Zahra Baker will get another visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway thanks to Kyle Busch.
Busch and his Kyle Busch Motorsports Truck team are teaming up with Speedway Children's Charities to pay remembrance to the 10-year-old disabled girl from Hickory, whose body was found dismembered last year.
Zahra's name and picture will be placed above the passenger side window of Busch's No. 18 Toyota which will run in Friday night's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The speedway will also observe a moment of silence in her honor before the start of the race.
"The story of Zahra Baker's tragic murder really hit home with KBM and the Kyle Busch Foundation," said Busch. "We wanted to do something special in her honor and felt that the truck race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was the perfect opportunity."
One of the last times that Zahra was seen in public was at the Starkey Hearing Foundation "Get in Gear to Help Children Hear" event hosted by Speedway Children's Charities at CMS last May. She was one of 75 underprivileged children and adults throughout the Carolinas given the gift of hearing at the event.
Speedway Children's Charities has invited several of the hearing–impaired children who attended last May's event to take part in Friday's pre-race activities. The children will stand next to Busch and his No. 18 Toyota during pre-race and following the moment of silence, release balloons in honor of Zahra.
Speedway Children's Charities has also donated tickets for these children to watch the race from the grandstand along with residents of the Church of God Children's Home, a primary charity of the Kyle Busch Foundation located in Kannapolis, N.C.
"Zahra will never be forgotten," Busch said. "She will always be in our hearts."
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
ESPN will try 'split screen' in NASCAR Chase races
NASCAR fans are going to see more racing than ever on their TVs this season.
ESPN on Tuesday announced its telecasts of the 10 Chase for the Sprint Cup races will use "NASCAR NonStop," a commercial format that will bring more racing action to viewers.
ESPN's commercial breaks will feature a split-screen format - showing the advertisement on the left side of the screen and racing on the right.
ESPN's scoring ticker also will continue to move across the top of the screen, allowing fans to follow the running order during the breaks.
"I've watched the format on the open-wheel races for years, I think we all have. I'm not sure if it will move the meter to bring more fans in, but I think for the dedicated fans watching you don't want to see the breaks, you want to the race continue," said five-time reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.
"I think it's a great perk and should be really helpful for our fan base during the Chase races."
NASCAR NonStop will take effect at or near the halfway point of the race, with the first half of the race presented in the traditional commercial-break format.
"Since we returned to NASCAR racing in 2007, one of the most common questions from our fans has been 'Why don't you do the commercials side-by-side?'" said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president of content.
"We're very pleased to be able to do it now with NASCAR NonStop and showcase the advertiser while still showcasing the race."
During Sunday's Cup series telecast from Dover, Del., Fox used a split-screen format for the first time, for its final commercial break. The move was praised by fans.
Skipper said ESPN worked with NASCAR to create the new format and that the change had been planned for months.
"ESPN's NonStop format will ensure our fans maximize their viewing experience during the most intense and thrilling time of the season - the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup," said Paul Brooks, president of NASCAR Media Group.
The final 17 races of the Cup will be televised on ESPN networks, with 14 on ESPN and three Saturday night races - including the October Chase race at Charlotte Motor Speedway - on ABC.
ESPN on Tuesday announced its telecasts of the 10 Chase for the Sprint Cup races will use "NASCAR NonStop," a commercial format that will bring more racing action to viewers.
ESPN's commercial breaks will feature a split-screen format - showing the advertisement on the left side of the screen and racing on the right.
ESPN's scoring ticker also will continue to move across the top of the screen, allowing fans to follow the running order during the breaks.
"I've watched the format on the open-wheel races for years, I think we all have. I'm not sure if it will move the meter to bring more fans in, but I think for the dedicated fans watching you don't want to see the breaks, you want to the race continue," said five-time reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.
"I think it's a great perk and should be really helpful for our fan base during the Chase races."
NASCAR NonStop will take effect at or near the halfway point of the race, with the first half of the race presented in the traditional commercial-break format.
"Since we returned to NASCAR racing in 2007, one of the most common questions from our fans has been 'Why don't you do the commercials side-by-side?'" said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president of content.
"We're very pleased to be able to do it now with NASCAR NonStop and showcase the advertiser while still showcasing the race."
During Sunday's Cup series telecast from Dover, Del., Fox used a split-screen format for the first time, for its final commercial break. The move was praised by fans.
Skipper said ESPN worked with NASCAR to create the new format and that the change had been planned for months.
"ESPN's NonStop format will ensure our fans maximize their viewing experience during the most intense and thrilling time of the season - the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup," said Paul Brooks, president of NASCAR Media Group.
The final 17 races of the Cup will be televised on ESPN networks, with 14 on ESPN and three Saturday night races - including the October Chase race at Charlotte Motor Speedway - on ABC.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Roush plans to test Bayne before his return to NASCAR
Roush Fenway Racing plans to test driver Trevor Bayne this week in preparation for what it hopes is his return to the race track at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Bayne, 20, entered the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., two weeks ago to undergo tests for symptoms originally thought to have been related to an insect bite for which he was hospitalized briefly last month.
He was released last week still receiving treatment for blurred vision - the result, doctors said, of an “inflammatory condition.” He has missed the last three Nationwide Series races.
"I can't say definitely (Bayne will return at Charlotte) because I don't have the right pay grade and education for that but he is making progress and his symptoms are by and large gone," said team owner Jack Roush.
"His blurred vision is by and large gone but we are going to take him to Gresham (Motorsports Park) in Georgia to give him some laps to see if he is comfortable and then report back to the doctors and NASCAR to see what they think."
Roush officials said earlier this week they hoped Bayne would be able to compete in next Saturday's Sprint All Star Race at Charlotte as well as the Nationwide race in Iowa.
Bayne qualified for the all-star race by winning the season-opening Daytona 500, driving the No. 21 Ford for the Wood Brothers.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Furniture Row Racing: NASCAR's version of the Denver Broncos
Regan Smith received a lot of attention from the media and fans for his surprise win in last Saturday's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. His Furniture Row Racing team, which is headquartered in Denver, Colo., didn't go unnoticed, either.
On Thursday, team owner Barney Visser received a congratulatory phone call from Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. The following message was posted on the governor's Twitter account on Thursday: "Gov. Hickenlooper today called Furniture Row team owner Barney Visser to congratulate the team on the big win last week. Well done! #nascar"
Smith was asked Friday at Dover about the recognition he and his team has received in Colorado.
"We’ve worked very hard within Colorado to say hey, we’re Denver’s and Colorado’s race team and to have the governor call is neat. That means a lot to us. Denver has really kind of taken us under their arm and it’s been really neat to see what the media out there has done," he said. "They certainly give us attention like they would give the Broncos or the Avalanche and I wouldn’t have guessed that’s how that would go for when I first went to work for Furniture Row Racing.
"It's been neat to see. We talked with them all throughout the off-season and the start of this year and I was out there three weeks ago. And they said well, we’ve been qualifying good, when’s the first win going to come? And we kept saying we’ve got fast race cars, we just need to focus on finishing them off and getting top 10’s. So to get to take the trophy back and show it off there is meaningful and to have the governor call is really cool.”
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Dale Jr.'s take on NASCAR probation
While unveiling the new giant HDTV at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was asked about a variety of topics, including his take on NASCAR probation.
Both Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch were fined $25,000 and placed on probation through June 15 for their post race altercation on pit road following Saturday night's Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
With many race fans - and media - still wondering exactly what probation means, Earnhardt weighed in as well:
“Probation doesn’t change the way you drive, because you’re still going to drive hard, and you’re still going to race as hard as you can. It’s obvious when things are intentional and things aren’t. As far I understand it, if you go out there and race hard … and say they get into the same situation that happened before the checkered flag (at Darlington) - I don’t think anything would happen to them. But if they go out of the box and do things that are detrimental, then I think the probation becomes a problem. When you’re a driver, you’re cognizant of that," he said.
"You can still race hard and get in your fair share of scrape-ups on the race track, when you’re racing. That’s part of the race in-between flags, but it’s the kind of things that happen after the race that I guess they don’t like.
“Probation works as it’s intended to work. I think that NASCAR wants you to do whatever you think you’re capable of doing in between the flags. They’ve really went to penalize someone for anything that happened between the green and the checkered flag. It’s always everything that happened after that. They’re not going to come and do a judgment call on what happened on the race track. There’s too many variables involved, and the drivers are there now to police themselves during that period."
Both Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch were fined $25,000 and placed on probation through June 15 for their post race altercation on pit road following Saturday night's Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
With many race fans - and media - still wondering exactly what probation means, Earnhardt weighed in as well:
“Probation doesn’t change the way you drive, because you’re still going to drive hard, and you’re still going to race as hard as you can. It’s obvious when things are intentional and things aren’t. As far I understand it, if you go out there and race hard … and say they get into the same situation that happened before the checkered flag (at Darlington) - I don’t think anything would happen to them. But if they go out of the box and do things that are detrimental, then I think the probation becomes a problem. When you’re a driver, you’re cognizant of that," he said.
"You can still race hard and get in your fair share of scrape-ups on the race track, when you’re racing. That’s part of the race in-between flags, but it’s the kind of things that happen after the race that I guess they don’t like.
“Probation works as it’s intended to work. I think that NASCAR wants you to do whatever you think you’re capable of doing in between the flags. They’ve really went to penalize someone for anything that happened between the green and the checkered flag. It’s always everything that happened after that. They’re not going to come and do a judgment call on what happened on the race track. There’s too many variables involved, and the drivers are there now to police themselves during that period."
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
NASCAR penalizes Harvick, Busch
NASCAR released the following penalty announcement this morning:
NASCAR has penalized NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick as a result of rules infractions committed at last weekend’s event at Darlington Raceway.
Busch, driver of the No. 18 car, and Harvick, driver of the No. 29 car, have each been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation for the next four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points events until June 15 for violating Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – involved in an altercation on pit road after the conclusion of the race).
“These penalties are a result of what occurred on pit road after the race was over,” said Kerry Tharp, Senior Director for Communications, Competition. “They are about maintaining a safe environment on pit road.”
NASCAR has penalized NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick as a result of rules infractions committed at last weekend’s event at Darlington Raceway.
Busch, driver of the No. 18 car, and Harvick, driver of the No. 29 car, have each been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation for the next four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points events until June 15 for violating Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – involved in an altercation on pit road after the conclusion of the race).
“These penalties are a result of what occurred on pit road after the race was over,” said Kerry Tharp, Senior Director for Communications, Competition. “They are about maintaining a safe environment on pit road.”
Monday, May 9, 2011
North Wilkesboro closes yet again
Speedway Associates Inc., which has been leasing historic North Wilkesboro Speedway the past 1 1/2 years, announced on Monday night it was shutting down operations at the track.
“We lined up some great events. However, even though we can project positive income from events at the speedway, we do not have the money needed on the front end to make those events happen," Speedway Associates Inc. President Alton McBride Jr. said.
"In spite of our complete investment in the speedway and in this community, we have run out of money necessary to go forward."
Speedway Associates took over operation of the 5/8ths mile track in November 2009. The track had closed following the fall Cup series race in 1996. From Labor Day weekend 2010 through the 2011 season-opening Pro All-Star Series race, there were six large and more than a dozen small successful events held at the track.
"In just 1½ years, SAI's fantastic team returned this wonderful, historic track to its rightful place as the most popular place for past and present industry icons to come and feel the history that was being kept alive by those who carry this speedway in their heart," McBride said.
“We lined up some great events. However, even though we can project positive income from events at the speedway, we do not have the money needed on the front end to make those events happen," Speedway Associates Inc. President Alton McBride Jr. said.
"In spite of our complete investment in the speedway and in this community, we have run out of money necessary to go forward."
Speedway Associates took over operation of the 5/8ths mile track in November 2009. The track had closed following the fall Cup series race in 1996. From Labor Day weekend 2010 through the 2011 season-opening Pro All-Star Series race, there were six large and more than a dozen small successful events held at the track.
"In just 1½ years, SAI's fantastic team returned this wonderful, historic track to its rightful place as the most popular place for past and present industry icons to come and feel the history that was being kept alive by those who carry this speedway in their heart," McBride said.
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