December 2007 Archives

Two race fans will have a chance to win the helmet J.J. Yeley will wear in the 22nd annual Chili Bowl Nationals and a 56-inch Samsung DLP HDTV by buying raffle tickets through www.jjyeley.com.
Yeley, driver of the No. 96 Toyota for Hall of Fame Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will race in the Chili Bowl Nationals at the Expo Center in Tulsa, Okla., Jan 8-12.
Fans can purchase raffle tickets for $10 on the Web site until Jan. 4. Tickets will also be available at the Chili Bowl during the week of the races. The drawing will be held before the race on Jan. 12.
Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and the nonprofit Jake Owen Raborn Foundation.
“I’m excited about the raffle,” Yeley said. “Last year we raised $10,000, so we’re hoping to top that this year. I need to thank my sponsor, DLP HDTV, for donating the 56-inch Samsung DLP HDTV. It’s a fantastic TV that someone will really enjoy having in their home. Another lucky fan will have the chance to win the helmet I’m going to wear in the Chili Bowl, and hopefully we’ll have a lot of success so the helmet becomes a valuable piece of memorabilia.”
The Chili Bowl will be broadcast on HBO Pay-Per-View.
The Jake Owen Raborn Foundation was founded in 2006 and is dedicated to financially supporting families enduring pediatric cancer, as well as providing financial support to organizations and facilities that care for families enduring pediatric cancer. The foundation is named in memory of an extraordinary child, Jake Owen Raborn, who died of a rare liver cancer in October 2006 at just four years of age. Yeley met Raborn in June 2006 during a visit to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

It's not exactly stock car racing, but Jamie McMurray is at Daytona International Speedway for a race, more than a month before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500.
McMurray, driver of the No. 26 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, is entered in one of the races for the Daytona KartWeek by Cometic Gasket.
He will be competing in the World Karting Association's Sprint Championships on the half-mile track in between turns 3 and 4 at Daytona International Speedway this weekend.
His dad, Jim McMurray, is entered in the Elite Karting Championships on the 3.56-mile road course at Daytona.
“I’ve been trying to get him to come back because this is where we actually started,” said Jim McMurray, who has been a regular fixture to Daytona KartWeek events since the late 1970s. “We started racing karts when he was seven. There are so many people to thank in the karting industry that has actually helped us get to the level of where we’re at now.”
This will be Jamie McMurray's first visit to Daytona since winning the Pepsi 400 in July. It was his only win in 2007 and the second Cup win of his NASCAR career.
“I remember taking off from here in July at 3 in the morning or whatever,” McMurray said. “There’s not really anything that compares to Daytona. Certainly winning at Charlotte at home is a big deal and winning at the Brickyard would be a big deal but Daytona, that’s our race. The only one bigger for me would be winning the 500.”
McMurray said kart racing has changed a lot since he returned about six months ago for a race in Pennsylvania.
“Go karting is so much more advanced than it was when I raced,” McMurray said. “When I raced karts, it was literally a hobby, a mom and pop thing. Man, you come here, there are teams. You drive for a team. The karts are so fast. It’s just unbelievable how much faster and the load, it’s really hard on your body to do this. I just really enjoy this. It’s fun.”
The Daytona 500, the first race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, is Jan. 16 and culminates weeks of races at Daytona, including twin 150 qualifying races and the Budweiser Shootout, for Cup Series pole winners in 2007.
“Daytona, there’s something every year when you come here,” McMurray said. “You’re so excited and I had that yesterday when I got here. But you are here for so long (during DIRECTV Speedweeks) that you are ready to go home. I’m hoping that the two or three extra days that I’m spending here karting is not going to burn me out too soon but you can’t beat it, it’s beautiful weather here.”
Tickets for Daytona KartWeek by Cometic Gasket are available at the gate. Race tickets for any Daytona International Speedway events are available online at www.racetickets.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

It looks like Rip Michels and the Stock Building Supply Racing team have big plans for 2008.
Michels will race in at least three Flashco Stockcar Racing League Southwest Series events in 2008 and perhaps a late model race at Iowa Speedway or The Milwaukee Mile in a car backed by Stock Building Supply.
The Stock Building Supply Challenge was also created and will consist of at least three races in the SRL Southwest Series with a bonus going to the driver and team that performs the best in those races.
Michels and the Stock Building Supply Racing team will run a limited schedule in the SRL Southwest Series and the NASCAR Super Late Model division at Irwindale Speedway. Michels won the Super Late Model track championship last year at Irwindale Speedway. It was his fourth career track championship.
"We are looking forward to continuing to represent Stock Building Supply and its co-op partners,” said Rip Michels, a driver from San Fernando. “Stock Building Supply has done so much for short track racing here on the West Coast, and it is a great honor to be driving for this company. I know my guys are real excited.”
The Stock Building Supply Challenge will include the season-ending race at the new track in Bakersfield. The other races have yet to be determined and the bonus has yet to be announced.
“This is once again a great opportunity for us to market our products and services through the use of the race team,” said Rick Smith, District Manager for Stock Building Supply. “Rip and his team have always done a great job for us, and the associates at Stock Building Supply are very excited that we will continue to sponsor the program.”
Look for more information about Michels and his sponsors at www.ripmichels.com

Starting Jan. 7, the Speed channel will be televising NASCAR Preseason Thunder, including the two-day stop at California Speedway in Fontana.
Preseason Thunder starts at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 7 and begins 19 days of testing and 22 days of coverage before the season opening Daytona 500 in February.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will be at Daytona, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and California Speedway during Preseason Thunder. Drivers and teams from the newly named Nationwide Series and the Craftsman Truck Series will also get a chance to test at the tracks. Speed will televise portions of all the test sessions.
Of particular interest will be NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow, which will be used in every Sprint Cup Series race in 2008. The Car of Tomorrow has yet to race at California Speedway.
Speed will televise much of the action. John Roberts will anchor Speed’s NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage on-site, with assistance from Larry McReynolds, Jeff Hammond and Bob Dillner. Roberts also will host NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series session, with analysis from Ray Dunlap and Phil Parsons, and Nationwide Series testing, with Dunlap providing analysis. The full NASCAR on Speed on-air team will participate in the 30-minute shows throughout the month, both on-site and from the Charlotte-based Speed studios.
“This season opens with quite a few questions to be answered,” said Speed President Hunter Nickell. “There will be a lot of interest in seeing NASCAR back on the track for the first time in ’08 … Dale Jr. in a Hendrick car, Kyle Busch in a Gibbs car, the COT (Car of Tomorrow) at every track, new title sponsors … there is no shortage of storylines for 2008 and SPEED will be there from the very beginning … we’ll be there all season … and we’ll be there at the end. NASCAR fans have come to expect that from SPEED and our team will deliver.”

NASCAR Preseason Thunder on Speed schedule (All times PT; subject to change):
NASCAR Sprint Cup Testing from Daytona – Jan. 7-10 (4 p.m.)
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Testing from Daytona – Jan. 11 (4 p.m.)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Testing from Daytona – Jan. 14-17 (3:30 p.m.)
NASCAR Nationwide Series Testing from Daytona – Jan. 21-22 (4 p.m.)
2008 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour – Jan. 23-25 (4 p.m.)
NASCAR Testing from Las Vegas – Jan. 28-30 (4 p.m.)
NASCAR Testing from Fontana – Jan. 31-Feb. 1 (4 p.m.)
NASCAR 2008 Team Previews – Feb. 4-6 (4 p.m.)

Following coverage of NASCAR Preseason Thunder, Speed will make the move to HD for 100 hours of coverage from Daytona Speedweeks beginning Feb. 7. In addition, SPEEDtv.com will re-launch in widescreen format Feb. 6.

Irwindale Speedway released its 2008 racing schedule, which includes two visits by the newly named NASCAR Camping World Series, formerly the Grand National Division West Series, and a 100-lap Flashco Stockcar Racing League Southwest Series race.
The ASA Speed Truck Challenge, USAC Midgets and Sprints, D1 Grand Prix Drifting and the Outlaw Figure 8 World Championships will also race at Irwindale Speedway in 2008.
The season opens March 22 with a night of late model racing. The NASCAR Super Late Models, Late Models, Super Trucks, Mini Stocks, Legend Cars and figure 8s will race on opening night.
The Flashco SRL Southwest Series race is on April 26. The first Camping World Series race is July 4. It is a 200-lap, 100-mile race highlighting a night of events that will also feature a 100-lap Late Model race and fireworks show.
The Camping World Series returns to the track Aug. 16 for another 200-lap race.
The Outlaw Figure 8 World Championships are Nov. 15 and the D1 Grand Prix Drifting event will be Nov. 22-23.
The season ends Nov. 26 and 27 with the USAC Turkey Night Grand Prix.

It looks like there will be a SRL race at Irwindale Speedway in 2008.
The newly formed Flashco Stockcar Racing League Southwest Series will race at Irwindale Speedway on April 26. The entire Irwindale Speedway schedule will be released later this afternoon.
The Irwindale Speedway schedule will include two NASCAR Camping World Series races, formerly known as the NASCAR Grand National Division West Series. They will be on July 4 and Aug. 16.
The Flashco SRL Southwest Series announced that it will have a 12-race schedule starting March 29 at All-American Speedway in Roseville. It will include stops at Colorado National Speedway, the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the new track in Bakersfield.

Juan Pablo Montoya, the open-wheel star turned NASCAR rookie last year, was part of the winning team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the opening race in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car stories.
He will be back for the 2008 race in a car for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
Montoya will be teamed with Dario Franchitti, another open-wheel star moving to NASCAR, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in the No. 01 TELMEX/Target Daytona Prototype for the 24-hours endurance race Jan. 26-27 at Daytona International Speedway.
Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon, Salvador Duran and Alex Lloyd will drive the No. 02 Daytona Prototype car for Ganassi.
Pruett, a NASCAR road-racing specialist, and Rojas tested last week at Daytona in preparation for the race next month.
“(Chip’s) stable is just full of a lot of talent on the NASCAR side, on the IRL side, on the Grand-Am side,” Pruett said last week during the test. “For us coming here with this commitment and this organization is going to be nothing less than stellar. We’re going to go for the win.”
Pruett and Rojas spent Dec. 10 and 11 at Daytona fine tuning their Lexus Riley after struggling during the Grand-Am November Test Days at DIS. Rojas crashed the team's car during the Dec. 11 session, hitting a chicane and causing front end damage to the car. Despite the setback, Pruett said he has happy with the team's progress.
“We had a lot of problems at the earlier test,” Pruett said. “We just didn’t get much track time at all. In fact, we only got about a half of a day running. We opted to come back here and it’s been very valuable learning a lot about what the car wants with the new Pirelli tires.”

Jimmie Johnson will race in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the opening race in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, with drivers Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty and Jimmy Vasser in the No. 99 Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac-Riley.
"This is going to be a lot of fun," said Johnson, who will be making his fourth start in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. "I really want to win the Rolex 24 and have tried a couple of times. I think joining this team will give me the best shot ever. What these guys were able to do last season was amazing. I have nothing but the highest respect for this team, drivers and the Rolex Series and hope I can celebrate with them when we roll the Lowe’s/GAINSCO car into victory lane.”
Johnson finished 36th for the Riley-Matthews team last year. His best finish came in 2005 when he finished second for Howard-Boss Motorsports.
"I have said this before and don’t mind telling everyone again: One of the coolest things I have ever done in my career is watching the sun come up over the Daytona International Speedway at daybreak from behind the wheel of a prototype," Johnson said. "That was such a beautiful sight and such a peaceful, cool feeling. I'm going to make sure I am in the car when the sun comes up this year."
The normally red painted No. 99 will also carry the blue and silver Lowe’s paint scheme similar to paint scheme Johnson drives each weekend in Cup racing. The team will participate in the traditional three-day Rolex 24 test on Jan. 4-6.

Jimmie Johnson, the two-time NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion, will race in three Nationwide Series races in 2008. One of those races will be Aug. 30 at California Speedway.
Johnson will drive the No. 5 Chevrolet Impala in both races at Lowe's Motor Speedway in North Carolina in addition to the California Speedway race.
“I always love running the Nationwide car,” said Johnson, whose No. 5 Chevrolet will be fielded by JR Motorsports in partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. “We have raced in this series a few times over the last few years and performed pretty well. It’s a fun series to drive in. I want to have fun, but I would like to get a few more victories there. I have one from 2001, but I would like a lot more.”
Johnson has raced these same three races, in what was the Busch Series, in each of the past two years. Johnson has won the past two Cup Series championships. Last year, he won 10 races, the most of any driver in the series, and has 33 career Cup victories, which ties him for 18th in NASCAR history.
“We are very pleased to sponsor Jimmie in this series again in 2008,” said Bob Gfeller, Lowe’s senior vice president of marketing and advertising. “Our customers, employees and race fans love to see the two-time NASCAR champion on the track on Saturday as well as Sunday.”
Johnson has 87 starts in the old Busch Series and won the Chicagoland Speedway race in 2001.

There will be more than football pride on the line during the Orange bowl between Virginia Tech and Kansas. Ham, peanuts, steak and sunflower seeds are on the table, so to speak, as well.
The presidents of Richmond International Raceway and Kansas Speedway have a friendly wager on the outcome of the Orange Bowl.
Doug Fritz, the president of RIR and a Virginia Tech alum, will put up Virginia hams and Virginia peanuts. Jeff Boerger, president of Kansas Speedway and a Kansas University graduate, is wagering Kansas City strip steaks and sunflowers seeds. The sunflower is the official state flower of Kansas.
“Although I would like to introduce two very tasty Virginia products to the employees at Kansas Speedway, I would much rather taste victory over the Jayhawks when my beloved Hokies reign supreme at the Orange Bowl,” said Fritz. “I will be watching my good friend, Coach Frank Beamer, and his team closely from the stands and I look forward to returning to Richmond to hand out the strip steaks and sunflower seeds to all of the employees at Richmond International Raceway. Go Hokies!”
Fritz is a 1981 graduate of Virginia Tech where he majored in marketing management. A longtime Hokie supporter, Fritz is a season ticket holder and will be making the trip with his family to Miami for the game. His daughter, Laura, and son, Scott, both attend Virginia Tech.
Boerger is a 1988 graduate of Kansas University where he majored in fine arts.
“The Virginia hams will taste extremely good after I watch my Jayhawks beat the Hokies of Virginia Tech,” said Boerger. “Coach Mark Mangino and his staff have done a great job this year and it’s been exciting to watch KU get recognized for all of their hard work. Several staff members at Kansas Speedway are KU graduates and we’ll all be pulling for the Jayhawks to beat the Hokies. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!”
The Orange Bowl is part of the Bowl Championship Series. Virginia Tech (11-2) is the champion of the Atlatntic Coast Conference. Kansas (11-1) finished second in he Big XII Conference's Northern Division and is ranked eighth in the BCS standings. Virginia Tech is No. 3 in the BCS standings.
The Orange Bowl will be played Jan. 3 in Florida.

The schedule for the 2008 Camping World Series, otherwise known as the NASCAR Grand National Divsion East and West Series, was released over the weekend. The 13-race West Series schedule includes two stops at Irwindale Speedway and one race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.
The May 18 race at Iowa Speedway will combine drivers from the East and West Series. Last year, Joey Logano beat Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick, a graduate of the old Winston West Series, at Iowa Speedway.
The West Series will visit Irwindale Speedway on July 4 and Aug. 16. The race at Infineon Raceway, one of two road courses the West Series will visit, is on June 21.
The races at Infineon Raceway and Phoenix Interantional Raceway on April 10 will be on the same weekend as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at the tracks.
The season starts March 29 at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., and ends Oct. 18 at the new Kern County race track in Bakersfield.
The following is the complete schedule:

Date Site Location

March 29 All American Speedway Roseville, Calif.

April 10 Phoenix International Raceway Phoenix, Ariz.

April 19 Thunderhill Raceway Kyle, Texas

May 18 Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa

June 7 Colorado National Speedway Erie, Colo.

June 21 Infineon Raceway Sonoma, Calif.

July 4 Irwindale Speedway Irwindale, Calif.

July 11 Douglas County Speedway Roseburg, Ore.

July 19 Evergreen Speedway Monroe, Wash.

Aug. 2 Miller Motorsports Park Tooele, Utah

Aug. 16 Irwindale Speedway Irwindale, Calif.

Sept. 13 Altamont Motorsports Park Tracy, Calif.

Oct. 18 Kern County Bakersfield, Calif.

It looks like Cruz Pedregon won't be the only drag racer in the Chili Bowl in January.
Gary Scelzi, an NHRA Funny Car driver for Don Schumacher Racing, will be racing in the Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Okla., one of the biggest races for USAC Midget drivers. He has been testing at Ventura Raceway at Cory Kruseman's racing school in preparation for the race.
He will be racing his own car, backed by Jeg's and K&N Filters. It is a car that 17-year-old Michael Faccinto drives in USAC races.
"I've been to Cory Kruseman's school a couple of times, and I've raced in the Super 600cc Mini Sprint class in a couple of races at Plaza Park in Visalia, Calif.," Scelzi said in an interview released by his drag racing team. "When I test at Plaza Park, I test with my son Dominic, who drives the 600cc Restricted Mini Sprint at events there. In fact, we just had the track rented a couple of weekends in a row. We took the wings off both cars and he and I went at it. We absolutely had a ball."
The race will be on Jan. 12 and will be televised on HBO pay-per-view.

A replica of the truck Ron Hornaday drove to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship will be part of the Daytona 500 Experience at Daytona International Speedway.
Hornaday, driver of the No. 33 Chevrolet Silverado for Kevin Harvick Inc., won his third career Truck Series championship. It was his first for KHI. His previous two came when he was driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
“We are extremely pleased to have been asked by Daytona International Speedway to display the No. 33 Camping World Silverado in their attraction,” said Camping World President and CEO Marcus Lemonis. “Our NASCAR truck program with KHI is very important to our company and we are eager to share it with the hundreds of thousands of fans who tour Daytona USA each year.”
Fans can see Hornaday's truck at the attraction beginning Dec. 14. The Daytona 500 Experience is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

A winless season is something new;
For Ray Evernham, an unexpected plot.
His drivers considered among the best;
His cars apparently were not.
Kasey Kahne could not break through,
A second place at Bristol, the best that he could do.
Elliott Sadler fared far worse,
His top-10 finishes from season’s past added up to two.
In steps George Gillett, his pockets deep, a welcome sight;
Enter Patrick Carpentier, a Canadian with a future bold and bright.
Budweiser’s in, Best Buy too. Enough new money for all;
But the Christmas wish at the top of their list is a Dodge engine that does not stall.

In addition to the NASCAR weekends, the AMA Suzuki Superbike Challenge and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will be part of California Speedway’s auto racing lineup in 2008.
The track released its schedule on Wednesday touting the return of NASCAR, the AMA and NHRA to its facilities.
“From the debut of the Car of Tomorrow to the return of the Suzuki AMA Superbike Championship and NHRA SPORTSnationals, 2008 promises to be California Speedway’s most exciting year yet,” said Gillian Zucker, president of California Speedway. “There’s something for every race fan.”
NASCAR will make its first visit to the track Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 as part of Preseason Thunder. It will be the first time NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow, which was introduced at the Cup level last year, will be on the Fontana track.
The first race of the year for the track will be on the weekend of Feb. 22-24 with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series races. NASCAR returns on Labor Day weekend with Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series races on Aug. 29-31.
The AMA Suzuki Superbike Challenge will be April 25-27. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will visit May 2-4. The Southern California Historical Sports Car Festival will be June 20-22. The NHRA PacificSPORTS Nationals will conclude the auto racing season at California Speedway on Oct. 3-5.

The management team of the newly dubbed Flashco Stockcar Racing League Southwest Series made some bold announcements at its awards banquet in Las Vegas over the weekend.
One was a $100,000 race, with $30,000 going to the winner, that will be held at the end of the 2008 SRL Southwest Series season. The race is set to take place at the new track being built in Bakersfield. It has yet to be named. Additionally, the race will be televised on VERSUS network as part of its Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour.
The SRL Southwest Series also announced a 12-race schedule, highlighted with stops at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Colorado National Speedway. Larry Collins and his family, who owned Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, will be part of the management team for the new SRL Series.
A stop at Irwindale Speedway was announced as part of the schedule, but an official at the track said that date was not confirmed. The track expected to have a schedule for the 2008 season set by the end of the year.
The SRL Series became a place for drivers from the defunct NASCAR Southwest Series to race their cars.
M.K. Kanke, Jim Pettit, Keith Spangler and Darrell LaMoure were among the drivers from the old NASCAR Southwest Series racing in SRL last year.

The biggest victory Toyota had last year was not on the race track. It was in the garage.
Joe Gibbs Racing, with drivers Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, will be part of the Toyota family next year. Hall of Fame Racing, with J.J. Yeley as driver of the No. 96 car, will also join the Toyota clan next year.
Heighten expectations and results will no doubt follow. Toyota can point to two poles and two top-five finishes in its first year of NASCAR Nextel Cup Series competition, but it will have to do much better than that for Joe Gibbs Racing.
“There have been meetings on projects we can share with JGR and things we can do to help the learning curve,” said Michael Waltrip, owner and driver for the three-car Michael Waltrip Racing. “We have a lot of respect for that organization -- they’ve been around a long time and been in contention for and won championships. We really look forward to being able to work with them on projects as we head into 2008.”

The 2007 American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters All America team was announced Saturday. Members of AARWBA voted for drivers in seven categories of racing in the United States. The top vote getter will receive the Jerry Titues Award, which will be announced at the association's banquet Jan. 12 in Indianapolis. Ron Hornaday Jr., who won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship and is a former Saugus Speedway champ from Palmdale, is one of the finalists for the Titus award.
Here are the first and second team selections:

FIRST TEAM
OPEN WHEEL: Sébastien Bourdais, Dario Franchitti
STOCK CAR: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson
ROAD RACING: Jon Fogarty/Alex Gurney, Scott Pruett
DRAG RACING: Tony Pedregon, Tony Schumacher
SHORT TRACK: Jerry Coons Jr., Donny Schatz
TOURING SERIES: Ron Hornaday Jr., Frank Kimmel
AT LARGE: Alex Lloyd, Jaime Melo/Mika Salo

SECOND TEAM
OPEN WHEEL: Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan
STOCK CAR: Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards
ROAD RACING: Timo Bernhard/Romain Dumas, Rinaldo Capello/Allan McNish
DRAG RACING: Greg Anderson, Jeg Coughlin
SHORT TRACK: Levi Jones, Joey Saldana
TOURING SERIES: Joey Logano, Bobby Gill
AT LARGE: Frank Manzo, Randy Pobst

HONORABLE MENTION
(At least 5% of the vote)
OPEN WHEEL: none
STOCK CAR: none
ROAD RACING: Max Angelelli, Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin
DRAG RACING: Bruce Litton, Dale Creasy Jr.
SHORT TRACK: Steve Francis
TOURING SERIES: Mike David, Donny Lia, Michael McDowell
AT LARGE: Raphael Matos, Carl Renezeder

Three drivers will share driving duties in the No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the newly named NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2008.
Owner Kevin Harvick will drive 22 of the 35 Nationwide Series races in the No. 33 car. Cale Gale will be in the car for 11 races and Ron Hornaday Jr. will be in it for two.
“I’m really looking forward to racing for KHI in the Nationwide Series in 2008,” said Harvick, who also drives in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing. “This will be the first year that I will only race for KHI in this series. My goal is to go out and be consistent, competitive and win races for KHI.”
Harvick has won two championships in the Busch Series, the former name of the Nationwide Series. Hornaday has three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championships, his latest coming in 2007. Gale is a developmental driver for Harvick.
“To share seat time with Kevin and Ron, I couldn’t ask for better teammates,” Gale said. “I can go to both of these guys for help in the car on every track and they can give me great tips based on their experiences in the Truck, Cup and Nationwide Series. I’m really excited and look forward to a great year at KHI.”
Returning in 2008 as sponsors on the No. 33 KHI Chevrolet will be Camping World and RoadLoans.com.

Roush Fenway Racing is looking for its fan of the year and you can vote on it.
Fans can log on to RoushFenway.com to vote for their favorite fan from a selection of weekly finalists selected through the year.
To vote, fans must join a free online club. Once signed up, they can vote as many times as they want. The deadline to vote is Dec. 14.
Winners will be announced Dec. 17. The fan of the year will be the team's guest at the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 25.
The winner will also receive apparel and merchandise designating them as the 2007 Roush Fenway Racing Fan of the Year and will be recognized in a display at the Roush Fenway Racing museum in Concord, N.C. The 2007 Roush Fenway Racing Fan of the Year will serve as an unofficial spokesperson of the Roush Fenway Racing Online Fan Clubs on www.RoushFenway.com and will be used in various press releases and online materials throughout the year.

Christmas at the Hendricks, a bounty to behold;
But underneath the Christmas tree, a tempest did unfold.
Bitter words exchanged, egos on the mend;
NASCAR drivers said many things to insult and to offend.
Jimmie earned the glory, Jeff among the slighted;
Casey deemed the lucky, Dale the uninvited.
Owner Rick did his best to ease the pain, distributing what joy he could.
But little did he know his merry gifts would be misunderstood.

Haas CNC Racing, owned and founded by CSUN graduate and Oxnard businessman Gene Haas, has replaced Harold Holly with Dave Skog as crew chief for the team’s No. 66 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Skog will be teamed with driver Jeremy Mayfield, who has been driving the No. 66 since the Oct. 28 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Skog and Mayfield worked together previously on the No. 19 team for Gillett Evernham Motorsports.
“I’m thrilled with the opportunity Haas CNC racing has presented me,” Skog said. “With the COTs (Cars of Tomorrow) being relatively the same, I believe the challenge comes down to personnel — getting the right people in the right places and then getting everyone to move in the same direction. There is a tremendous amount of potential in this team.”
Haas CNC Racing has two cars. The No. 70 will be driven by Scott Riggs in 2008.
Haas is the owner and founder of Oxnard-based Haas Automation. He was sentenced to a 24-month prison term for tax evasion in November. He is scheduled to begin serving his sentence on Jan. 14.
"Dave Skog has been with us for four years and has really impressed us with not only his knowledge, but also his passion for what we do,” said Joe Custer, general manager of Haas CNC Racing. “Dave’s tenacity for learning the COT was a huge factor in our early success with that program and he has firmly established himself as a leader in our organization.”

Be one of the first to see NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow at California Speedway in January.
California Speedway will be part of NASCAR's Preseason Thunder from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1. This will be the first time the Car of Tomorrow, NASCAR's innovative new stock car every Sprint Cup team will use in 2008, will be run on the Fontana track.
“We are thrilled to host NASCAR Preseason Thunder, which will give our fans a preview of how the Car of Tomorrow will change the racing when it debuts at California Speedway this February,” said Gillian Zucker, President of California Speedway. “Everyone I have spoken with about the Car of Tomorrow — from drivers, to crew chiefs, to team owners to officials — talks about how drafting will become a major factor, like Daytona or Talladega, without restrictor plates. It should be a great show for California’s racing fans.”
The Sprint Cup Series will be at California Speedway for the second race of the 2008 schedule, Feb. 22-24. The Car of Tomorrow was used limitedly during the 2007 season. NASCAR did not use the new car on most of the larger tracks in the series.
“The Car of Tomorrow will change racing,” said Kyle Petty, a driver for Petty Enterprises and veteran of over 800 Cup races. “I think it’s better suited for a 2-mile race track and truly believe that when we run it out in California, you are going to see a great race. Next year’s races have the potential to be the best California races we’ve ever had.”
NASCAR will run three test sessions on Jan. 31 (9 a.m.-noon, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. and 6 p.m.-9 p.m.) and two test sessions on Feb. 1 (9 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.-5 p.m.) Admission to the grandstands will be free for all sessions. Fans that purchase tickets for the Auto Club 500 by Jan. 31 will also be granted access to the infield rooftops during testing.
Fans who have not purchased their tickets for the February NASCAR race weekend can still gain access to the infield rooftops with a $5 donation to the NASCAR Foundation. Additionally, members of California Speedway’s Hard Card program -- season ticket holders who have renewed their seats for 2008 -- will have access to a special question and answer session with fan favorite driver Robby Gordon after the Jan. 31 afternoon’s testing session.
The Preseason Thunder schedule was determined by a group of Cup crew chiefs and includes nine tracks before the 2008 Cup season starts at Daytona International Speedway for the Daytona 500.

The short track nominees for the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association All-America team are a collection of USAC Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown drivers and World of Outlaw drivers. They race on dirt tracks and paved ovals at little tracks all over the country. Some of them race at Irwindale Speedway, a half-mile paved oval, and Ventura Raceway, a quarter-mile seaside dirt track.

Jerry Coons Jr. won the USAC National Midget Series championship. He won five USAC Midget races, three Sprint car races and one Silver Crown race.

Steve Francis won the World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship. He won four Late Model Series races and led all Late Model Series drivers in heat wins and laps completed.

Chub Frank won the Dirt Track World Championship at K-C Raceway and six races in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.

Levi Jones won the USAC National Sprint Car Series. He won four USAC National Sprint Car Series races and one USAC National Midget race.

Joey Saldana won 13 World of Outlaws Sprint Car, was fast qualifier 11 times and was runner up in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series.

Donny Schatz won the World of Outlaws Sprint Car championship, his second in a row. He won 19 World of Outlaw Sprint Car races and led the series in laps led with 476.