New Hampshire Motor Speedway wants casino
Gilbert Sam, Jr.
http://www.racewayreport.com
Friday, March 5, 2010
New Hampshire Motor Speedway wants casino: The New Hampshire Motor
Speedway wants to build a casino, a hotel and a racing museum on its
Loudon track site. But the plans are contingent on the state
legalizing expanded gambling this year, something that’s far from
certain. The speedway added its voice to the Legislature’s gambling
debate yesterday, during a Senate hearing on a bill that would allow
slot machines and table games at six sites across the state. The news
surprised many people, including Loudon town officials, other gambling
advocates and casino opponents. But the entry of such a well-known -
and well-funded - organization to the discussion could significantly
shift the terms of the debate. “What we’re basically saying is, we
want a seat at the table because we know we could do a good job and be
a responsible partner with the state on this,” said Jerry Gappens,
general manager and executive vice president of New Hampshire Motor
Speedway. “We’re the largest sports and entertainment facility in all
of New England. We’ve got a great infrastructure here. And (gambling)
would just complement what we already do.”(Concord Monitor)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/newhampshire.html
U.S. Census on Biffle's No. 16 at AMS: The U.S. Census Bureau
announced an agreement with Roush Fenway Racing to serve as the
primary sponsor of the No. 16 Ford Fusion driven by Greg Biffle for
three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. The agreement will see the No.
16 carry a special 2010 Census livery in Sprint Cup Races at Atlanta
Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 7, Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday,
March 21, and Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, March 28. To increase
awareness and encourage participation in the upcoming 2010 Census, the
three-race sponsorship schedule lines up with key census mail-out and
mail-back dates. The 2010 Census No. 16 Ford Fusion will feature the
familiar Post-It Brand notes of primary sponsor 3M carrying both the
2010 Census logo and "Mail It Back" on the hood, rear quarter panels
and rear bumper. In addition, Director Groves will visit Atlanta Motor
Speedway this coming weekend for the Kobalt Tools 500. Biffle recently
filmed a racing-themed 2010 Census Public Service Announcement that
can be viewed online atmediadownload.census.gov/content/greg-biffle.
For more information on the 2010 Census visit2010census.gov.(RFR)
http://www.racewayreport.com/drivers/news/greg_biffle.html
Company that owns NASCAR simulator files for bankruptcy: The company
that owns NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway at the Mall of America has
filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Interactive
Motorsports and Entertainment Corp., based in Indianapolis, makes and
sells race-car simulators, and its flagship racing-simulation center
is at the Mall of America in Bloomington, where it also sells NASCAR-
branded merchandise. The company, which filed under the name of
subsidiary Perfect Line Inc., listed assets of $500,000 or less and
liabilities between $1 million and $10 million in court documents
filed last Friday. Its largest unsecured debt is $732,452 in unpaid
rent that it owes to the megamall. (Star Tribune)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/nascar.html
Kevin Harvick: tire tests held at wrong time of year: Kevin Harvick
questions the logic of holding a tire test at Atlanta in the
offseason. “In my opinion, they have the tire tests at the wrong time
of the year,” Harvick said. “At those types of race tracks, you need
to have the tire tests when the weather is going to be closer to what
it will actually be for the race. And you need to have it when there
is a bunch of rubber on the race track because they get some false
indications of where the tires need to be because the track is green.
The tires react very differently under those circumstances.”(USA
Today)
http://www.racewayreport.com/drivers/news/kevin_harvick.html
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/tire.html
NASCAR would draw more interest if stock cars were changed to showroom
models: There have been some indications that racing fans might
respond to seeing more of these showroom models on the track. Last
season, a Dodge-sponsored car with a front end modified to look like
that of a stock Challenger ran in a handful of races. �It went viral,�
says Ralph Gilles, the new president of the Dodge brand. �Fans love
that they can recognize the car. They want to root for a Dodge.� Peter
DeLorenzo of the Web site Autoextremist.com suggests that most of
Nascar�s Car of Tomorrow safety features could fairly easily be placed
in a vehicle with the manufacturer�s stock-dimension sheet metal. �It
would make Nascar cool again and give enthusiasts a reason to get
fired up,� he says. Ratings for Nascar�s Sprint Cup Series on ESPN
have dropped to 2.8 in 2009 from 3.8 in 2007, according to Nielsen Co.
In this same time span, Sprint Cup ratings have dropped from 4.7 to
4.3 on broadcast TV. Ratings for the Daytona 500 went up from 10.1 in
2007 to 10.2 in 2008, but dropped to 9.2 in 2009. This year�s race
earned a 7.7. Nascar spokesman Ramsey Poston says the sport continues
to draw 5 to 8 million viewers and 110,00 spectators each week. �These
are numbers just about any sport would like to have,� he says. (Wall
Street Journal)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/tech.html
TNT names Adam Alexander as new play-by-play announcer: TNT announced
that veteran NASCAR broadcaster Adam Alexander will join the network
as its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series play-by-play announcer, calling all
six races of TNT's Summer Series. Alexander will be joined in the
booth by returning analysts Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach. Alexander
will debut during TNT's exclusive coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
racing from Pocono, Pa. on June 6 and will also call races live from
Michigan (June 13), Loudon (June 20) and Sonoma (June 27) and TNT's
primetime Saturday night races in Daytona (July 3) and Chicago (July
10). In addition, Alexander will contribute to NASCAR.COM. In a new
role, TNT announcer Lindsay Czarniak will become the new host for
Countdown to Green, 60 minutes of pre-race coverage that leads into
TNT's green flag racing coverage. In addition, she will host TNT and
NASCAR.COM's post-race coverage, as well as give mid-race updates and
reports. Czarniak will be joined by analysts Larry McReynolds and
Petty.
Beyond Alexander's TNT duties during six weeks of Summer Series
coverage, Alexander also works for SPEED as a reporter for the
network's racing coverage. He has also worked as a play-by-play
announcer on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and as a pit reporter for
its NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series coverage. Alexander began
his career as an announcer for the Tri-State Speedway in Evansville,
Ind. In addition to Czarniak's tenure as a TNT announcer, she also
serves as the full-time sports anchor at NBC's WRC-TV in Washington,
D.C. Prior to that, Czarniak was co-host with George Michael on the
syndicated Sports Machine with George Michael. In 2008, Czarniak was a
studio host for NBC's Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, China, and in
2006, she was a sports desk reporter for the network's Olympic Winter
Games in Turin, Italy. She appeared on various NBC-owned networks.
TNT's NASCAR telecasts will return with popular production features
and enhancements, including TNT RaceBuddy. In addition, the acclaimed
Pride of NASCAR series will continue as TNT profiles six new NASCAR
legends, highlighting the sport's history and history makers. Finally,
TNT's innovative Wide Open Coverage will air for the fourth year
during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing from Daytona. Also returning to
TNT this summer will be pit reporters Ralph Sheheen, Marty Snider and
Matt Yocum. This marks TNT's 27th consecutive year of televising Cup
coverage, making it NASCAR's longest running broadcast partner.(TNT)
http://www.racewayreport.com/tv/news.html
NASCAR Automotive joins Hall of Fame as a sponsor: The NASCAR
Automotive Group has committed to a multi-year agreement to sponsor
the NASCAR Hall of Fame on behalf of its exclusive NASCAR Performance
automotive partners. Through this sponsorship agreement, NASCAR
Performance will integrate its family of automotive brands into an
interactive exhibit area in the Race Week section of the Hall of Fame.
The NASCAR Performance Race Shop is designed to give visitors an
overview of a modern-day race-team shop and a behind-the-scenes look
at what it takes for teams and their automotive engineers and
technicians to prepare a car for the upcoming race weekend.
(NASCAR.com PR)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/sponsor.html
Ryan Newman: Cars will perform better without spoiler: Not only will
the cars look better, but more importantly, they will perform better.
That�s what Ryan Newman said during Wednesday�s weekly NASCAR
teleconference. He said the move will improve racing, especially on
big tracks such as Michigan International Speedway. �The biggest thing
that we�re going to see with this spoiler, this is speculation from my
standpoint, is the way the spoiler is designed, there�s going to be a
lot more surface area of that spoiler on the quarter panels,� Newman
said. �The side drafting on the straightaway is going to be even
bigger than it was with the old style car. I don�t think we have but
50 percent of that side drafting down the straightaway on the current
car with the wing on it. �The fans will see more racing, even on the
straightaways, if that makes sense. You�ll see more side by side, back
and forth, nose to head with the competitor down the straightaways,
which I think will make places like Michigan and California, some of
the tracks that are bigger, notorious for being a little boring
through the middle of the race, more exciting throughout the entire
race.� (Grand Rapids Press)
http://www.racewayreport.com/drivers/news/ryan_newman.html
Charter Air Transport to sponsor Gilliland at Atlanta: Welcoming
sponsorship from Charter Air Transport this weekend, David Gilliland
and the No. 38 Charter Air/Taco Bell Ford team head to Atlanta Motor
Speedway for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500. Charter Air will adorn the
lower hood and upper-rear quarter panels. This will be Charter Air
Transport's second time being a sponsor in the sport. The company is
headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, specializing in 30-passenger turbo
prop planes. They have been a carrier of teams in NASCAR for the past
five years. They also service collegiate athletic teams and business
professionals with their fleet of turbo props and jets. The company
takes pride in being environmentally friendly, with its fleet of
EMB-120 aircraft burning only 150 gallons of fuel an hour. For more
information, visit www.charterairtransport.com (Breaking Limits/FRM
http://www.racewayreport.com/drivers/news/dgilliland.html
NASCAR director of entertainment looking for placement in movies: In
an effort to rev its tie-ins with Hollywood, NASCAR has upped Phil
Metz to serve as the racing org�s director of entertainment marketing
and talent relations. Metz, who has worked at NASCAR since 2003, had
been serving as the company�s entertainment liaison, working closely
with celebs such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fergie, LeAnn Rimes,
Adam Sandler, Ashton Kutcher and Quentin Tarantino to up the org�s
appeal with new and existing racing fans. He will integrate NASCAR�s
marketing and entertainment teams to look for new opportunities, like
prime placement in movies such as Sony�s laffer �Talladega Nights: The
Ballad of Ricky Bobby,� TV shows and events. Metz also will continue
to manage NASCAR�s music program and the org�s relationship with Motor
Music, a joint venture between Cherry Lane Music Publishing and
Nascar. (Variety)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/nascar.html
Lance on Ambrose's No. 47 at Atlanta: Lance, Inc. has a longstanding
history in racing and this season they will have major presence in the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Lance partnered with JTG Daugherty Racing
and driver Marcos Ambrose for multiple primary races. Lance fully
brands Ambrose's Toyota Camry for the first time this year at Atlanta
Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 7th for the Kobalt Tools 500. In
addition to sponsoring Ambrose's efforts to capture his first NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series victory, Lance has also partnered with Kids Crooked
House to give one lucky race fan the opportunity to win a customized
racing-theme Kids Crooked House by visiting www.lance.com.(JTG
Daugherty Racing)
http://www.racewayreport.com/drivers/news/marco_ambrose.html
Rahal is focused on Indy cars: Graham Rahal figures by the time the
IZOD IndyCar Series begins March 14 in Brazil, he will have
essentially earned an advanced degree in marketing and promotion. What
the 21-year-old really wants, however, is a job behind the wheel of a
race car -- preferably a car without fenders. "I know there have been
a lot of NASCAR rumors, but right now my focus is 100 percent on being
in the IndyCar Series,'' Rahal told FanHouse this weekend. "I'm not
just an IndyCar driver, but very much a fan of the sport and to make a
big switch like that takes time to consider. As of this second,
everything I have going is for IndyCar.'' So instead of joining Danica
Patrick in the stock car ranks -- even as a part-time gig -- Rahal has
been visiting America's corporate boardrooms hoping to attract
financial backing for the 2010 IndyCar season. The timing, however,
couldn't be worse.(FanHouse)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/misc.html
Johnson's moonshine still is going into NASCAR HoF: Inaugural Inductee
Junior Johnson revealed a unique contribution to the NASCAR Hall of
Fame, the 150,000-square-foot interactive, entertainment attraction
set to open May 11, 2010 in Charlotte, N.C. Johnson, almost as famous
for running moonshine as his racing career, is providing the NASCAR
Hall of Fame a full-size, authentic moonshine still to be displayed in
the pre-NASCAR Theater of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The still, which
was built by Johnson, is identical to the stills used by Johnson and
his family in years past. Telling these stories has been a massive
undertaking for the NASCAR Hall of Fame exhibit team. Historian Buz
McKim is charged with uncovering hidden treasures of the sport for
display in the facility, which houses more than 40,000 square feet of
exhibits and has more than 50 interactive displays. Even as the
exhibits are being prepared for display, more great stories are being
created. Aside from cars and a transporter, the moonshine still is one
of the largest historic items in the building. It is constructed of
wood, metal and copper and features a cooker, two boilers, a dry
barrel, a flake stand, condenser and strainer. The artifact will be on
display in the Pre-NASCAR Theater, which tells the story of what led
to the formation of NASCAR. It also highlights the history of the
automobile prior to the 1948 inception of NASCAR. The Theater is on
the fourth floor of the facility in Heritage Speedway, the artifact-
rich area of the venue that focuses on the history of the sport. More
info on my NASCAR Hall of Fame page.(NHOF)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/hof.html
Truex's No. 55 crew wins Tissot Pit Road Precision Award: The over-the-
wall crew for Martin Truex Jr. won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award
in Sunday's (Feb. 28) Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Las
Vegas Motor Speedway. Truex's NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, out of the
Michael Waltrip Racing stable, spent the least amount of time on pit
road 207.012 seconds -- during the 267-lap, 400-mile race. Carl
Edwards' No. 99 Ford was second (207.769) and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No.
88 Chevy was third (211.931). Truex's over-the-wall crew consists of:
Cory Quick (front-tire changer), Craig Curione (front-tire carrier),
Shannon Myers (rear-tire changer), Mark Kennerly (rear-tire carrier),
Brian Chase (jackman), Doug Newell (gasman) and Keith Koppenal (catch
can). The team's crew chief is Pat Tryson. The winning pit crew in
each Sprint Cup race will earn $5,000 and a Tissot V8 Quartz
Chronograph watch. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision
Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a
$105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members
and driver.(Tissot)
http://www.racewayreport.com/drivers/news/martin_truex.html
Michael Jordan is a huge NASCAR fan who regularly texts driver: NASCAR
driver Denny Hamlin: �Because I�m a big fan and frequent courtside
supporter of the Charlotte Bobcats, it was a thrill getting to meet
Michael Jordan (on Monday). Jordan said, �Man, I�m a huge NASCAR fan.
I watch every single week. You�ve got to let me know what the inside
track is.� I said, �Man, I don�t know. These things are hard to
predict.� I told him to just bet on Jimmie Johnson every week. We
exchanged information, and the next thing you know, he was texting me
for most of the game from the other side of the court. So it was very,
very cool. He wanted to catch a race soon and hang out with me and the
No. 11 FedEx team, so I suggested the races at Charlotte in May. He
said it sounded good, so maybe we�ll see him then.� (USA Today)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/misc.html
Front Row Racing's cars now being built by RCR: Furniture Row Racing's
technical relationship with Richard Childress Racing is more than just
having use of the #07 owner points for the first five races of the
2010 season. Furniture Row now is getting cars built by RCR and also
has access to RCR data. The technical alliance is similar to the
Stewart-Haas relationship with Hendrick Motorsports, but Furniture Row
still has a contract through the end of this year to lease engines
from Hendrick. "A lot of the initial part of working together is
literally learning how to work together and how we're going to do
that," Furniture Row general manager Joe Garone said. "That's what
we're going through right now." In the past, Furniture Row has gotten
chassis from Laughlin Racing Products/Ortec Racing and still has a
contract with the company for a few more cars. Garone said that the
move to RCR will allow Furniture Row to have a little more control
over the chassis as well as the access to RCR's information. "For us,
as a single-car team, some of the tools that it takes with simulation
programs and chassis measurement and having control of your tolerances
for your modeling simulation is very difficult when you're not
building your own chassis," Garone said. "Being on their chassis gets
us on the same page, and it also gives them another person that's on
their chassis that is sharing information back to them through all the
different facets of testing and simulation." The team will continue to
use its own pit crew. The Furniture Row pit crew is the same pit crew
that does Kevin Harvick Inc.'s Nationwide Series car.(SceneDaily)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/front_row_motorsports.html
Kurt Busch helps sell hot dogs, onion rings and frosted orange drinks
at Atlanta-area restaurant: The first time Kurt Busch yelled �What�ll
ya have!� at The Varsity, it wasn�t convincing. But it didn�t take him
long to get the fast-paced swing of downtown Atlanta�s most famous
eatery. In a matter of minutes, Busch was working at the same frantic
speed as everyone else behind the counter, yelling the restaurant�s
famous greeting, pushing hot dogs, onion rings and frosted orange
drinks to hundreds of waiting customers. On a normal day, The Varsity
sells more than 10,000 hot dogs, a ton of onion rings and another ton
of french fries. Busch got a small taste of Atlanta�s busiest lunch
rush by only working a few minutes. But if things go as planned, he
may have helped sell a few thousand race tickets in the process. The
appearance was part of NASCAR�s Winner�s Circle Program. Race winners
from a year ago are used in promotions to help generate awareness -
and sales - for an upcoming race. Busch was in Atlanta three weeks
before Sunday�s Kobalt Tools 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. He
spent six hours doing interviews, meeting fans and selling hot dogs.
(Savannah Morning News)
http://www.racewayreport.com/drivers/news/kurt_busch.html