SB Nation User Blog: Diecast Dude

Jeff Gordon Race Preview: 2008 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (August 23, 2008)

Diecast Dude — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:06:54 -0000

GORDON HOPES REIGN IN BRISTOL RETURNS TO END DROUGHT

BRISTOL, Tenn. (August 19, 2008) - Five-time Bristol Motor Speedway winner Jeff Gordon won four consecutive Spring races from 1995 to 1998 at the 0.533-mile track, but his last win here occurred in 2002. That victory ended a 31-race winless streak, and a win six years later could end a similar drought.

It has been 28 races since Gordon last visited Victory Lane -- at Charlotte in 2007.

The 81-time winner is ninth in the point standings, however, and 82 points ahead of 13th with three races remaining before the 12-driver "Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup" field is set. Team DuPont is determined to go "all out" to earn a spot in the "Chase" beginning with Saturday night's Sharpie 500.

"We had a great car at Michigan, but obviously did not get the result we were looking for," said Gordon, who finished 42nd after a cut tire sent the No. 24 car into the turn 2 wall. "We dropped positions in the standings, and now we have to enter the next few races with a different mindset.

"Before, we were in a position where taking risks wasn't an option. We had a pretty comfortable margin on the transfer spot, and we didn't want to jeopardize that. "We're not in that position anymore, so now we must go all out and see where we end up."

Along with his five victories, Gordon has five poles, 12 top-fives and 18 top-10 finishes in 31 starts at the high-banked short track. But the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has yet to finish in the top 10 since changes to the track were introduced before this race last year.

"We haven't been as good here since they re-did the track, but I do like what they've done," said Gordon. "I'm looking forward to the race and I'm confident this DuPont team will perform better.

"Bristol used to be a one-groove race track where it was a little bit of Russian roulette. But now, we've got multiple grooves and I love it. I think the racing is three times better.

"Crashes don't happen as much. You're still going to see them but not as often as you used to. When it was a one-groove track, drivers would get frustrated with the car in front of them and just take them out. And that's not racing, in my opinion - it's more bumper-cars. "Now, we're going to Bristol and we're racing."

And racing for a spot in the "Chase."

David Gilliland Race Preview: 2008 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (August 23, 2008)

Diecast Dude — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:06:59 -0000

DAVID GILLILAND, YATES RACING

No. 38 Ford. Drive one. Ford Fusion

BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

August 23, 2008

Quoting Ford. Drive one. driver David Gilliland on Bristol:

"Bristol is definitely the fastest half-mile track that I've ever had the opportunity to race on, and it is just a lot of fun to go there. Patience is one of the most important keys to racing at Bristol. The race is 500 laps and when you're racing so close to each other, there is always a lot of give and take that needs to happen. We ran really well at Bristol for the June race and finished ninth because we had a great car. We're taking the same car back this weekend, so we're excited about that and feel like we can definitely be a little bit better than our first visit here this season. I'm thrilled about driving the Ford. Drive one. car at Bristol this weekend. After going to Ford World Headquarters a couple of months ago, it's an honor to be able to run this paint scheme to help promote the sales efforts for Ford."

Quoting Ford. Drive one. crew chief Cully Barraclough on Bristol:

"We had an extremely good finish when we came to Bristol earlier this season and we're actually bringing that same car from the March race back this weekend for the Sharpie 500. David (Gilliland) really enjoys short track racing so our Ford. Drive one. team is really looking forward to this weekend's race. The goal of Bristol racing is to qualify well since track position is so important, as well as keeping yourself out of trouble all race long. This will be our second visit to Bristol this season and we've found that returning to these tracks gives us a lot of confidence when you have a chance to review notes and build upon what our team learned the first time around."

Gilliland's Career Record at Bristol Motor Speedway:

DATE	RACE	ST	FN	STATUS	EARNINGS
8/26/06	Sharpie 500	38	40	Running	$109,758
3/25/07	Food City 500	35	41	Crash	$106,864
8/25/07	Sharpie 500	27	30	Running	$114,789
3/16/08	Food City 500	32	9	Running	$116,083

Starts Wins Poles Top 5 Top 10 Earnings

Career Total: 4 0 0 0 1 $447,494

NOTES OF INTEREST:

Gilliland will sign autographs at the Ford Racing merchandise trailer on Saturday, August 23rd at 4:00pm
Gilliland has an average starting position of 33.0 and an average finish of 30.0 at Bristol
Gilliland has completed 1,397 of 2,010 career laps at Bristol (69.5 percent)
Gilliland's best finish at Bristol is ninth which he obtained in the 2008 Food City 500
Gilliland's best start at Bristol is from 27^th in the 2007 Sharpie 500

CHASSIS #509

Chassis #509 is the chassis the #38 Ford. Drive one. team will be running this weekend for the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. This is the same chassis the team ran earlier this season at Bristol for the Food City 500 and last ran at Dover in June.

Joe Nemechek Race Preview: 2008 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (August 23, 2008)

Diecast Dude — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:07:04 -0000

Nemechek Looking to Crack Bristol Code

DENVER, Colo. (Aug. 19, 2008) -- When it comes to Bristol Motor Speedway, site of Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race, Joe Nemechek has mixed feelings.

The Furniture Row Racing driver enjoys the challenge of Bristol, but hasn't had the good fortune there in 25 career Cup races.

"I love Bristol, but I am wondering if the track has the same feelings for me," said Nemechek. "I've been banged around there pretty good over the years and have had a lot of good runs ruined. But each time I go back to Bristol I get excited and feel this is the time I'm going to crack that jinx."

If Nemechek's No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet Impala SS is going to break the Bristol code, it will first need to adhere to the first two rules of Bristol -- keep all the fenders on the car and stay on the lead lap.

"Staying out of harm's way at Bristol is a tough task," offered Nemechek. "So much luck comes into play to avoid the wrecks. But I must say it is better since the track was repaved last year. There are now two pretty good grooves to race on."

The toughest hit Nemechek took at Bristol was in August 2004. His car was demolished in a Lap 33 of 500 accident.

"That was a brutal hit," recalled Nemechek. "I smacked the wall driver's-side first and it hurt. I am still looking for a little redemption there."

In preparation for the Bristol race, the Denver, Colo-based team conducted a test session last week at Iowa Speedway, a 7/8th-mile oval in Newton, Iowa.

"We feel good about this weekend," offered Nemechek, who has qualified in 11 straight Cup races and 20 of the 23 contested in 2008. "It's a lot of fun being at the track with this team. The enthusiasm and work ethic are just incredible."

Bobby Labonte Race Preview: 2008 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (August 23, 2008)

Diecast Dude — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:07:15 -0000

Quotes from Bobby Labonte:

"We could never beat the track position game at Michigan. Our qualifying draw hurt us because we went out first for our lap and the sun was beating down. Cloud cover rolled in allowed a lot of guys to lay down laps faster than ours. We were happy with our car, but that put us back in the pack and these new cars do not like ‘dirty' air. Jeff (Meendering, crew chief) did another great job with the in-race adjustments to get the car comfortable in ‘dirty' air. He does that as well as anyone."

"It's pretty important for us to qualify up front at Bristol. Hopefully we can have another strong qualifying run because you want a pit stall in the frontstretch. It's a pretty big advantage to pit on the front. You can still have a good finish if you pit on the back, but it's easier to pit on the front. It's something that is unique to Bristol, pit road is pretty different, but that just means qualifying means a whole lot more. The pressure will be on us to get a good qualifying run on Friday."

"The changes to the schedule for 2009 will be a ‘win-win' for everyone involved. The presidents of all three tracks, as well as NASCAR, need to be commended because it took them working together to get this done. The Labor Day race had been a staple of NASCAR going back to the 50's, when it was a southern sport. The fans in the south really embrace that date, so Atlanta makes perfect sense. We get an extra off-weekend in between Bristol and Atlanta. That gives us three weekends where we are very close to home. When you get to the end of our long season little things like that make a huge difference."

Bobby Labonte at Bristol Motor Speedway

* In this race last year Labonte scored his highest finish of the season, which was eighth.
* Labonte has raced at BMS 31 times; he has scored three top-5 and ten top-10 finishes at the track.
* Seven of Labonte's ten top-10s at Bristol have been recorded in the last eight years and all three of his top-5 finishes there have been recorded in the past six years.
* The driver has also started the race within the top-10 on ten occasions. His best qualifying position at the track is third which he has achieved twice, in 1999 and 2006.
* Of a possible 15,352 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway, Labonte has completed 14,443 (94.1%) including 60 laps led. His average start at the track is 18.8 and average finish is 19.2.

Casey Mears Race Preview: 2008 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (August 23, 2008)

Diecast Dude — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:07:24 -0000

PREVIEW: CASEY MEARS (NO. 5 POP-TARTS/CARQUEST CHEVROLET)
VENUE: BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (.533-MILE OVAL)
CIRCUIT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 24 OF 36)
EVENT: AUG. 23, 2008 (500 LAPS, 266.5 MILES)

*****

MEARS AT BRISTOL: Casey Mears, driver of the No. 5 Pop-Tarts/CARQUEST Chevrolet, earned his first top-10 finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in March 2007, during his first season with Hendrick Motorsports. Mears has made 11 total starts at the short track.

CRAZY GOOD: Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's most popular morning food product, will adorn the hood of the No. 5 Chevrolet this Saturday at Bristol. Pop-Tarts also was the co-primary sponsor of the No. 5 Chevy in March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the team finished 13th.

AT BRISTOL: In seven previous NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, crew chief Alan Gustafson has coached the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team to one win, two top-five finishes and four top-10s.

MILESTONE VICTORY: The No. 5 team's Bristol victory, which was recorded March 25, 2007, marked several milestones. It was the first win for NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow, the 200th NASCAR win for Hendrick Motorsports and the 600th for manufacturer Chevrolet.

BRISTOL CHASSIS: Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-414 for Saturday's race at Bristol Motor Speedway. This is the same chassis that the team raced in Bristol's March event. In 2007, Chassis 5-414 also was tested at Atlanta Motor Speedway and The Milwaukee Mile.

HENDRICK AT BRISTOL: The last time a Hendrick Motorsports car failed to produce a top-10 result at Bristol happened on Aug. 26, 2000. At the time, the organization was a three-car team with Gordon, Terry Labonte and Jerry Nadeau. That is a streak of 16 consecutive Bristol races with a Hendrick car in the top 10. Since 1986, when Hendrick became a multi-car team, the organization has recorded a top-10 finish in all but five of the 45 Bristol races. Overall, Hendrick drivers have combined for eight wins, 36 top-five finishes, 66 top-10s and eight pole positions.

RIDE ALONG: The fourth annual Ricky Hendrick Memorial Charity Ride presented by AutoTrader.com will make its way to Lowe's Motor Speedway on Sunday. All event proceeds will benefit the Hendrick Foundation for Children and go toward the Levine Children's Hospital at Carolinas Medical Center. The 48-mile motorcycle ride will depart Knights Stadium in Fort Mill, S.C., at 11:30 a.m. local time (staging will begin at 7:30 a.m.). Cost is $25 per rider, which includes lunch courtesy of Mac's Speedshop, an event t-shirt and a concert by country music artist Blake Wise. For more information about the event, please visit www.hendrickcharityride.com.

*****

FAMILY RACE NIGHT: Casey Mears will be at Food City's Family Race Night on Thursday in downtown Bristol, Tenn. Mears will sign autographs from 6:15-8:15 p.m. local time at the corner of Fifth and State streets.

AUTOGRAPHS: Mears will greet fans and sign autographs at the Kellogg's/CARQUEST souvenir trailer at 4:25 p.m. local time on Saturday.

*****

CASEY MEARS, DRIVER, NO. 5 POP-TARTS/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED BRISTOL NIGHT RACE.): "Bristol is a big race. It doesn't matter if it's the spring race or the night race, it's exciting. I treat every race like it's the same once I get out on the starting grid and into the race car, but there's definitely something about the Bristol night race. Anything can happen."

MEARS (ON WHY THE FANS LOVE BRISTOL.): "How could you not love a night race, first of all? This race, under the lights, is just so much more visually stimulating. There's an excitement level to this track and to this particular race that fans can't find anywhere else. There's a reason why tickets to this race are so hard to come by."

MEARS (ON THE RICKY HENDRICK MEMORIAL CHARITY RIDE.): "It's a great time. Anytime you get a chance to get on your bike and ride with a group is fun, but this deal is just really cool. It's a bunch of people getting together and having fun for a good cause. It's something Ricky would have been really in to."

MEARS (ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH RICKY HENDRICK.): "Ricky was a good, good friend of mine. He is actually one of the first friends I made when I moved to Charlotte. We became this group of guys that really did everything together, and Ricky was the one that held us together. You couldn't spend time with Ricky and not have fun. I still miss him all the time."

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 POP-TARTS/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON WHAT WINNING AT BRISTOL LAST SEASON MEANT TO HIM.): "There are certain racetracks that when you start in this sport, you want to win at. The unique tracks; the tracks that the sport was built on. And Bristol is definitely one of those tracks. Great drivers have won there and dominated there. It's fiercely competitive. There is so much action and so much that could happen. You have to be nearly perfect throughout the 500 laps. And we were able to do that. It's an accomplishment that I won't forget, and I don't think any of the other guys on this team will either."

GUSTAFSON (ON THE EFFECT OF THE TEAM'S VISIT TO VICTORY JUNCTION GANG CAMP LAST WEEK.): "I think anytime you can get the whole team together doing something fun and something completely away from the racetrack, it's a good, good thing. But above that, we were able to go to the camp, help them out, and interact with the kids. Victory Junction Gang Camp embodies the human spirit and all of the good things about it. It's really one of the great things this sport has going for it. I was incredibly impressed and moved by the experience."

GUSTAFSON (ON WHY THE FANS LOVE BRISTOL.): "I think the excitement of the race probably tops the list. But it's also the close proximity to the cars. The way the grandstands are built, it almost seems like the fans are sitting right on top of the track. They can't help but feel like they are actually a part of the race. It's a crazy atmosphere, and there are times when the crowd is louder than the cars, which is pretty impressive there. It's full of energy and constant action. It's a completely unpredictable night."

GUSTAFSON (ON HIS MEMORIES OF RICKY HENDRICK.): "Ricky had all of Mr. (Rick) Hendrick's qualities and values, which is wonderful. He was a happy and positive person. And he had a positive influence on a lot of people's lives. I wish I had known him better, but it really seems like, for the short time he was here, he made everyone's lives a little better."

*****

Casey Mears: http://www.mearsgang.com

Kellogg's Racing: http://www.kelloggsracing.com

Pop-Tarts: http://www.poptarts.com

CARQUEST: http://www.CARQUEST.com

Ricky Hendrick Memorial Charity Ride: http://www.hendrickcharityride.com

*****

Kyle Petty Race Preview: 2008 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (August 23, 2008)

Diecast Dude — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:07:30 -0000

Quotes from Kyle Petty:

"I have to thank Chad McCumbee and Terry Labonte for their efforts in the No. 45 Wells Fargo Dodge over the last several races. They have moved the team up to the 39th position in the owner point's standings and we're in position to move up a few more if we can keep improving. I know it hasn't been easy on the crew. All three of us have different driving styles so they haven't been able to get into much of a rhythm. It's just a testament to how hard this team works."

"This car can still be considered ‘new' at some tracks. We just ran it for the first time at Indy a few weeks ago. When we go to Bristol, though, it's just a racecar. This will be the fourth race for this car here. Everyone has it figured out by now. It does a great job on the short tracks, like Bristol, where you tend to use the ‘bump and run' to pass. The way the bumpers on these cars line up, you can still nudge someone to make the pass, but they don't spin out as often."

"NASCAR did their homework and came up with some great adjustments to the schedule for 2009. Atlanta will pack their stands for Labor Day because Labor Day weekend is an event in the South. Having a restrictor-plate race in ‘The Chase' was already a wild card in determining our champion. But putting Talladega at the first of November could, potentially, cause a big shakeup in the points with only a few races to go. That will be very interesting. And Iowa gets a Nationwide race. I've said all along that the Nationwide Series needs to be able to stand alone. Going to Iowa will help them do that."

Kyle Petty at Bristol Motor Speedway

* In 49 races at the track, Petty has scored two top-5s and nine top-10s.
* His highest finish at BMS is third, which he scored in 1993.
* Petty has two top-five starts and four top-ten starts at BMS
* Labonte also drove for Petty Enterprises in the No. 45 Dodge at Michigan in June.
* Of a possible 24,271 laps at BMS, Petty has completed 19,975 (82.3%).
* Petty is making his first start since the Coca-Cola 600 in May.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Race Preview: 2008 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (August 23, 2008)

Diecast Dude — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:07:40 -0000

PREVIEW: DALE EARNHARDT JR. (NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET)
VENUE: BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (.533-MILE OVAL)
CIRCUIT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 24 OF 36)
DATE: AUG. 23, 2008 (500 LAPS, 266.5 MILES)

*****

AT BRISTOL: In 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has one win, seven top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. He has led 743 laps and made his best start -- from the outside pole position -- on Aug. 24, 2002. He scored the win on Aug. 28, 2004, when he rallied back from starting 30th and led 295 laps on his way to Victory Lane.

TEN MAN: Since that August 2004 win, Earnhardt has recorded six top-10 finishes in the last seven events at Bristol Motor Speedway. Four times during that stretch, Earnhardt posted top-five finishes, including the last two races -- August 2007 and March 2008 -- when he scored fifth-place results.

FOLLOW THE LEADER: Earnhardt, driver of the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, has led at least one lap during 18 of the 23 Sprint Cup events this season. Earnhardt has led a total of 706 laps, which is more than he recorded after 23 races in any of his nine full Cup seasons and more than he recorded during his entire 2000 (426 laps), 2005 (169 laps), 2006 (444 laps) and 2007 (433 laps) campaigns.

HENDRICK AT BRISTOL: The last time a Hendrick Motorsports car failed to produce a top-10 result at Bristol happened on Aug. 26, 2000. At the time, the organization was a three-car team with Gordon, Terry Labonte and Jerry Nadeau. That is a streak of 16 consecutive Bristol races with a Hendrick car in the top 10. Since 1986, when Hendrick became a multi-car team, the organization has recorded a top-10 finish in all but five of the 45 Bristol races. Overall, Hendrick drivers have combined for eight wins, 36 top-five finishes, 66 top-10s and eight pole positions.

REDSKINS VS. PANTHERS: Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley made the trek to Michigan International Speedway in June to spend some time with Earnhardt. The duo became friends two years ago when Cooley visited Lowe's Motor Speedway. The Redskins travel to Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday to play the Carolina Panthers in a preseason matchup. Earnhardt will be competing at Bristol on Saturday night, but he will be waiting to hear how Cooley and his team fare against the Panthers.

BEGINNING TO WRAP: Although the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway isn't until October, Hendrick Motorsports already is assembling the No. 88 Chevy car design, which will hold the names of more than 70,000 Earnhardt fans. The Ride with Dale Jr. paint scheme, which has required more than 100 hours of labor, started with Hendrick Motorsports graphic director Jim Gravlin designing the car and incorporating each of the 70,000-plus names into the artwork. This week, the team will start wrapping the car with a custom-made decal.

BRISTOL CHASSIS: Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and the No. 88 engineers have chosen Chassis No. 88-421 for Saturday night's race at Bristol. Earnhardt has driven Chassis 421 to a pair of top-10 finishes this season -- fifth at Bristol and sixth at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. It was last run at Dover (Del.) International Speedway where Earnhardt was involved in an early race accident.

RIDE ALONG: The fourth annual Ricky Hendrick Memorial Charity Ride presented by AutoTrader.com will make its way to Lowe's Motor Speedway on Sunday. All event proceeds will benefit the Hendrick Foundation for Children and go toward the Levine Children's Hospital at Carolinas Medical Center. The 48-mile motorcycle ride will depart Knights Stadium in Fort Mill, S.C., at 11:30 a.m. local time (staging will begin at 7:30 a.m.). Cost is $25 per rider, which includes lunch courtesy of Mac's Speedshop, an event t-shirt and a concert by country music artist Blake Wise. For more information about the event, please visit www.hendrickcharityride.com.

AVAILABLE ON DVD: Hammerhead Entertainment and Team Marketing have partnered to bring "Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears," the five-episode ESPN sports documentary featuring Earnhardt and his unprecedented move to Hendrick Motorsports, to DVD this fall. Pre-sale orders are being taken now at www.NASCAR.com and www.dalejr.com. The DVD will feature all five episodes, plus never-before-seen bonus footage of commercial shoots, video outtakes and bloopers.

FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY: AMP Energy is introducing its "Dale Jr. Limited Edition Series" cans this summer. There are four cans to collect. One will pay tribute to his five wins at Talladega, while the other three will feature his No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Impala SS, the stripes from his adidas firesuit and the JR Nation logo. For more information, visit www.AMPEnergy.com/limitededitionseries.

SNEAK PEAKS: Fans can visit www.NationalGuardWarrior.com to see behind-the-scenes footage of Kid Rock's new music video "Warrior." The vignettes feature Earnhardt, the No. 88 crew and the National Guard. The full-length "Warrior" video will begin running before movies in select AMC Theatres starting Aug. 21.

*****

DALE EARNHARDT JR., DRIVER OF THE NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD IMPALA SS (ON BRISTOL.): "I'm looking forward to Bristol because I've had some success there, and it's good short track racing. Although I like racing at the Michigans and Atlantas because they are fast and you can choose your groove, I've grown up racing at short tracks and just like them. We did good last time at Bristol so hopefully we can be consistent and finish next weekend out from start to finish."

TONY EURY JR., CREW CHIEF OF THE NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD IMPALA SS (ON BRISTOL.): "It's a lot of fun. It's a fast half-mile, high-banked track. It's probably one of your better short tracks. It's really a lot of fun. I think all the teams like to go there. It's close to home, and it's just got an excitement itself. There's probably 150,000 people there, and you can have a lot of fun -- just the excitement and the people hollering. A lot of people say it takes a lot of luck to do well there. You can be leading a race and something happens, and it's over real quick. It's like a gigantic choo-choo train riding around the track. One car comes loose, and there's a big wreck."

EURY (ON WHY EARNHARDT DOES WELL THERE.): "I think it's just a track that fits his style. It takes a rhythm, and it's fast paced. He's raced there a ton of laps on simulation, and I think it just fits his driving style. We've run good there ever since we were in the Busch (now Nationwide) cars. We've always run really well there. We've won one time, but it just seems like we've had really good cars just not capitalized on them."

EURY (ON WHAT HE LEARNED FROM LAST YEAR'S RACE.): "We didn't really qualify that well last year at Bristol. We were kind of off the pace on the first day, and the second day we kind of got it together and actually ran really well in the race. We're just going to go back, and now that we have a handle on where we need to start, we'll start the weekend out and get us a better qualifying position. During the race we were pretty good. It was just a matter of pit strategy. We lost some track position right there at the end of the race, so we are looking to capitalize on that."

EURY (ON THE TRACK IN AUGUST VERSUS MARCH.): "It will definitely be hotter so you really have to pay attention to the grip level of the car during practice. As the night comes, the car is definitely going to tighten up. You've just got to really pay attention to not over-adjust the car and tighten it up too much because as the night comes on, it's just going to get tighter and tighter."

EURY (ON HIS FAVORITE MEMORY AT BRISTOL.): "I guess just winning there -- to win that Sharpie 500 that night. That was pretty special. We had come close so many times, and to be able to go there and just pretty much dominate that race that night, that was a blast."

T.J. MAJORS, SPOTTER OF THE NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATONAL GUARD IMPALA SS (ON SPOTTING AT BRISTOL.): "Bristol is a tough place to spot for sure. I just pay extra attention and keep my eyes open. I have to make sure I watch Dale Jr. and at least half the track in front of him because he will be there in a matter of seconds. Dale Jr. is good at Bristol, and, to be honest, it's really fun to watch him there. He is good at making holes for himself. It's fun working with someone who knows his way around there."

MAJORS (ON RADIO TRANSMISSIONS.): "Sometimes things get heated between a spotter and a driver. I bite my tongue and don't throw fuel on the fire, and my driving experience helps me keep perspective. I know what it's like driving a loose race car -- it's tough when you're stuck out there. I just take Dale's advice and try to keep his head up."

*****

AMP Energy: http://www.AMPEnergy.com

National Guard: http://www.1800GOGUARD.com

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: http://www.dalejr.com

Ricky Hendrick Memorial Charity Ride: http://www.hendrickcharityride.com

Kevin Harvick Race Preview: 2008 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (August 23, 2008)

Diecast Dude — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:07:20 -0000

Kevin Harvick

No. 29 Pennzoil Platinum Chevrolet Impala SS

Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Sharpie 500 - August 23, 2008

Venue: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway

Kevin Harvick's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Performance History at Bristol Motor Speedway

Date	Race	Start	Finish	Laps Completed	Total Laps	Status	Winnings
03/16/08	Food City 500	10	2	506	506	Running	$167,011
08/25/07	Sharpie 500	13	16	500	500	Running	$140,561
03/25/07	Food City 500	40	4	504	504	Running	$154,911
08/26/06	Sharpie 500	7	11	500	500	Running	$135,486
03/26/06	Food City 500	14	2	500	500	Running	$160,886
08/28/05	Sharpie 500	19	37	352	500	Accident	$127,316
04/03/05	Food City 500	13	1	500	500	Running	$189,001
08/28/04	Sharpie 500	21	24	494	500	Running	$110,963
03/28/04	Food City 500	14	3	500	500	Running	$131,978
08/23/03	Sharpie 500	23	2	500	500	Running	$174,223
03/23/03	Food City 500	27	7	499	500	Running	$104,448
08/24/02	Sharpie 500	23	4	500	500	Running	$137,033
03/24/02	Food City 500	22	10	500	500	Running	$103,643
08/25/01	Sharpie 500	8	2	500	500	Running	$167,267
03/25/01	Food City 500	3	24	500	500	Running	$90,192
Totals/Averages		17.1	9.9	7,355	7,510		$2,094,919

NOTES:

This Week's No. 29 Pennzoil Platinum Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway ... Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 238 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Built new for the 2008 season, this is the same Pennzoil Platinum Chevrolet Impala SS that Harvick drove to a 12^th-place finish at Michigan International Speedway in June. Additionally, the Bakersfield, Calif., native drove this chassis to a 14^th-place finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway, to a seventh-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway and to an eighth-place finish at Auto Club Speedway of Southern California.
Bristol Stats ... In 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at NASCAR's fastest half-mile, Harvick has one win (2005), seven top-five and nine top-10 finishes. Additionally, "Happy" has led 390 laps and has a 9.9 average finishing position.
Change of Scenery ... Harvick is going platinum for the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The 2007 Daytona 500 winner will transform his bright yellow and red Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet into a shining platinum colored paint scheme in recognition of his sponsorship from Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic motor oil. Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic motor oil has adaptive molecules to manage the constant mechanical stresses inside an engine. Along with its additive package, Pennzoil Platinum motor oil is designed to survive the searing heat, intense pressures and shearing forces of today's precision-made engine parts. For more information visit: www.pennzoilplatinum.com.
Keeping It on the Track ... Harvick has been running at the finish of all 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this season. Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth are the only three drivers in the top 12 in points to have no DNFs (did not finish) so far this season.
Three to Go ... The 11-time NASCAR Sprint Cup series winner currently sits eighth in the championship point standings with three races remaining in NASCAR's "Race to the Chase." The 12 Chase contenders will be determined once the checkered flag waves Sept. 6 at Richmond International Raceway on. Over the same three races last season, Harvick had an average starting position of 12.6 coupled with a 12.3 finishing average.

· RCR at Bristol ... In 105 Cup Series starts at Bristol, RCR boasts nine wins - seven with Dale Earnhardt, one with Kevin Harvick and one with Jeff Burton- three poles, 29 top-five and 49 top-10 finishes. In March, RCR-prepared race cars swept the top three positions in the Food City 500 when Burton took the checkered flag, Harvick finished second and Bowyer rounded out the top three. Additionally, in 41 starts, RCR Nationwide Series teams have claimed six wins - one with Bowyer, four with Harvick and one with Jeff Green - four poles, 18 top-five and 22 top -10 finishes.

The RCR Collection ... In 23 races this season, RCR-prepared Sprint Cup Series entries have notched two wins (Burton - Bristol, Bowyer - Richmond), 12 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes. The Welcome, N.C.,-based race team has completed 19,139 laps in 2008 with four different drivers including Bowyer, Burton, Harvick and Ken Schrader. Meanwhile, RCR teams have logged 28,106 miles of competition this season and been on top of the leaderboard for 311 laps. Combined, all four RCR teams have earned just over $ 9.9 million in purse money this season.
Childress, A Champion for Children ... Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and the Richard Childress family has teamed up to form what will become the nation's most comprehensive Institute for Pediatric Trauma. The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma will focus on key areas in treatment, education and training, research and prevention of pediatric trauma. The Institute's goal is to help pave the way for others in the nation searching for ways to help save the lives of severely injured children and help those who survive on the road to recovery. The Childress family has donated $5 million to the Medical Center to initiate the project, which will get underway later this year. Wake Forest Baptist and the Childress family are currently working with a number of corporations and individuals to raise the additional $20 million to help establish the Childress Institute. This institute has a goal to become the most comprehensive research center in the country as it develops new research initiatives and partners with other investigators throughout the nation. Additionally, the Institute will also work with national and regional research groups to pool knowledge and data that can be shared with healthcare providers nationwide. To learn more and help children across the nation by donating, please visit www.childresspediatrictrauma.org or call 866-635-8190.
Bristol Sweep ... Harvick captured his first NASCAR sweep in April 2005 at BMS, winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in the same weekend. Since then, Harvick has added three more weekend sweeps to his resume (Phoenix International Raceway in April 2006, Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in September 2006 and Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2007).
Summing Up the Season ... In the season's first 23 events, Harvick has earned four top fives, nine top 10s and has led 88 laps. He has recorded a 17.9 starting average to go along a respectable 14.7 finishing average. He has completed 6,152 of the 6.342 laps (97 percent) run this season and earned just over $3.4 million in purse money.
Did You Know? ... For the first time in Harvick's NASCAR career, he will not be running the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at BMS. The two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion's Bristol stats include four wins, 10 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 16 starts. Additionally, Harvick has a 9.1 starting average coupled with an impressive 8.2 finishing average and has led 938 laps.
Keep on Keepin' on ... Harvick has not recorded a DNF in 67 consecutive races, which is the modern era record (1972-present). Harvick's RCR teammate Bowyer currently has the second-longest active streak at 60.
Don't Miss A Beat ... This weekend Harvick's Pennzoil Platinum Chevy will be one of four cars featured on DIRECTV's HotPass Coverage. With a channel dedicated solely to the Pennzoil Platinum Racing team during the Sharpie 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway, fans will be able to watch all the action through DIRECTV's multiple camera angles, real-time car telemetry and listen to in-car audio communication. NASCAR HotPass, Only on DIRECTV, features four driver channels including dedicated announcers for each team. The service, combined with race day telecasts and NASCAR.com coverage, gives race fans the most comprehensive and powerful NASCAR experience possible. Harvick's team will be showcased on DIRECTV channel 790 and DIRECTV's HD channel 795.

· Catch all the Action ... The Sharpie 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway will take the green flag Saturday, Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. EDT. Race coverage will be televised live on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. EDT and broadcast worldwide the Performance Racing Network and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 24^th race on the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule will be televised live on SPEED Friday, Aug. 22 at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

What is your mindset going into Bristol since it's a track that anything can happen?

"Bristol has always been a pretty good track for us. We had a good run at Bristol at the beginning of the year and, obviously, we're excited about going back. Bristol, like any short track, is tight and you can easily get into trouble. You just have to stay clean and focused. As long as you are there at the end, you have a shot at winning the race."

Did you like racing better at Bristol when it was more bumping and single-wide racing or do you like it better now that there are multiple grooves and you can pass a whole lot more?

"I think Bristol did a great job with the race track and making more racing grooves. The first time we went there, I think the tires were a little too hard and you could run all the way up at the wall. The last time we went there, it was more like the old Bristol, but you still had a couple of options from the bottom to the middle. I think once they got the tires squared away, the race track kind of came back around and the racing was a lot more normal in the fall."

Kevin Harvick's 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Stats

Date	Race	Start	Finish	Laps Completed	Total Laps	Status	Winnings

February 17	Daytona 500/Daytona	16	14	200	200	Running	$322,224
February 25	Auto Club 500/California	10	8	250	250	Running	$148,761
March 2	UAW-Dodge 400/Las Vegas	17	4	267	267	Running	$200,636
March 9	Kobalt Tools 500/Atlanta	8	7	325	325	Running	$124,086
March 16	Food City 500/Bristol	10	2	506	506	Running	$167,001
March 30	Goody's Cool Orange 500/Martinsville	11	12	500	500	Running	$119,961
April 6	Samsung 500/Texas	21	11	338	339	Running	$167,411
April 12	Subway Fresh Fit 500/Phoenix	17	19	311	312	Running	$113,336
April 27	Aaron's 499/Talladega	39	24	188	188	Running	$129,736
May 3	Crown Royal 400/Richmond	11	8	410	410	Running	$125,411
May 10	Dodge Challenger 500/Darlington	11	39	265	367	Running	$116,711
May 25	Coca-Cola 600/Charlotte	19	14	400	400	Running	$146,636
June 1	Best Buy 400/Dover	34	38	326	400	Running	$122,831
June 8	Pocono 500/Pocono	28	13	200	200	Running	$118,061
June 15	LifeLock 400/Michigan	10	12	203	203	Running	$124,786
June 22	Toyota/Save Mart 350/Sonoma	32	30	112	112	Running	$118,661
June 29	LENOX Industrial Tools 301/Loudon	3	14	284	284	Running	$129,961
July 5	Coke Zero 400/Daytona	14	12	162	162	Running	$146,761
July 12	LifeLock.com 400/Chicagoland	13	3	267	267	Running	$219,436
July 27	Allstate 400/Indianapolis	18	37	142	160	Running	$186,661
August 3	Pennsylvania 500/Pocono	21	4	200	200	Running	$153,936
August 10	Centurion Boats at the Glen/Watkins Glen	11	6	90	90	Running	$134,661
August 17	3M Performance 400/Michigan	38	8	200	200	Running	$134,186
Totals/Averages		17.9	14.7	6,152	6,342		$3,471,861

Wins - 0

Poles - 0

Top Fives - 4

Top 10s - 9

Laps Led - 88

6,152 of 6,342 Laps Completed - 97.0 percent

The Schedule's Here! The Schedule's Here!

Diecast Dude — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:55:07 -0000

Courtesy NASCAR Media:

NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule Has Realignment Involving Atlanta, Auto Club, Talladega Tracks
NASCAR Nationwide Series Includes Date At Iowa Speedway
NASCAR Truck Series Realigns Date To Chicago For Night Race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 19, 2008) - NASCAR announced today its national series schedules for the 2009 season, which features realigned dates for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Truck Series.

In the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series there will be a three-way date swap between Atlanta Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) and Talladega Superspeedway.

Atlanta's second 2009 race will be held on Sunday, Sept. 6, taking the Labor Day weekend slot now held by Auto Club Speedway.

Auto Club Speedway's second race will be Sunday, Oct. 11 - the fourth week of the "Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup," a slot formerly held by Talladega.

Talladega's second event will move to Sunday, Nov. 1, making it the seventh Chase event - the slot formerly held by Atlanta.

"The 2009 schedule reflects realigned dates that are good opportunities for everyone involved in our sport - fans, sponsors, tracks and teams," said NASCAR President Mike Helton.

The season begins with a tripleheader weekend at Daytona International Speedway capped by the running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 15.

In addition to that season-opening event for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the NASCAR Truck Series starts its season on Friday night, Feb. 13, followed the next afternoon by the NASCAR Nationwide Series opener.

For all three series, the season will conclude with another tripleheader weekend, at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 20-22.

Other key NASCAR Sprint Cup dates in 2009:

The 31st annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona - a non-points event - will be held on Saturday, Feb. 7.

On the evening of Saturday, Sept. 12, Richmond International Raceway will again host the "Chase cut-off" race, affording the last opportunity for drivers to qualify for NASCAR's championship playoffs.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway will host the first races in both the "Race to the Chase" (Sunday, June 28) and the Chase (Sunday, Sept. 20).

There also will be an additional off-week for NASCAR's premier series in 2009, prior to the Labor Day weekend event, giving teams a final break before a 12-week stretch that will end the season. Because of the way the calendar falls, NASCAR Sprint Cup teams will have a total of four off-weeks during the 2009 season.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series will have a 35-race schedule. Changes from this year include a new event at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 1, replacing Mexico City; a switch of the Atlanta Motor Speedway event from March to September; and moving the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve event in Montreal to Sunday, Aug. 30.

The NASCAR Truck Series in 2009 again will have 25 races, with one realigned date: The series' late-season race at Atlanta will be replaced by a night event at Chicagoland Speedway on Friday, Aug. 28.

(Starting times and television information will be announced at a later date.)

2009 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES SCHEDULE
Date       Site
Feb. 7     Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, Daytona International Speedway*
Feb. 15   Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 22   Auto Club Speedway
March 1   Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 8   Atlanta Motor Speedway
March 22  Bristol Motor Speedway
March 29  Martinsville Speedway
April 5     Texas Motor Speedway
April 18    Phoenix International Raceway
April 26    Talladega Superspeedway
May 2      Richmond International Raceway
May 9      Darlington Raceway
May 16    NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Lowe's Motor Speedway*
May 24    Lowe's Motor Speedway
May 31    Dover International Speedway
June 7    Pocono Raceway
June 14   Michigan International Speedway
June 21   Infineon Raceway
June 28   New Hampshire Motor Speedway
July 4    Daytona International Speedway
July 11   Chicagoland Speedway
July 26   Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Aug. 2     Pocono Raceway
Aug. 9   Watkins Glen International
Aug. 16   Michigan International Speedway
Aug. 22   Bristol Motor Speedway
Sept. 6    Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sept. 12 Richmond International Raceway
Sept. 20 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Sept. 27  Dover International Speedway
Oct. 4     Kansas Speedway
Oct. 11   Auto Club Speedway
Oct. 17   Lowe's Motor Speedway
Oct. 25   Martinsville Speedway
Nov. 1     Talladega Superspeedway
Nov. 8     Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 15   Phoenix International Raceway
Nov. 22   Homestead-Miami Speedway
* - Denotes non-points event.

2009 NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES SCHEDULE
Date       Site
Feb. 14    Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 21    Auto Club Speedway
Feb. 28    Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 21  Bristol Motor Speedway
April 4      Texas Motor Speedway
April 11     Nashville Superspeedway
April 17     Phoenix International Raceway
April 25     Talladega Superspeedway
May 1       Richmond International Raceway
May 8       Darlington Raceway
May 23      Lowe's Motor Speedway
May 30      Dover International Speedway
June 6       Nashville Superspeedway
June 13     Kentucky Speedway
June 20     Milwaukee Mile
June 27    New Hampshire Motor Speedway
July 3      Daytona International Speedway
July 10     Chicagoland Speedway
July 18     Gateway International Raceway
July 25     O'Reilly Raceway Park
Aug. 1      Iowa Speedway
Aug. 8     Watkins Glen International
Aug. 15    Michigan International Speedway
Aug. 21    Bristol Motor Speedway
Aug. 30    Circuit Gilles Villenueve
Sept. 5     Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sept. 11   Richmond International Raceway
Sept. 26   Dover International Speedway
Oct. 3      Kansas Speedway
Oct. 10    Auto Club Speedway
Oct. 16    Lowe's Motor Speedway
Oct. 24    Memphis Motorsports Park
Nov. 7      Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 14 Phoenix International Raceway
Nov. 21   Homestead-Miami Speedway

2009 NASCAR TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE
Date        Site
Feb. 13   Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 21    Auto Club Speedway
March 7    Atlanta Motor Speedway
March 28  Martinsville Speedway
April 25     Kansas Speedway
May 15     Lowe's Motor Speedway
May 23     Mansfield Motorsports Park
May 29     Dover International Speedway
June 5      Texas Motor Speedway
June 13   Michigan International Speedway
June 19    Milwaukee Mile
June 27    Memphis Motorsports Park
July 18     Kentucky Speedway
July 24     O'Reilly Raceway Park
Aug. 1      Nashville Superspeedway
Aug. 19    Bristol Motor Speedway
Aug. 28    Chicagoland Speedway
Sept. 12 Gateway International Raceway
Sept. 19   New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Sept. 26   Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Oct. 24    Martinsville Speedway
Oct. 31    Talladega Superspeedway
Nov. 6      Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 13    Phoenix International Raceway
Nov. 20    Homestead-Miami Speedway

Note: All dates subject to change.

Marching Through Michigan

Diecast Dude — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:06:29 -0000

Looking back at the weekend that was in Michigan...

While there have been more than a few times this season where it's seemed like in attempting to fix what ails the new car it's behaved like a hydra -- chop off one head, two more grow in its place -- the action during the Cup race was noticeable because there actually was some. It wasn't a get out front / stay out front kind of day. There were on-track lead changes. Yes, there were stretches of everyone stretching out better suited for napping than attempting to note any subtle nuances of who was running which line. That duly noted, when measured against what you can possibly get out of a race on an open wheel track yesterday was pretty good. Which was one of the main motivations behind the new car; namely trying to generate action at locations normally averse to same. Now, to reignite action at places formerly featuring same (*coughbristolcough*)...

Some other notes noting things of... um, note:

Expect NASCAR to drop a double-headed hammer twice on Joe Gibbs Racing for the shenanigans that transpired prior to the dyno test of their Nationwide cars. One for one of the most blatant attempts to alter results and/or performance since someone at Micheal Waltrip Racing decided to be a jet fuel genius prior to Daytona 500 qualifying a while back, and two for nominating themselves for the Darwin Award as someone or someones who frankly should be immediately removed from the gene pool due to terminal stupidity.
Speaking of JGR, it's difficult to imagine a driver sounding more disgusted by most everything than Denny Hamlin yesterday after his engine grenaded.
A driver who ought to be disgusted is Jeff Gordon, who after finally getting a car that was almost competitive following weeks of being handed a turnip truck by Steve Letarte and friends saw his day and eventually his ride demolished through a series of abominable pit stops. Yet he seemed eerily calm in the post-crash interview. Was it belief he can pull this season out by stopping the freefall and making the Chase despite it all? Or was it the serenity of resignation in face of knowing it's already time to start prepping for 2009? Answer forthcoming during the next three races, assuming he remains in contention for the duration.
Final thought on Jeff Gordon. If he doesn't make the Chase, will Rick Hendrick make one or more changes on his team starting with the crew chief? If not, look for a whole bunch of unamused #24 fans at a track near you.
Finally, Carl Edwards' win accompanied by a whole bunch of co-workers in close proximity made two clear statements. One, Roush has the one and a half plus mile tracks, i.e. open wheel tracks, down pat. Two, as noted earlier we are heading toward one doozy of a title fight between Edwards, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. If only the quality of racing would rise up to be its equivalent. Ah well.