don't know too many Earnhardt Jr. fans. NASCAR Fans Stand By Their Man By Larry Woody | Senior Writer Having covered football for 40 some-odd years (some odder than others) I know I shouldn't be shocked nor surprised by the boorish behavior of a sizable segment of fans. But I am. I'll never get used to adults – using the term loosely – savaging some kid like University of Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton for playing a game poorly. On the professional level it's amazing how quickly fickle fans – "fanatics" indeed – turn on a player. One bad snap can turn cheers to jeers. I remember the advice of my wise old sports editor many years ago: "Remember, it's only a game." Football fans could take a lesson in perspective from NASCAR fans. No matter how badly things go, they tend to stand by their man. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a classic case in point. Last week he won his seventh consecutive Most Popular Driver Award. He won it after struggling through a nightmare season, winless and never in championship contention. It was a miserable year for Junior, and magnifying his misery was the fact that his three Hendrick Motorsports teammates all had super seasons. Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon finished 1-2-3 in the standings while Junior was buried in 25th. But the legions of Earnhardt fans never turned on their driver despite the failure and frustration. At every track Junior continued to receive thunderous ovations. Through thick and thin – and it doesn't get much thinner than this season was for him – the fans remained loyal. And it's not out of fidelity to Earnhardt's famous father. They love Junior for Junior. Race fans have a history of sticking by their favorites when they're down on their luck. Darrell Waltrip wobbled through the twilight of a once-dazzling career, struggling to keep pace with a new generation of speedsters. Yet, interestingly, D.W.'s popularity seemed to actually increase during his seasons of struggle. The same applied to Richard Petty, Bill Elliott, Sterling Marlin, Ken Schrader and other fan favorites who maintained their popularity long after they stopped winning. If Dale Jr. were a high-profile quarterback who fumbled away the season the way Earnhardt did this year, it would be ugly. The boo-birds and the bloggers would be merciless. Instead, Junior's fans stand and applaud. Losing hasn't tempered their loyalty. They know that booing him won't make him go faster. They know that their driver feels badly enough already. Making him feel worse won't make them feel better. On the Right Track A NASCAR BLOG BY Jeff Gluck Vanilla drivers can change their ways – just ask Brian Vickers By Jeff Gluck/scenedaily. As you've read in this space before, the belief here is the biggest culprit in NASCAR's declining television ratings is a lack of personality and corresponding story lines to get fans excited and drive interest in the sport. Vickers used to be the perfect example of this, a say-nothing driver who offered to add little color to the sport. It's safe to say he's changed. Jeremy Mayfield filing alleges NASCAR's conduct was intentional and reckless By Bob Pockrass/scenedaily CHARLOTTE – Attorneys for suspended driver Jeremy Mayfield say NASCAR is trying to ignore issues raised by him and is attempting to distort Mayfield's claims in an effort to avoid responsibility for its actions. Mayfield's legal team filed the response late Monday to NASCAR's request that U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen rule in favor of the sanctioning body based on the pleadings already held and without the continuation of an investigation by the attorneys and possibly a trial. "Defendants continue to seek to avoid being held accountable for their intentional, malicious, reckless and grossly negligent conduct with half-truths, willful distortions, and imperial gusto," Mayfield attorney Daniel Marino wrote in the response. Mayfield filed the lawsuit following his suspension for a May 1 drug test that NASCAR says produced a positive result for methamphetamines. Mayfield denies using methamphetamines, claiming the test results were produced by a combination of prescription medicine Adderall for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and over-the-counter allergy medication Claritin-D. He is suing NASCAR and drug-testing laboratory Aegis Sciences Corp. for breach of contract, negligence, defamation, discrimination and unfair and deceptive trade practices. Mayfield's filing argues that he has shown enough evidence to bring these claims: • In response to NASCAR's assertion that he has waived his right to sue because of waivers that are part of the NASCAR-driver agreement, Mayfield stated that those releases don't hold up because this is a case where NASCAR was grossly negligent in conducting its drug-testing policy. While courts have held that the waivers can be applicable when someone is injured while working at the race track, it doesn't hold up in a situation as this, Mayfield argues. "If such a broad release were enforceable, NASCAR … could have intentionally spiked Mr. Mayfield's urine sample, reported a positive test when in fact the test was negative, or announced a positive result without ever even performing a test at all – all without any risk of liability to [Mayfield]," Marino wrote. "Indeed, because the release extends beyond NASCAR and its testing facilities to include 'any other persons or entities against whom I might have a claim,' a third party could break into [Aegis' Dr. David] Black's lab and replace Mr. Mayfield's sample with one known to be positive yet [Mayfield] would have no claim. The law simply does not permit the enforcement of such [releases]." The filing also reiterated the Mayfield contention – denied by NASCAR – that the sanctioning body must follow federal workplace guidelines because Aegis is certified by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. • In its defamation claim, Mayfield disputed the NASCAR assertion that sanctioning body Chairman Brian France had no reason to doubt the test results so his comments when suspending Mayfield cannot be considered defamation. Mayfield alleges that France and Black should have known that the combination of Adderall and Claritin-D could result in a false positive for methamphetamine use. There are "obvious reasons to doubt the accuracy of Mr. Mayfield's test results," Marino wrote, and that "Mr. France's statements were intentional, malicious, reckless and false" and he and Dr. Black "knew or should have known their statements were false." • NASCAR stated in its request that Mayfield is not an employee but an independent contractor and therefore cannot be considered to having been discriminated against for having ADHD. Mayfield stated in the filing Monday that he can be considered an employee in this situation because NASCAR retained the right to control and detail his activities on the race track, had promotional rights to his name, owned the broadcast rights, required where logos were placed and specified media obligations. • Addressing the charge of unfair and deceptive trade practices, Mayfield argued the fact that there is no definitive list of drugs banned by NASCAR as among the reasons its policies are unfair. "Defendants' practices pursuant to their substance abuse policy are one-sided and patently unfair," Marino wrote. "For instance, plaintiffs allege that NASCAR requires drivers to sign an annual license application and driver/owner agreement, both of which contain an agreement to abide by NASCAR's substance abuse policy, in order for an individual to participate and compete in NASCAR-sanctioned races. "But NASCAR's substance-abuse policy fails to specify which drugs are prohibited under the policy, instead simply stating that the substances prohibited are 'those substances that, in NASCAR's determination, may affect adversely the safety and well-being' of all those involved. In fact, NASCAR may determine that a particular substance is prohibited after discovery of the substance following a drug test." Both sides get to file responses one more time before the judge considers the motion to dismiss Mayfield's case. Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain, Your Nascar Momma Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." -Dale Earnhardt - 1998 |
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