Early results, Furniture Row Racing is reaping benefits from RCR alliance
Gilbert Sam, Jr.
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Thursday, March 11, 2010
Early results, Furniture Row Racing is reaping benefits from RCR
alliance: Joe Garone, general manager of Furniture Row Racing, said
the team's new technical and engineering alliance with Richard
Childress Racing (RCR) has already had a positive impact. "It's been
approximately six weeks since we formed an alliance with RCR, and we
can already feel a special synergy between the two organizations,"
said Garone. "We're being treated as a teammate of RCR's multicar
operation, and it's exciting to be aligned with one of the elite
NASCAR Sprint Cup organizations. With the data sharing process going
both ways, it will no doubt be a valuable asset for Furniture Row
Racing and RCR." Garone added that as the alliance with RCR moves
forward, the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevy, driven by Regan Smith, will
be under the same chassis program as the three RCR teams of Kevin
Harvick's No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, Jeff Burton's No. 31
Caterpillar Chevrolet and Clint Bowyer's No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger
Helper Chevrolet. Garone also wanted to clear up any confusion about
Furniture Row's engine program. "We are again running Hendrick
engines," Garone said. "This is our third full season of having
Hendrick horsepower under the hood of the Furniture Row Chevy." Garone
said he is upbeat about the No. 78 team's performance. After suffering
an early accident and a 39th-place finish at the season opening
Daytona 500, Smith and the Furniture Row team have rebounded with
finishes of 19th in California, 21st in Las Vegas and 14th in Atlanta.
Smith is 26th in driver points. "We made a number of personnel moves
during the off-season, and you can sense that we have a special team
chemistry," said Garone. "We still have a ways to go, but the key
right now is that we're heading in the right direction." The three RCR
Cup teams are off to an incredible start. Harvick is first in driver
points, Bowyer is fifth and Burton is sixth. "Looking at the current
standings, it's obvious that we find ourselves in a great position,"
stated Garone. "It's an exciting time at Furniture Row Racing." (PR)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/furtniture_row_racing.html
Sprint Pit Crew Challenge tickets go on sale March 13: Tickets for the
2010 NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman,
featuring a fan-friendly, pit-crew competition between the top-24
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pit crews, are on sale March 13. Tickets
start at $15 and can be purchased online at www.pitcrewchallenge.com
or by calling the Time Warner Cable Arena box office at (800)
495-2295. The NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge is scheduled for
Wednesday, May 19 at 7 p.m. ET at Time Warner Cable Arena and will air
on SPEED at 9 p.m. that evening. Now in its sixth year, the
competition precedes NASCAR Rev’d Up, a NASCAR-themed festival held in
Charlotte, N.C. on May 20, and is a signature lead-in event to the
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Saturday, May 22 at Charlotte Motor
Speedway. “The NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman
has become an extremely popular and competitive event for our teams
and for our fans,” said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition
for NASCAR. “It provides the unsung heroes of our sport – the pit crew
teams –the opportunity to showcase their skills in a unique setting at
Time Warner Cable Arena and is the perfect lead-in to the NASCAR
Sprint All-Star Race.” To qualify for the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew
Challenge, teams must be eligible for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
or be the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge Champion. NASCAR
Sprint All-Star Race eligibility includes all NASCAR Sprint Cup race
winners from 2009 and 2010, NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race winners from
the past 10 years and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champions from the past
10 years who are active drivers and have competed in at least one
series event during the 2009 or 2010 season. Remaining unfilled
positions will become available to the car owners ranked highest in
the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner points standings as of May 17.
The following teams are currently eligible: No. 00 Aaron’s Dream
Machine Toyota, No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, No. 2 Miller Lite
Dodge, No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, No. 9 Budweiser Ford, No. 11 FedEx
Toyota, No. 12 Penske Dodge, No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet, No. 17
Crown Royal Ford, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, No.
24 DuPont Chevrolet, No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet, No. 31
Caterpillar Chevrolet, No. 39 US Army Chevrolet, No. 48 Lowe’s
Chevrolet, No. 71 Taxslayer.com Chevrolet, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, and
No. 88 National Guard/AMP Chevrolet. (PR)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/lowes.html
Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch to speak to fans at Talladega test: Kurt Busch
and Jeff Burton will take time during their lunch break to speak to
race fans during the March 16 test session at Talladega Superspeedway.
Joining the drivers will be NASCAR Managing Director of Competition,
John Darby. "Kurt and Jeff are two veterans of the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series," said Talladega Superspeedway Chairman Grant Lynch. "They
will be able to give the fans a clear picture of what to expect when
the cars hit the track during the Aaron's Dream Weekend, April 23-25.
John's perspective will be a little different because he can talk
about the changes NASCAR is making during the test and how they hope
it will affect the cars. It will be interesting to hear what they
have to say about NASCAR's Most Competitive Track. You don't want to
miss this." The test will give fans their first glimpse of NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series cars circling the track using the new spoiler while
NASCAR confirms the restrictor plate size and gear ratio for the
Aaron's 499 race on April 25. It will also give fans the opportunity
to experience the renovated frontstretch grandstands. The renovated
sections feature new 21-inch seats with armrests and cupholders. They
replaced the old 17-inch seats while seat aisles were widened to 48
inches from 36. Tickets in the grandstands start at just $60 for the
April 25 Aaron's 499. Parking lots open at 8:30 with the test
officially kicking off at 9 am. The event is free to the public and
food and beverages will be permitted. (Standard admission rules apply
– No glass containers, only soft-sided coolers permitted and coolers
must meet size requirement: 6"x6"x12" or smaller). (PR)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/talladega.html
U.S. Census defends NASCAR sponsorship: The U.S. Census is using
sports to try to get the word out that people need to mail in their
forms that will arrive in 120 million households next week. Its Super
Bowl ad was lambasted for costing $2.5 million and not being to the
point and others are now surprised that the Census has signed a $1.2
million deal to be on Greg Biffle�s car for three weeks, beginning
this past Sunday. The bashing comes from people who don�t seem to
understand why the government agency, which happens to have a $14
billion budget, has to advertise. �We are facing a three-decade
decline in mail response forms for the Census,� said Census spokesman
Stephen Buckner. �And what that means is money. For every one
percentage point that the Census can increase mail response rates, we
save taxpayers $85 million not having to send somebody out to knock on
your door.� As for that Biffle sponsorship, Buckner says the Census is
spending roughly 1.6 cents per NASCAR race to get the word out on his
car.(CNBC/Darren Rovell)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/fsponsorship.html
NASCAR Day to highlight community service: The NASCAR Foundation
announced Wednesday five community service projects that will take
place across the country during NASCAR Day on May 21. NASCAR Day is an
annual charitable celebration of the NASCAR spirit that enables fans
and corporate partners to join together to make a difference in the
lives of children. Since it began in 2004, NASCAR Day has raised
nearly $8 million for charity. This year marks the first time that the
Foundation has taken on multiple national service projects of this
magnitude, creating awareness for children's causes through the NASCAR
Day platform. Fans can help support these initiatives by making a $5
donation for the 2010 NASCAR Day collectible lapel pin or by
registering to volunteer at one of the service projects.
Details of "The Big Five" projects:
• Atlanta, Ga. -- Aflac and The NASCAR Foundation have partnered to
renovate a room at the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service
of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. The renovation includes a face-
lift with a racing theme. Recognized as one of the top childhood
cancer centers in the country by U.S. News & World Report, the Aflac
Cancer Center treats more than 370 new cancer patients each year and
follows more than 2,500 patients with sickle cell disease, hemophilia
and other blood disorders.
• Daytona Beach, Fla. -- Bank of America and The NASCAR Foundation
will work together in Daytona to raise awareness for the critical role
math and science play in the sport of NASCAR by bringing more than 100
middle school students to Daytona International Speedway. The event is
part of the "Students at the Speedway" program, the bank's signature
program designed to showcase NASCAR as a strong career path for
students who are eager to learn in the areas of math, science and
technology.
• Fontana, Calif. -- The NASCAR Foundation has partnered with Auto
Club Speedway to host a youth initiative at the track.
• Kansas City, Mo. -- With the help of Sprint and volunteers, The
NASCAR Foundation will build a brand new playground at the Ronald
McDonald House of Kansas City. The playground will be dedicated in
memory of Tom Murphy, a former Sprint executive and NASCAR Foundation
board member who passed away last year.
• Charlotte, N.C. -- A community service project at A Place for Hope.
APFH is committed to providing material resources, hands-on
educational training and job development programs for the residents of
Blackmon Road. The Blackmon Road Community is one of the poorest
communities in South Carolina. The residents of Blackmon Road live
without indoor plumbing, trash pick-up, paved roads or street lights.
In addition to the five service projects, the contributions raised
through NASCAR Day will help a variety of other organizations with an
emphasis on children's health and education. One lucky fan will also
win a trip to the Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas
including airfare, hotel and two tickets to the ceremony through the
NASCAR Day Sweepstakes.(NASCAR PR)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/nascar.html
Jason Witten named honorary starter for Food City 500 at Bristol:
Dallas Cowboy standout Jason Witten has been named the Honorary
Starter for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway Sunday, March
21, 2010. The 6-foot-5, 263-pound Witten, a six-time Pro Bowl
selection at tight end, is originally from Elizabethton, Tenn., just
15 minutes away from the World’s Fastest Half-Mile. Witten, always
excited about making a trip home, is looking forward to taking part in
the Food City 500. “This is really going to be so much fun; I’m really
excited about it,” said Witten. “It’s great to be coming home and I
really can’t wait to get out to the Speedway. The races in Bristol
have always been a big deal and now for me to be able to go back there
and be asked to wave the green flag for the Food City 500, that really
means a lot.” The 27-year-old Witten was a standout at Elizabethton
High School and was the USA Today Player of the Year in Tennessee in
2000 before signing with the University of Tennessee where he starred
for three years. In 2001, Witten was drafted in the third round by the
Dallas Cowboys and became an instant star. One of the premier tight
ends in the NFL, Witten finished the 2009 season with 94 catches and
1,030 yards. (BMS PR)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/bristol.html
Speedway Motorsports Inc. shares sink after 4Q earning results: While
NASCAR fans might enjoy reduced ticket prices, recession specials are
weighing on the top and bottom lines for Speedway Motorsports. On
Wednesday the Concord, N.C.-based speedway owner and operator said it
lost $15.2 million, or 36 cents per share, in the fourth quarter of
2009, compared to a loss of $4.9 million, or 11 cents per share in the
year-ago quarter. Sales for the period ending Dec. 31 dropped 30.7% to
$90.5 million, down from $130.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2008.
According to the company, sales were impacted by the scheduling change
of the Atlanta Motor Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, which took
place in the fourth quarter in 2008 but in the third quarter of 2009.
But it wasn't just the scheduling changes that lead to Speedway's
wider losses. The company cited reduced admission revenues resulting
from special promotions and a decline in consumer and corporate
spending as other culprits for its rocky quarter. (Forbes)
http://www.racewayreport.com/track/news.html
Jack Roush's statement regarding Carl Edwards' penalty: �We are
satisfied that NASCAR fairly considered all the circumstances in its
decision to discipline Carl (Edwards). We look forward to meeting with
NASCAR, Roger (Penske) and Brad (Keselowski) in Bristol next weekend
and it is our hope to put this behind us at that time. Missed in all
of this was a really strong performance by Roush Fenway - and the Ford
teams in general - at Atlanta last weekend and we are eager to
continue to build on that moving forward.� (RFR)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/roush.html
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