Montoya forgives teammate McMurray after incident
Gilbert Sam, Jr.
http://www.racewayreport.com
NEXT RACE PREVIEW: Preview the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup's Kobalt
Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway race preview.. Find practice
speeds, starting grid, past winners, race information, weather
forecast and more.
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Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Valvoline to sponsor Kenseth in three races: Roush Fenway Racing
announced that Valvoline, the leading innovator and supplier of
quality, high-performing automotive products, will sponsor the No. 17
entry and driver Matt Kenseth for three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races
during the 2010 season. The No. 17 Valvoline Ford Fusion will debut
this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway and then will also serve as the
primary sponsor for April's Talladega race weekend as well as the
November Cup Series race in Phoenix. Valvoline first teamed up with
Roush Fenway Racing in 1990, and together the duo has brought home 44
wins in the Sprint Cup series. Valvoline is the official motor oil at
Roush Fenway Racing, and has been providing Americans with the best
motor oil and automotive products longer than any other motor oil
company.(RFR)
http://www.racewayreport.com/drivers/news/matt_kenseth.html
Arizona Gov. gets revved up about NASCAR: Gov. Jan Brewer revved up
the executive engines and issued a proclamation naming March 1 as Jeff
Gordon Day, in honor of the race-car driver. She also let it slip that
she will be driving the pace car when NASCAR comes to Phoenix
International Raceway next month. "I got the keys from Jeff Gordon,"
she confirmed, although she added that she had to trade them in - at
least for now - for a cardboard copy. But come April 10, Brewer vowed
she will be using the real keys on the pace car. (The Arizona
Republic)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/phoenix.html
Bill Elliott to compete in Thunder Roadster: NASCAR legend Bill
Elliott will compete in a Thunder Roadsters race on Atlanta Motor
Speedway's quarter-mile "Thunder Ring" following Saturday's E-Z-GO 200
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Elliott, who will also compete
in Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 [in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing
Motorcraft Ford] and has five-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins in
Atlanta, previously won his only appearance on the "Thunder Ring" in a
Thunder Roadster. The Legends races will immediately follow the
conclusion of the E-Z-GO 200 scheduled for 2:00pm/et. In addition to
Elliott, three-time Thursday Thunder champion and current ARCA
competitor Casey Roderick will compete against Elliott in the event.
Roderick currently competes for the Bill Elliott Racing Team. Roderick
will compete in a Roadster owned and usually driven by Atlanta Motor
Speedway president Ed Clark.(AMS PR)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/misc.html
Montoya forgives teammate McMurray after incident: Juan Pablo Montoya
says he has accepted teammate Jamie McMurray's apology for the wreck
that collected both last weekend and that he told McMurray, "Let's
move forward." The two crashed while running side-by-side at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway. Montoya blamed McMurray, his new teammate at Earnhardt
Ganassi Racing, for the incident and was on the radio criticizing
McMurray's driving to his crew. Montoya also was critical of McMurray
in an interview with Fox during the race broadcast. Montoya, according
to a story at autosport.com, said he and McMurray traded text messages
after the race. McMurray texted Montoya: "Hey I'm sorry, I'm sure
you're mad at me. You want me to call you and talk through things?"
Montoya said he replied: "Don't worry. It happened. Yes, I was real
mad, but let's move forward." (The Virginian Pilot)
http://www.racewayreport.com/egr
TaxSlayer to serve as primary sponsor for Bobby Labonte at AMS: As tax
season gets into full swing, TaxSlayer.com has decided to add the
Kobalt Tools 500 to its list of primary sponsorship races for the No.
71 TRG Motorsports team and NASCAR Champion Bobby Labonte, who returns
to Atlanta Motor Speedway as the track's most winning active driver.
TaxSlayer.com made its debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series last year
at Watkins Glen International Raceway and served as the primary
sponsor of the No. 71 a total of six times in 2009 before signing on
for a multi-race sponsorship in 2010. Jimmy Rhodes, President of
TaxSlayer.com, has seen a tremendous upswing in the company's business
since joining the ranks of NASCAR sponsors. "We've seen that the power
of sponsorship really does work since we've joined forces with TRG as
the primary sponsor on the No. 71," Rhodes said. "This is always our
busiest time of year, but we're really seeing a return on our
investment in the sport and believe that adding the Atlanta race to
our primary sponsorship schedule can only serve to grow our business
further."(TRG Motorsports)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/trg_motorsports.html
Kulwicki, Squier part of �10 class to be inducted in MHOF: Racing
luminaries Dale Armstrong, Joie Chitwood, Alan Kulwicki, Jeremy
McGrath, Ken Squier, Jerry Titus and Rich Vogler will be inducted into
the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America when the organization stages
its annual induction ceremony on Aug. 25, 2010 at The Fillmore
Detroit. "The Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2010 features champion
drivers who doubled as an innovative crew chief, a showman and stunt
man, a race team owner and a magazine editor. Joining them are an all-
time win leader in sprint cars and midgets, a ground breaking
broadcaster and a legendary Supercross rider whose nickname was …
Showtime. Their exploits on and around the race tracks of America make
them true hall of famers," said Ron Watson, president of the Hall of
Fame. (NASCAR.com)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/misc.html
Bristol Motor Speedway President takes leave of absence: Bristol Motor
Speedway president Jeff Byrd has taken a leave of absence from the
Tennessee track because of an undisclosed illness, track officials
announced Tuesday. Byrd, a former journalist who later worked for the
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. in promotions before joining the speedway,
won’t be involved in Food City 500 weekend activities this month as he
undergoes tests and treatment. “I fully intend to be back on the job
as soon as the doctors say it is OK,” Byrd said in a statement
released by the track. “I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers
and will miss being at the track for the Food City 500 weekend. I have
said for years I have the best team in motorsports, and things are in
good hands.” (Speedtv.com)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/bristol.html
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