RacewayReport.com: Dale Earnhardt Jr. To Reach Make-A-Wish Milestone

[Gilbert Sam, Jr.]

Try Raceway Report Fanzone: NASCAR fan community featuring photos,
blogs, forums, NASCAR newswire, race weekend events and more!
http://www.racewayreport.com/fanzone

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Dale Earnhardt Jr. To Reach Make-A-Wish Milestone: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
began his relationship with Make-A-Wish Foundation in 1999 as a driver
in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Now more than 10 years later, the
seven-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver is closing in on his 200th wish
granted, a milestone shared only by a handful of America's top
athletes. Earnhardt Jr. will facilitate No. 200 at Charlotte Motor
Speedway during Sprint All-Star Race weekend. "To meet these kids and
families is a privilege," Earnhardt Jr. said. "A lot of times the Make-
A-Wish meeting is the best part of the whole weekend. It's amazing
that when you talk to the kids and learn about their lives, you learn
a lot about yourself as well." To commemorate Earnhardt Jr.'s 200th
wish milestone, AMP Energy and the National Guard have donated the
hood of the No. 88 Chevy to The Dale Jr. Foundation for the Sprint All-
Star race on May 22. The predominantly black paint scheme was designed
by Earnhardt Jr., and it prominently features the logo of The Dale Jr.
Foundation. "I want to thank AMP Energy and the National Guard for
donating the hood of the car," Earnhardt Jr. said. "It's their
advertising space, they pay for it, and for the second year in a row
they were gracious enough to give us prime location on the car and
help bring exposure to my foundation and the charities we support,
like Make-A-Wish. I think the fans will embrace the paint scheme and
help us continue to grant wishes for kids dealing with these medical
setbacks, whether it's sending them to Hawaii, hiking the Grand
Canyon, or getting a computer to stay connected with their friends.
Whatever they want, they should get." In conjunction with the All-Star
paint scheme, TDJF is ramping up fundraising initiatives and calling
on fans to raise awareness and money for Make-A-Wish Foundation.(JR
Motorsports)
http://www.racewayreport.com/dalejr

Darlington Raceway to pump $54 million into South Carolina economy:
The Darlington Raceway and businesses close to the track are getting
ready to welcome thousands of race fans to the Pee Dee over Mother�s
Day weekend. On Tuesday, track employees were busy getting everything
ready for the Southern 500 on Saturday night. Workers could be seen
moving fences, coating facilities with fresh paint and getting
concession stands in order. While workers were making final
preparations inside of the track, a handful of vendors were setting up
shop around the perimeter of the Darlington Raceway. �I�m hoping it�s
real busy,� said Vickey Long, who has worked the NASCAR circuit for
eight years. �You meet a lot of interesting people.� Officials at
Darlington say they expect the surrounding area and the track to get
busier as Saturday approaches. It�s an event they have planned for all
year. �[We] kind of kicked into high gear. For the past couple of
weeks, we�ve been selling a lot of tickets and we have a lot of people
moving in and getting ready for the Showtime Southern 500,� said Jacob
Harris, spokesman for the Darlington Raceway. �It�s an atmosphere you
can�t beat. It�s a night race and we�ve got a great weather forecast
for the weekend.� That great forecast is what some hope will bring
droves of people out to the track to spend money. The annual race at
Darlington is estimated to pump more than $54 million into the state�s
economy, most of which circulates around the Pee Dee region. (WMBF)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/darlington.html

Jeff Burton: Darlington has most historic meaning of anywhere we go:
Jeff Burton on Darlington: “With no disrespect to any other race
track, Daytona is the centerpiece of our sport but, Darlington, to me,
has the most historic meaning of anywhere we go. Darlington has
changed. It is not the way it was 40 years ago, but, it is the way it
was 30 years ago. It still has that character. There are no fluke
winners at Darlington. It requires you as a driver to push hard, but
penalizes you when you push too hard. You have to be precise. It is a
track that people that like to drive race cars like to go to. Some of
the race tracks we race on, you are a rider more than a driver. This
is the type of place where you can make a difference in the car. When
I go there, I look at it as a huge challenge because I know that if I
operate at 100 percent of my capability and my car’s capability, we’ll
get the best finish we can. If I am at 97 percent, then we’re not.
That extra three percent at Darlington gets you something. It did for
Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty and Bobby Allison. It is the same race
track. I know the suites are cool, but, to me, going there is like
stepping back in time and you don’t have all that there. It is just a
race track that was built around a pond that is the same way it was
then. I think that has some special meaning to it.” (Press Release)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/darlington.html

Johnson visits GM Plant for 75th anniversary of Suburban: The
Chevrolet Suburban, now made only at General Motors' Arlington
assembly plant, had its 75th anniversary celebrated Monday as the
longest continuously produced vehicle in the U.S. Unveiled as the
Suburban Carryall, it could seat eight people comfortably and offered
whitewall tires, a radio and a heater as options. Unlike other 1930s
cars that had wooden sides and canvas tops, the early Suburban was
designed as a more durable truck-type vehicle with an all-steel body.
GM officials at the Arlington plant showcased one of the first
Suburbans ever produced -- a yellow 1936 model with large round
headlights and a spare tire on each side. The interior featured a big
steering wheel and spacious tan and dark brown vinyl seats that could
be removed for extra space. GM on Monday also debuted the 75th
anniversary Diamond Edition Suburban, which will be available this
summer. Only 2,750 will be made. NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson, who races in
Chevy cars, drove one of the limited-edition Suburbans on Monday and
later signed some autographs for several plant employees.(Ft. Worth
Star-Telegram)
http://www.racewayreport.com/jimmiejohnson

Documentary showcases storied history of Darlington Raceway: Bobby
Schuster thought it was time for a documentary to be made about
Darlington Raceway. So, the Florence native pitched the story six
years ago to ETV producer/director Don Godish after the two worked
together on the ETV Road Show. After a couple of setbacks, financing
was secured and filming started two years ago. The finished product,
�The Lady in Black� will air Thursday at 9 p.m., on ETV as part of the
channel�s Carolina Stories series. �This is out-of-the-box thinking
for public television. This isn�t a typical public television show,�
said Schuster, a West Florence graduate. �I think people are really
going to like it.� The 56-minute documentary has old race footage and
features some of the drivers and personalities who have been a part of
the track�s history during the last 60 years. (Morning News)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/darlington.html

Front Row Motorsports to partner with Rainier Ice: Beginning this
weekend, Front Row Motorsports and race fans across the country will
learn a little more about the Pacific Northwest's best-kept secret.
The Stratford Bottling Company, with its bottled water brand Rainier
Ice, is the newest partner of the team and drivers Travis Kvapil and
David Gilliland. The Yakima, Washington-based company will provide its
premium all-natural artesian water to the team for the rest of the
2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The Rainier Ice logo will be featured
on both the No. 34 A&W All American Food/Long John Silver's Ford
driven by Kvapil and the No. 37/38 Taco Bell Ford driven by David
Gilliland. Both drivers will also feature the logo on their uniforms.
(Breaking Limits PR)
http://www.racewayreport.com/news/front_row_motorsports.html

Follow Raceway Report on Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/racewayreport

--
----
Visit http://www.racewayreport daily for the most NASCAR stories that
you want to see... Including, NASCAR blog and video links

To Unsubscribe from Newsletter please visit:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/NASCAR-News-rumors and press
unsubscribe button