December 2006 Archives

Josh Baldwin and Bryon Ashley received the top starting spots in the top two classes of the Laughlin Desert Challenge, the first race of the SCORE Desert Series.
Baldwin of Newport Beach will start first in the Tropy-Truck division. Ashley of Arizona will start first in the Class 1 division. Starting positions were determined by a computer drawing on Thursday at the Los Angeles headquarters of SCORE International. It will be the the first time Baldwin or Ashley will start a SCORE race.
There were 202 vehicle entries in 17 pro and two sportsman classes. SCORE officials anticipate a record 250 entries for the Laughline Desert Challenge. In 2006, a record 233 entries started the race.
The Laughlin Desert Challenge, the first race in the six-race SCORE Desert Series, begins Jan. 18 and ends Jan. 21.
Las Vegas’ B. J. Baldwin (SCORE Trophy-Truck, Chevy Silverado) and Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore. (Class 1, Jimco-Chevy) are the defending SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge race winners.
A total of 31 vehicles, second-most in the history of the race, have entered the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division as of Thursday. SCORE Desert Series Champion B.J. Baldwin of Las Vegas is entered in the No. 1 Chevy Silverado.

The starting positions for the 13th annual Laughlin Desert Challenge will be selected Thursday at the Los Angeles headquarters for SCORE International.
The Laughlin Desert Challenge, Jan. 18-21, will kick off the six-race SCORE Desert Series, which includes the Baja 500 in June and the Baja 1000 in November.
Nearly 250 entrants are expected for the Laughlin Desert Challenge to compete for $400,000 in prize money.
“The SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is a wonderful event on the SCORE calendar and it is especially a great way to start the year,� said Sal Fish, SCORE President/CEO. “In our sport, it is about as fan-friendly as you can get and nothing surpasses the hospitality the Laughlin resorts show our racers and fans. And the racing is awesome.�
The SCORE Laughlin Leap starts the weekend at 6 p.m. on Jan. 18. Drivers and pit crews will share the spotlight at the Laughlin Events Park, competing for a $16,000 purse. The SCORE Laughlin Leap, a dirt ramp built into the middle of the stadium, challenges the most daring of drivers. This year’s competitors will be looking to break the event record in the SCORE Laughlin Leap set in 2004 by Mark Post in the No. 3 Riviera Racing Ford F-150 (160’ 6�).
A total of 17 different classes for cars and trucks are split into eight groups in Laughlin, each running as part of one of seven multiple-lap races over the much-abbreviated 7-mile loop each day. Racing action runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day (Jan. 20-21). The marquee racing division is SCORE Trophy-Truck, featuring high-tech, 750-horsepower, unlimited production trucks along with the unlimited Class 1 for open-wheel desert race cars. The other classes with the largest entry fields will be Class 10, Class 1-2/1600 and SCORE Lite.
Las Vegas’ B. J. Baldwin (SCORE Trophy-Truck) and Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore. (Class 1) are the defending SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge race winners. The 2006 event included a race-record 233 starters. With an event-record 30,000 spectators on hand, a near race-record 113 vehicles officially finished the two-day race.
Daily general admission tickets, good for grandstand seating, are $20 for each Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, children five and under are free. Daily VIP tickets are $40 each for the three days, good for admission to the Laughlin Hospitality Chalet, including food beverage and special seating.
Advance tickets for the Laughlin Events Park are now on sale at www.visit.laughlin.com or by calling (800) 308-2253.

The Irwindale Speedway schedule for 2007 was released, with opening night slated for March 10 with the D1 Grand Prix drifting series.
The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series will begin March 24. The NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series, will be at Irwindale Speedway on the Fourth of July and the 67th running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix will be on Thanksgiving night in November.
The NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 19-21 pending approval by NASCAR and Toyota. The Showdown pits the top drivers from the two Grand National Divisions, the West Series and Busch East Series.
The Fourth of July West Series race is scheduled to be a 250-lapper. A fireworks show is also on tap for the special Wednesday night race.
The Turkey Night Grand Prix has attracted the top USAC and NASCAR drivers from across the country. Tony Stewart, Casey Mears, Jason Leffler and Bobby East have competed in the Turkey Night Grand Prix in previous years.
On Nov. 10, business entrepreneur, racer and personality Jesse James will host his No Love motorcycle charity ride in conjunction with Irwindale Speedway’s World Championship Figure 8 race. The event will also feature motorcycle drag racing on the Speedway’s drag strip and a custom car show.
Kasey Kahne’s charity drift event which features some of drifting’s top stars competing against Kahne and other NASCAR Nextel Cup star drivers has been tentatively scheduled for Aug. 30.

The three Acura teams from the American Le Mans Series completed a three-day test on Wednesday at Sebring International Raceway in Florida.
Andretti Green Racing, Fernandez Racing and Highcroft Racing will field teams in the American Le Mans Series next season. This will be the first year of competition for Acura in the American Le Mans Series.
Valencia's Bryan Herta and Marino Franchitti tested their Andretti Green No. 26 Acura Courage LC75 Monday and Tuesday. Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz were in their No. 15 Acura Lola B07 for Fernandez Racing on Monday and Tuesday. David Brabham, a former winner at Sebring, was in the No. 9 Acura Courage LC75 for Highcroft Racing all three days.
The new Acura ALMS engine – a 3.4-liter, normally-aspirated V-8 – is the first racing powerplant designed and developed by Honda Performance Development (HPD) of Santa Clarita, Calif.
“We were pleased with the first testing runs of the new Acura ALMS cars at Sebring,� said Joe Capelli, the senior engineer for HPD’s sports car program. “We were becoming accustomed to the track as it was our first time here. Sebring is a unique and historic track and we were able to learn about the cars, engines and track surface. We look forward to our next Sebring test in January.�
The three Acura ALMS teams will return to Sebring International Raceway on Jan. 22-24 for the third annual ALMS Winter Test session that will include all of the competitors in the four ALMS classes.
The 55th annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring sports car classic is scheduled for March 17, 2007.

Ricky Rudd and Robert Yates Racing announced a deal that will put Rudd back in a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series car for the 2007 season.
Masterfoods USA, which sponsors the No. 38 car for David Gilliland at Robert Yates Racing, will also back Rudd.
M&Ms chocolate candies will be on Gilliland's car. Snickers will be on Rudd's.
“When I took a break from racing at the end of 2005, I knew that I would return to competition if the right opportunity presented itself,� Rudd said. “Returning to Robert Yates Racing and partnering with Snickers was the ride to get me back into competition full time. In today’s market, you have to have a multi-car organization to be competitive and win races and with Masterfoods’ support I believe we have the ability to do both of those next year."
Rudd is a 31-year veteran of the NASCAR Cup Series and raced for RYR in 2000, 2001 and 2002. The Virginia native took home rookie of the year honors following the 1977 Cup season and went on to win races in 16 consecutive seasons, a feat he shares only with retired driver Rusty Wallace. One of NASCAR’s top 50 drivers of all time and known as NASCAR’s Iron Man, Rudd currently holds the record for most consecutive starts at 788.
“When we were looking for sponsors for the second team, we wanted a company that would complement the powerful brands Masterfoods USA represents," said team owner Robert Yates. " We could not possibly ask for a better fit than to add one of their own brands as the sponsor for our second team. Masterfoods has been a loyal supporter of our sport for nearly 15 years and we look forward to our two teams being united under Snickers and M&M’S next season.�
Next year will mark the 14th season for Masterfoods USA as a primary sponsor in NASCAR’s Cup Series and the fifth with the Yates family. The famous candy maker joined the Cup ranks in 1990, running its first three seasons under the Snickers moniker. After serving as an associate sponsor for four seasons, the company returned with Skittles colors in 1997 before transitioning to M&M’S Brand Candies in 1999.
“The opportunity to sponsor a second NEXTEL Cup Team at Robert Yates Racing is exciting for both our brands and our associates at Masterfoods USA,� said William Clements, director of Sponsorships and Sports Marketing for Masterfoods USA. “With this second sponsorship, we can now showcase other Masterfoods brands, such as Snickers, in partnership with M&M’S Chocolate Candies. The addition of Ricky Rudd, who provides over 30 years of experience, will bring added leadership for the entire organization as well as assist in the continued development of David Gilliland. We strongly believe that this additional sponsorship and Ricky’s experience strengthen our program as a whole and positions both teams for great success in 2007.�
Rudd added: “I look forward to working closely with David and Todd (Parrott, crew chief of the No. 38 Team) next season. David has shown tremendous talent in his time behind the wheel of a NEXTEL Cup car and with the resources we will share at RYR, our goal is to put Robert Yates Racing back on top.�

The Los Angeles Sports Council released its nominees for the best sports moments of 2006 in the Los Angeles/Orange County area. In addition to voting on the best baseball, basketball, football and hockey moments of the year, there is an auto racing category.
The three choices are:
1. Champ Car World Series driver Sebastien Bourdais winning the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
2. NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne winning the Busch and Nextel Cup series races at California Speedway in September.
3. AMA Superbike rider Ben Spies's performance in the Suzuki Superbike Challenge doubleheader at California Speedway.
Looks like the Los Angeles Sports Council missed one here.
No offense to Spies, but either Tony Schumacher or John Force should be the third choice.
Schumacher culminated his NHRA top fuel season by erasing the largest deficit in series hisory and winning his third straight championship at Pomona Raceway in November.
Force won his record-setting 14th NHRA funny car championship at Pomona on the same weekend.
Voters have until Jan. 8 to make their selections in 18 categories.
The results will be announced Jan. 21 at a televised awards show on Fox Sports Net Prime Ticket. The show will be at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and hosted by Bill McDonald and Petro Papadakis.
To make your selections, go to www.lasports.org

Two-time Indy 500 champ and Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves is engaged to longtime girlfriend Aliette Vazquez. Castroneves made the announcement recently while in Brazil.
The proposal: Castroneves made his proposal over Thanksgiving. He took all the right steps, asking her father for permission and getting her family's blessing before making his proposal.
The fiancee: A resident of Miami, she and Castroneves have been dating for five and a half years. (About time Helio).
The ring: Castroneves had to put some thought into this. He picked a ring that represented a traditional Brazilian style and American look. Apparently Brazilians prefer a simple, modest band. Americans have a taste for the garish when it comes to engagment rings. He picked a band of diamonds.
The date: November 2007 in Miami.
The quote: “I’m so happy, I just can’t put it into words,� Castroneves said. “Ali has been a special part of my life for so long and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her. She’s been so supportive of me on the track and I am just so excited to start our new life together.�

Or the horses as the case may be.
Mari George, the Chair of the Board of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has donated VIP packages to The Humane Society of the United States as a way of raising funds for horse sanctuaries in the upper Midwest and Western states.
The three packages, up for bid online, are for the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 27, 2007, the United States Grand Prix on June 19, 2007 and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on July 29, 2007.
The packages include seats in a luxury suite (which are not available for sale to the public other than this opportunity) and hotel accommodations. Pit and garage passes for the Indianapolis 500 and Allstate 400 at the Brickyard are also included.
Proceeds will help feed starving horses at sanctuaries that have been impacted by the severe drought and other factors such as wildfires, which have caused a shortage of hay and alfalfa. The sanctuaries are in need of approximately $30,000 in order to feed the horses through the winter.
“The Humane Society of the United States is committed to helping these sanctuaries find funding sources and transportation to get hay for their horses,� said Holly Hazard, chief innovations officer for The Humane Society of the United States. “With the increase in animal cruelty cases and horses being confiscated from private owners who are not feeding them, more and more of these animals are ending up in sanctuaries. We are fortunate to have a caring person like Mari George step up to help in this difficult time.�
For more information and to bid on the items, visit www.hsus.org/auctionforhorses . The auction ends on Dec. 22.
Donations for the starving horses will also be accepted at:
HSUS Hay For Horses Fund
c/o Carolyn Cook
The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20037
Questions on donations can be emailed to gifts@hsus.org
CONTACT: Tracey McIntire, 301-548-7793, tmcintire@hsus.org

John Kernan has been added to the Sirius Satellite Radio list of hosts for the new NASCAR station debuting next year.
Sirius Satellite Radio, the official satellite radio partner of NASCAR starting in 2007, announced that it will debut The Driver's Seat, an exclusive daily talk show hosted by Kernan and a roster of current and former NASCAR drivers, on Jan. 1.
The Driver's Seat will air every weekday (8 a.m. to noon) only on Sirius NASCAR Radio / Channel 128, the new radio channel dedicated to NASCAR that launches Jan. 1.
The Driver's Seat will feature Kernan and a different driver taking calls from listeners, interviewing special guests and discussing the latest news from the world of NASCAR.
Featured co-hosts will include Buddy Baker; 1995 NASCAR Busch Series champion Johnny Benson; two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie; two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday; former Busch and Cup Series Rookie of the Year Ricky Craven; former Cup and Busch Series driver Phil Parsons, who is now the color commentator for Speed Channel's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race broadcasts; and John Andretti, one of the sport's most versatile drivers who has made his mark racing USAC Midgets, Indy cars, NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and NASCAR stock cars.
The Driver's Seat, produced in conjunction with Performance Racing Network (PRN), will air exclusively on Sirius.

This is a press release from Raceway Media:
RacingJunk.com, the popular online classified service for racing and performance enthusiasts, will give away $55,000 in sponsorships in the "Give Back to the Racers Tour 2007." The announcement, made earlier today at the Performance Racing Industry's (PRI) annual trade show in Orlando, FL by Jim Liberatore, Chairman of the Board of Raceway Media and former CEO of Speed TV, is exciting news for racers across the country.
"Finding sponsors is a real challenge for grassroots racers," said Liberatore, "it's an expensive sport and we get sponsorship requests all the time. We are thrilled to be able to offer this program as a way to show our appreciation for their continued support."
"Give Back to the Racers Tour 2007" will feature a weekly giveaway of $1,000 beginning March 1st and running for 30 consecutive weeks. Each week, a winner will be randomly selected from among the qualified entries. Each of the 30 weekly winners will be entered to win the Grand Prize, a $15,000 sponsorship. RacingJunk members will vote for their favorite car and driver to determine the winner. In addition to the Grand Prize, two runners-up will also receive cash prizes, with $7,500 awarded for second place and $2,500 for third. The three winners will be flown to PRI 2007 and awarded their prizes at a special ceremony.
"Our members are our bread and butter," said Raceway Media co-founder Ryan Maturski. "These racers have helped RacingJunk.com to grow and thrive over the years and the company is now in a position to give something back. It's an exciting period of growth for us, and I am glad that the members will get to share in the benefits."
Since being incorporated in 2001, Raceway Media, which owns and operates RacingJunk.com, has experienced incredible growth, increasing its membership by more than 100,000 in the past year alone while more than doubling its monthly visitors to 1.4 million.
For a complete list of rules and regulations and a copy of the contest entry form, please visit the website, www.RacingJunk.com/s/55giveaway.

A stolen firesuit worn by the late Dale Earnhardt was recovered and returned to Texas Motor Speedway Thursday.
Police in Fort Worth, Texas, suspected it was an inside job and an unnamed part-time employee at the track, with the help of his lawyer, returned the firesuit to the track.
Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said he was pleased to have the suit returned. A helmet and pair of racing shoes were also returned to the track.
“This firesuit means a great deal to me because Dale and I had been good friends since early in both of our careers," Gossage said. "After he ran his first laps during a test at Texas Motor Speedway before we opened, he came to my office and gave me these items. I wanted to share them with the public, so we have had them on display for the last 10 years. The items were temporarily stored in a secured storage closet while being moved from one display to another when they were stolen. This uniform is such an icon to our sport and Dale’s great accomplishments, similar to one of Elvis’ jump suits.
"Detectives from the Fort Worth Police Department told me during our very first meeting that they would find these items. They kept their word through old-fashioned hard work, persistence and intelligence. Chief Ralph Mendoza and the entire Fort Worth Police Department are to be congratulated, particularly Detective Davon Green. As a citizen, it makes you feel secure to know that such professionals are ensuring our community is safe.�
Police are preparing a case to be presented to the Denton County District Attorney’s Office to file appropriate charges associated with this theft.

Unlike Jimmie Johnson, his daredevil golfing teammate and protege, Jeff Gordon has been keeping himself busy in other ways this offseason. Although, this sounds like it actually happened before the season ended.
On Wednesday, Gordon announced that wife Ingrid Vandebosch is pregnant.
“We’re obviously very excited,� Gordon said in a statement that appeared on www.jeffgordon.com. “Christmas came early for us this year. This is a very special gift for us – one that we’re both looking forward to. The due date is early July, and Ingrid and I can’t wait to be parents. We’ve known for a little while, but we couldn’t wait any longer to share the good news with our friends and fans.�
So how about some names:
For boys:
1. Chase. It has to be the top pick. Although it would be nice if Jeff Gordon won a Chase before naming a child Chase.
2. Slick. This may be a better name for a poker player's son than a race car driver's son.
3. Red. Green just isn't a name you want, especially in third grade. And yellow would be downright cruel. There was an Irwindale Speedway driver who once had a cat named Checkers. While that's a fine name for an animal, a child would have some serious self-esteem issues with such a moniker.
For girls:
1. Monte. A girl named Monte would be original and cute. Or lead to visions of fat, Scottish golfers.
2. Carla. It's just Carlo without the O.
3. Trixie. If for no other reason than Trixie was Speed Racer's girlfriend.
If anything, it's safe bet the baby, if it's a girl, won't be named Brooke. And if there are any more golf cart accidents, Jimmie may be crossed off the list too.

The Champ Car World Series will introduce a set of new rules for the 2007 season.
Standing starts will be implemented at select venues. Tire-use and back-up car rules have been altered. Time limits on races will remain.
The use of standing starts will be at races in which they can be accomodated in a safe manner, according to a Champ Car World Series release. The field will line up in grid positions and a series of red lights will illuminate one-by-one until all the lights are lit. The race will start when all the lights go out.
The first standing start will take place at the season opening Vegas Grand Prix.
“This should provide a very exciting start to our races,� said Champ Car Vice-President of Operations Tony Cotman. “Unlike Formula 1 where they have traction or launch control, the success of the standing starts in Champ Car will be up to the skill of the individual drivers. We will do the standing starts wherever the configuration of the track allows us to do so in a safe manner.�
The rules on tire usage during a weekend has been changed. Previously a team could only use four sets of tires during any qualifying session. Now the teams have unlimited use of their weekend allotment during a session, although the rules concerning the mandatory use of one set of alternate Bridgestone Potenzas during a race in still in effect.
The use of spare cars by the teams has been changed as well. Teams now have the sole discretion to use their backup cars, but can only use one car in any practice or qualifying session. In addition, going to a spare car after the primary car has been qualified will result in the forfeiture of the qualifying time for that entry, meaning that a change after warmup on race day will result in that entry starting from the rear of the field.
In 2007, all Champ Car races will be timed races. The event will begin and will run to a set time limit. As the elapsed time of the race approaches, a signal indicating one lap to go will be displayed to the field, with the race ending upon the next time the leader crosses the start/finish line. The white flag will not be shown from the starter’s stand and will be used more in line with international FIA guidelines around the course.
“As Champ Car grows into more of an international series and with the majority of our driver lineup coming from international road-course backgrounds, we want to update our flagging procedures in kind,� Cotman said. “Not only will it be easier for our drivers to understand, but it will keep us from having to re-educate our course marshals when we conduct international events.�

Newspaper columnist David Poole and NASCAR broadcaster Marty Snider will host a daily talk show, The Morning Drive, on Sirius satellite radio starting Jan. 1.
The Morning Drive is scheduled to air every weekday morning from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. exclusively on NASCAR Radio channel 128, the new year-round channel for NASCAR coverage.
"We're thrilled to have Marty and David, two of the most experienced and knowledgeable figures in NASCAR, kick off our daily programming lineup on Sirius NASCAR Radio," said Steve Cohen, SIRIUS' Vice President of Sports Programming. "With SIRIUS, listeners across the country will have exclusive access to the insights and opinions of NASCAR experts like these and they'll be able to call in to the show to discuss the topics that are relevant to the fans. Programming like this will make Sirius NASCAR Radio a must-have for NASCAR fans."
Poole has covered NASCAR for the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina for the past 10 years and is a regular contributor to ThatsRacing.com. Poole is also the author of several books on NASCAR, including "Race with Destiny: The Race That Changed NASCAR Forever" and "Tim Richmond: The Fast Life and Remarkable Times of NASCAR's Top Gun."
Snider started his career covering NASCAR at Turner Sports in 1998 as a pit reporter for their TNT broadcasts and a year later joined NBC's NASCAR broadcast team. From 1995 to 2000 he worked as a pit reporter for the Motor Racing Network's (MRN) NASCAR broadcasts.
He is also a regular contributor to NASCAR.COM and NBCSports.com as a NASCAR Insider.
Snider was CNNSI's NASCAR reporter from 1998 to 2002. From 1994 to 1997 he worked as a reporter and producer for ESPN's "NASCAR Today."
In addition to the live race broadcast, Sirius will take fans into the cars and pits by devoting up to 10 additional "Team Talk" channels that will carry driver-to-crew communications during NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races. SIRIUS will combine the race broadcast with the driver-to-crew chatter on these channels, allowing fans to follow the overall race call and the in-car audio of a driver on a single channel throughout the race.

The Andretti Green Racing team added a driver to its newly formed American Le Mans Series team.
Marino Andretti, the younger brother of Dario Franchitti, will join Valencia's Bryan Herta on its Acura Courage LC75 LMPS entry in the 2007 American Le Mans Series.
"This is certainly the biggest thing to happen to my career," Franchitti said. "I have to thank (AGR owners)
Michael Andretti, Kim Green, Kevin Savoree and Robert Clarke (President, HPD) for giving me this
opportunity. I'm looking forward to joining AGR. It is a family that I'm very accustomed to having
been around for nearly 10 years and there are a lot of familiar faces. XM Satellite Radio is a great
sponsor and to have the backing of Acura is unbelievable. They bring a lot of expertise and drive
for victories, and I look forward to helping them achieve their first ALMS victory."
Franchitti has spent the past six years in sports car type racing. He most recently competed in the ALMS in 2006, where he placed second in the GT2 class at the Petit Le Mans. He also competed in the Grand Am Rolex Series where he drove a Riley Pontiac MK IX.
"I'm looking forward to working with Bryan," the 28-year-old Franchitti said. "He has a tremendous amount of
experience from both open-wheel racing as well as sports cars and I plan to learn all I can from
him. Overall, we have a very solid team and I look forward to developing and putting the package
on-track and seeing where we stand."
Franchitti is a native of Edinburgh, Scotland and the new ALMS entry features the first racing engine
completely designed and developed by Honda's racing subsidiary Honda Performance
Development (HPD) based in Santa Clarita.
"I'm excited to be able to give Marino the opportunity to join our driver lineup," said Michael Andretti, chairman of Andretti Green Racing. "His background is virtually all in sports cars and he should be a big plus in the development of our ALMS program. He has shown the ability to run up front and just needs an opportunity like this to
show what he is capable of doing. The combination of Marino and Bryan Herta will help give us a
very strong lineup as we enter our first season in ALMS."